Real Estate Rockstars 2019

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REAL ESTATE

ROCKST RS KEY PLAYERS & PERSONALITIES IN THE VALLEY'S REAL ESTATE MARKET

PROFILES by LAUREN FISHER

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PHOTOS by ANDREA PAULSETH

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L AYOUT & DESIGN by ERIC CHRISTENSON

REAL ESTATE

ROCKST RS

BUYING OR SELLING A HOUSE?

LOOK TO THE ROCKST RS how to make things easy for customers: They let people know who they are and exactly what they’re all about. Cue: REAL ESTATE ROCKSTARS! These Chippewa Valley personalities are ready to get to know you and help you take those crucial steps toward homeownership, and they’re going to start by letting you get to know them. Find out how long they’ve been in the business, what their style is, and what their values are before you even pick up a phone.

How easy is that?

WHEN IT ’S TIME TO BUY A HOME

– a first home, a new home, a cozy cottage to retire in, a lakeside cabin for long Wisconsin weekends with family and friends – it seems as though there are almost as many real estate agents, lenders, and professionals to guide you as there are homes to choose from. How do you find the right person, with the right personality, to help you on one of the most important adventures in life? A great real estate professional knows

SPECIAL SECTION PRESENTED BY

+ INDIVIDUAL PROFILES ARE PAID FOR BY THE PARTICIPATING RE ALTORS THEMSELVES.

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REAL ESTATE

ROCKST RS " I ’ V E S E E N E N O U G H L O A N S T H AT I K N O W W H E R E T H E P I T FA L L S A N D CHALLENGES ARE AND I CAN GET OUT IN FRONT OF THEM. " JARED JOHNSON • ROYAL CREDIT UNION

MORTGAGE MASTER AT RCU, JARED JOHNSON MAKES GETTING A HOME LOAN EASY JARED JOHNSON ROYAL CREDIT UNION 2415 JODI DRIVE, EAU CLAIRE 715-833-8289 JARED.JOHNSON@RCU.ORG W W W.RCU.ORG

WHEN IT’S TIME TO BUY A HOME , CHOOSING THE RIGHT MORTGAGE LENDER IS JUST AS IMPORTANT as finding a great real estate agent. That’s where Jared Johnson comes in. An officer with Royal Credit Union, Jared helps buyers find the right mortgage so that they can finance the right home.

While Royal offers an online application for mortgage lending pre-approval, Jared recommends coming in for a chat when you start the homebuying process.

“Sitting down for 10 minutes is worth a hundred emails back and forth,” he said. Getting information will go quicker, and so will getting to know one another. This will come in handy later in the process, when the buyer has an accepted offer and Jared helps assemble the official loan application.

“Most of our work is done up front so that when you actually find the house, the rest of it is fairly straightforward,” Jared said.

“I’ve seen enough loans that I know where the pitfalls and challenges are and I can get out in front of them. As many things as we can get in front of, we do, and I think we do a really good job of that.”

Jared got his start in the real estate business as an agent, but quickly found that mortgage lending was the role for him. Modest and friendly, Jared is easy to work with and well-equipped to help new buyers learn how to go through the process from the ground up.

Jared is also there for people who aren’t sure they’re ready to buy a home yet. Those who are considering homeownership in the future can schedule an appointment to discuss their options with a mortgage officer.

Even if a pre-approval isn’t in the cards right now, Jared can help people get on the right track by identifying ways to strengthen their financial reputation in anticipation of a future application. Some people can get into a home sooner than they think with a nudge in the right direction.

He is surrounded by a team of professionals with years of experience who handle each aspect of the lending process, from origination (his job) to underwriting to signing day.

Jared has been the leading lender with Royal for about a year, but with a team as people-focused as his, (friendly) competition can be tough. “Everybody does it a little differently, that’s for sure, because when you look at our team it’s very diverse and we all come from different backgrounds,” Jared said.

Above all, Jared is there to help people put the paperwork behind them so they can move into the home they love. “If we can find a way to make it work, we will make it work.”

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BROUGHT TO YOU IN PART BY

REAL ESTATE

BROUGHT TO YOU IN PART BY

ROCKST RS A FRESH FACE

KATRINA HAKE • EDINA REALTY

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A NEW DO-GOODER KATRINA HAKE INTRODUCES PEOPLE TO THEIR NEW HOME AND THEIR NEW COMMUNITY KATRINA HAKE 1903 KEI T H S T., SUITE 6, EAU CLAIRE (612) 432-4798 K AT RIN A H A K E @EDIN A RE A LT Y.COM W W W.EDIN A RE A LT Y.COM

K ATRINA HAKE WORE A BL A ZER, A SMILE , AND A YELL OW T- SHIRT THAT RE AD “DO GOOD.” She generally meets her clients out and about in Eau Claire, at SHIFT Cyclery & Coffee Bar, or perhaps in the lobby of the Pablo Center at the Confluence.

Today she was in her office at Edina Realty, 1903 Keith St., and she lit up the room with bubbly energy.

Katrina moved back to her hometown of Eau Claire just two years ago, when she and her husband found the perfect house. It was modern, stand-out, with a big yard; the perfect contrast from their Minneapolis home up until that point. The move was on, and so was Katrina’s new career.

“I’ve always just loved seeing houses and how people design them,” Katrina said. She combined that love with her 25 years of experience in sales to become a real estate agent.

“There’s something about the privi-

lege of being part of a transaction that’s so personal to someone,” Katrina said. “To be able to help someone find their space or sell a home that they built themselves and raised a family in, and put their heart and soul into, it’s really cool to be a part of that.”

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The buying or selling process begins with a conversation. Katrina really listens to the client’s needs, preferences, and concerns, so that she can get the process rolling in the right direction. She connects people with the resources they need to complete the process, and answers every question they could possibly have.

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Katrina especially loves working with buyers who want to relocate to the Chippewa Valley. “Not only do I get to introduce them to their new home, but I get to introduce them to their new community,” she said.

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Giving back to that community is just as important to Katrina, who donates a percentage of each year’s profits to a local cause. She plans to let her clients choose the organization she contributes to. " I work tirelessly to make transactions smooth and ensure my clients get all their boxes checked and are happy with their experience," Katrina said. “For me, it’s about building relationships and connections with people."

“ TO BE ABLE TO HELP SOMEONE FIND THEIR S PA C E O R S E L L A H O M E T H AT T H E Y B U I LT T H E M S E LV E S A N D R A I S E D A FA M I LY I N , A N D P U T T H E I R H E A R T A N D S O U L I N T O , I T ’ S R E A L LY C O O L T O B E A PA R T O F T H AT. ”

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REAL ESTATE

BROUGHT TO YOU IN PART BY

ROCKST RS SCOTT WOLFE • CENTURY 21

RELATIONSHIP-BASED REALTY SCOTT WOLFE GROWS HIS BUSINESS THROUGH COMMUNITY

SCOTT WOLFE / CENTURY 21 3149 MEADOWLARK LANE, SUITE 10, ALTOONA (715) 577-4338 SWOLFE@C21AFFILIATED.COM W W W.CENTURY21.COM

SC OT T WOLF E GOT HIS RE AL E STATE LICENSE WHEN HE WAS 24 YE AR S OLD. “I decided to get in early, and I definitely had my share of struggles as an early 20-year-old trying to earn the trust and respect of clients and other agents in the industry,” he said. In his first year, he sold just four houses.

But he put his head down and grew his business from PEOPLE scratch; he attended every FIRST community event he could, PRACTICE networked, provided exemplary service, and began to build his reputation.

“The first five years, I struggled just trying to find out where I fit in in that world, and I’m glad I stuck with it,” he said. Now 15 years into his real estate career, he he has been in the top 10% of agents by sales in Northwestern Wisconsin for almost half his career.

Scott doesn’t spend a lot of money putting his face on billboards. “My business was grown through relationships,” he said. He's active in Chamber gatherings, fundraisers, golf outings, and he's a Boy Scouts of America committee member.

Most of the properties Scott works with are single-family homes, but being raised in a hunting, camping, fishing, and water recreation family, he has gained a wealth of knowledge about hunting land and waterfront or vacation properties.

Each autumn pulls Scott to Arcadia for pheasant and deer hunting. His two daughters, Reese and Piper, are too young to hunt, but he hopes that in due time they will join him in the field.

Scott spends as much time as possible at

“ DON’T JUMP ON THE FIRST HOUSE THAT YOU SEE JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK SOMEONE ELSE IS GOING TO BUY IT. DON’T OVERSPEND ON SOMETHING THAT YOU DON’T LOVE. ” their family cabin on Chain Lake in New Auburn. Fishing off the dock with his daughters on an early Saturday morning is one of his favorite things to do.

He has been known to answer work calls at the cabin, at Disneyworld, or pretty much any time the family is supposed to be on vacation.

"It always seems to get crazy busy whenever we are about to leave for a trip," he said.

Helping people buy homes in the Chippewa Valley right now presents

a few challenges. “In the market like we have right now it can be very stressful, because homes are getting multiple offers,” Scott said. But he encourages people to be patient. “Don’t jump on the first house that you see just because you think someone else is going to buy it. Don’t overspend on something that you don’t love.”

Every year since he started his career, Scott has grown his business, and he’s proud of that fact. “My successes in this business stem from my amazing circle of family and friends, and their

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trust and confidence to refer my name to others” he said. Over the years of meeting so many great people, Scott's daughters always laugh and tease him when he runs into someone he knows at the grocery store.

"Dad, why do you know so many people and why do you ALWAYS have to stop and talk?" they ask. He hopes this will eventually teach them that people, and those relationships, are the most important thing in life.

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REAL ESTATE

BROUGHT TO YOU IN PART BY

ROCKST RS JASON JESPERSON • CENTURY 21

A SLAM DUNK AGENT BASKETBALL IS THE FOUNDATION OF JASON JESPERSON'S CHARACTER JASON JESPERSON / CENTURY 21 3149 MEADOWLARK LANE, SUITE 10, ALTOONA (715) 225-4842 JJESPERSON@C21AFFILIATED.COM W W W.CENTURY21.COM

BASKE TBALL IS THE F OUNDATION THAT HELPED JASON JE SPER SON, A T OP AGENT OF CENT URY 2 1 RE ALT Y, GROW from a high school athlete to a college basketball player, and from a young person with a entry level job to an adult with a family and a career that he loves.

“I don’t play at all anymore, but I do coach, and basketball is the origin of my work ethic and the foundation of who I am.” Jesperson said.

After graduating college, he helped start up a regional AAU program called Wisconsin Playmakers Basketball, which he directed while also working as a mortgage loan officer. One of eight children, he wanted his younger brothers to be able to play basketball without traveling hours to practice; Playmakers was the solution.

When he and his wife, Stacy, found out that they were expecting their third child, he made the difficult decision that it was time to let the project go and lean into his career. He started as a real estate agent, but he never let go of the lessons he learned as an athlete.

His coach at Mayville State was Tim Miles, who later went on to coach the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Jason remembers Miles putting him in his place and helping him learn how to be a man – and though he didn’t know it at the time, how to be a real estate agent.

“Basketball is a sales job,” Miles told Jason. “And in sales, never sell something you don’t 100% believe in.”

Jason, who works primarily in residential properties, specializing in new construction, believes in helping home buyers and sellers through a process that can be daunting. He treats every client as he would his brothers or sisters, with consideration, trust, kindness, and transparency.

“ T H I S M AY B E M Y 7 0 T H H O U S E I’VE SOLD THIS YEAR, BUT OFTEN T H I S I S T H E I R F I R S T, A N D I T M I G H T B E T H E O N LY H O U S E T H E Y B U Y F O R THE NEXT DECADE . ” “This may be my 70th house I’ve sold this year, but often this is their first, and it might be the only house they do for the next decade,” he said.

them to give him a wish-list of everything they could ever dream of. He then has the builder put together a comprehensive quote. "That way, the clients get the house they want at the price they expect," he said.

Guiding buyers through the new construction process comes with its own unique excitement. Jason lists new construction for sale once the plan is finalized, often right after the basement has been poured. From there, interested buyers are able to customize finishes including cabinets, countertops, flooring, and paint colors.

Here, Jason says, transparency is especially important.

Jason is equal parts coach, father, and real estate agent. As his children pursue different athletic endeavors, he has evolved from a basketball person to a sports-in-general person to support them. But even when they’re grown, real estate will still be his passion.

“I’ll never do anything else ever again, and I don’t know that I’ll retire,” he said.

“I think I would always like to do this.”

While meeting with buyers, Jason asks

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NEVER LET GOOD ENOUGH BE ENOUGH

REAL ESTATE

BROUGHT TO YOU IN PART BY

ROCKST RS JOE GERMAIN • WOODS & WATER REALTY LLC

AN AGENT AND ADVOCATE VETERAN REALTOR JOE GERMAIN MAKES THE MOST OF EVERY MOMENT

JOE GERMAIN / GERMAIN GROUP WOODS & WATER REALT Y LLC 2105 COMMERCIAL BLVD, LAKE HALLIE ( 7 15) 828-1113 JOE@JOEGERMAIN.COM W W W.JOEGERMAIN.COM

JOE GERMAIN HAD T WO CHILDREN, BILL S T O PAY, AND A F ULL-TIME JOB AT A FAC T ORY IN CHIPPE WA FALL S MAKING C UP S NE ARLY 30 YE AR S AGO, when he saw an advertisement that said he could make a living in real estate. The first year was difficult; he plunged into a parttime position as an agent in addition to his factory job, working 80 hours per week for nine months while he got his feet under him. During the Halloween snowstorm if 1991, he was driving home from a workshop in Minneapolis, pulling off the highway when he got a chance to phone his family and tell them he was OK. That journey home – AGENT usually a two-hour drive – took WITH seven hours.

HUSTLE When he went full-time as a real estate agent, Joe never looked back.

In his 28 years of work in the real estate industry, Joe has worked hard, long hours, never wasting a moment.

His four children say it’s difficult to imagine him sitting in front of a television for any amount of time, although Joe does admit to catching a morning show every now and then.

An agent with Woods & Water Realty, Joe is the owner of the Germain Group, a cooperative of high-level agents. He assists with the purchase and sale of homes, commercial properties, and recreational/vacant land.

“My goal is to have my clients, whether they’re a buyer or a seller, have a great experience,” Joe said. He might be a dedicated, steadfast worker, but he’s laid back and easygoing with clients.

He’s a snappy dresser with a friendly personality, ready to be the agent you need. Whether a client is outgoing and excited or nervous and reserved, Joe can adapt to their style.

“ WHEN THE RIGHT HOUSE C O M E S A L O N G , YO U ' R E G O N N A K N O W I T. "

“When the right house comes along, you’re gonna know it,” Joe said. And he is there to make sure that all the details work out smoothly. His decades of experience have given him a keen eye for potential obstacles and problems. He can point out a potentially faulty electrical panel, window, or roof just as easily as he can recognize a safe investment, and he makes sure to pass on all the information he has.

openly gay president of the REALTORS Association of Northwestern Wisconsin in 201516. He is a current member of the National Association of Gay & Lesbian Real Estate Professionals, and a supporter of equal rights for all – especially the LGBTQ community.

An active member of the local real estate community, Joe was the first

When Joe does have free time, he enjoys spending time pontooning on

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Lake Wissota, running, growing hostas in his garden, and spending time with his dogs – a big yellow lab and a teeny, peppy yorkie – and his spouse of three years, Lee Heike.

“He is a great support to me in my hectic busy real estate career,” Joe said. “He always has my back and knows that my schedule is unpredictable.”

REAL ESTATE

BROUGHT TO YOU IN PART BY

ROCKST RS

WE LOCAL

BRIAN & LINDA DUNHAM • COLDWELL BANKER

A BALANCED APPROACH BRIAN AND LINDA DUNHAM ARE DREAM TEAM FOR BUYERS AND SELLERS BRIAN AND LINDA DUNHAM / COLDWELL BANKER 1021 REGIS COURT, E AU CL AIRE (715) 456-6284 BRIAN@BRENIZER.COM LINDA@BRENIZER.COM GETBRIANANDLINDA.COM

BRIAN AND LINDA DUNHAM ARE YIN AND YANG. Linda is outgoing, peppy, and empathetic, while Brian is an analytical, practical problem-solver.

It’s what makes Linda a great match for people embarking on the personal, emotional journey of homeownership, and Brian the perfect fit for the more technical process of selling property.

What the pair shares most prominently is a sense of humor; they laugh together as they tell stories about their sales shenanigans.

When they first met, this duo wasn’t so dynamic. Both Coldwell Banker agents competed for the top sales within the company in order to win the biggest office in the building. When they tied for the spot, their boss decided they would share the space. Neither were pleased. To make things worse, Brian is a prankster. As a joke, he doctored an invoice meant for Linda to look like it was overdue and left it on her desk.

Organized as she is – and extremely unlikely to miss a bill – she called the company that sent the original with

some heated words. When Brian admitted to the prank, she was so embarrassed she never called them again.

Joking aside, Brian and Linda are serious about their work. They go out to dinner once a month to discuss ways they can offer more to clients. They exchange reading materials and consider real estate classes. Through course after course, Brian has become one of the most certified agents in the region.

“ I L OV E T H E N E G O T I AT I O N A S P E C T O F I T, B E C AU S E T H AT ' S W H E N I F E E L LIKE I' M MAKING A DIFFERENCE FO R M Y C L I E N T. ”

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“I’ve been in many situations where I’ve said, ‘Look, it’s OK; I’ll make it happen,’ ” he said. With the connections the pair has and their dedication to making the buying and selling processes go smoothly, they can make problems disappear before you know it.

“I’m in love with first time homebuyers,” Linda said. She gets a thrill from watching the magic of a family finding their perfect first home.

“I love the negotiation aspect of it, because that’s when I feel like I’m making a difference for my client,” Brian said.

No matter the situation, though, the Dunhams stay true to who they are.

They refuse to compromise their values to get a commission.

“It’s not just a sale, it's ...” Brian began.

Linda finished his sentence: “It’s a human being.”

BROUGHT TO YOU IN PART BY

REAL ESTATE

ROCKST RS INDUSTRY VETERAN

TODD SCHWARTZ • CHIPPEWA VALLEY REAL ESTATE

FROM RENTAL TO RESIDENTIAL TODD SCHWARTZ PROVIDES EXPERIENCE FOR EVERY INVESTMENT TODD SCHWARTZ / CHIPPE WA VALLE Y RE AL ES TATE 1827 BR ACKE T T AVE., E AU CL AIRE (715) 514-5440 TODD@CV-RE.COM W W W.CV-REALES TATE.COM

“E AU CL AIRE IS JU ST A RE ALLY NE AT T OWN,” SAYS T ODD SCHWART Z , owner of Chippewa Valley Real Estate. “The opportunity is great here.” With the cost of living, great schools, and a growing community, Eau Claire pulled him back from a job in Maryland many years ago. “You have the opportunity here to do things that would be a lot more difficult in a bigger city,” he said.

The Chippewa Valley called to Todd as a place where he could raise a happy, healthy family. He and his wife, Sarah, have five kids between them – the youngest of whom just got her driver’s license and the oldest of whom is out on his own. But family isn’t the only thing keeping Todd in the area.

the region. He works with both sides of the operation, helping people buy their first (or second, or third) homes, or to invest in rental property. Some of his clients manage quite a bit of property, while others are new to the game; Todd is there for them all.

No matter whether his client is buying, selling, or investing, Todd does what he can to make the process as smooth as possible. The only thing you should have to worry about when working with him, he says, is moving in.

“I’ve been working in real estate for 15 years, and I want to be here for 15 more years,” Todd said. He began CVRE just over three years ago, and has a team of six agents behind him. He also runs a property management company that oversees more than 500 rental units in

In the tight Eau Claire market, homes are moving fast. Todd sets buyers up

" I DON ' T R E ALLY SE LL HOUSES. I JUST GET PEOPLE TO THE HOUSES AND PR ESE NT THE M . . . THE HOUSE SE LL S ITSE LF. "

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with all the tools they need to make the best offer quickly – and even you get outbid, he’s there with a reassuring word: “It is a house first, it will be a home second. There are a lot of houses out there, and they change every day.”

Todd always makes time for family and for sports. He catches a Packers game each year with his brother. He cheers for anything Wisconsin, he said, having grown up watching the Brewers with his grandmother.

Real estate does bleed into his personal life – he says every picture on his phone is of a house. He loves taking people through a property, waiting for them to find what they love about it.

Todd does his best to let the building speak to his client.

“I don’t really sell houses. I just get people to the houses and present them. … The house sells itself.”

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