Life has a way of pushing you toward the path you were meant to take. For me, the turning point came disguised as loss, uncertainty, and a
door closing at exactly the right time.
My wife, Nancy, has played a huge role in my life—you’re about to see just how much—and she was, in many ways, the person who led me into real estate.
Even before meeting her, the entrepreneurial spark was already in me. My parents owned a talent agency representing
actors and radio personalities. I was never drawn to the industry itself, but I thought it was incredibly cool that they owned their own business. Watching them inspired me and planted the idea that one day I wanted to follow in their entrepreneurial footsteps.
After college, I began a long career at IBM in sales and marketing. During that time, I experienced one of the biggest personal turning points of my life: my dad passed away. He was in Minnesota, and I was living in Milwaukee. My mom and sister handled his care, and I wasn’t as involved as I would have liked to be. I was hit with grief, guilt, and a depression I couldn’t shake.
That’s when Nancy came into my life. As we started dating, she encouraged me to lean deeper into my faith. I’d gone to
church occasionally, but for her, faith was central. I took her advice, grew in my relationship with God, and that helped pull me out of the dark place I’d been stuck in.
Thinking about my dad—how respected he was and what he built—lit something in me. I wanted more from life. I wanted to build something of my own too.
Nancy and I began investing in properties, and later she became a REALTOR®. I also helped her behind the scenes with
her work, especially with foreclosures and distressed properties. That experience turned out to be key for the next chapter of my life, because IBM eventually laid me off.
The truth is, I had already been considering quitting, but I was scared to give up a steady paycheck. As God would have it, IBM did a massive layoff, and I was included. That push forced me to finally commit to real estate full-time, focusing on both investing and growing a brokerage of our own. My background with distressed properties proved extremely
valuable given the market at the time, and from there, I began building my real estate business.
I’m grateful for how everything unfolded. Nancy and I continue to invest in vacation properties, and in our free time we love visiting them, fixing them up, and making them look beautiful. I also love boating on the St. Croix River—it’s one of my favorite ways to unwind.
Another important part of my life is serving on the board of directors for a local nonprofit that supports youth survivors of sex trafficking. Sadly, it’s more common than people realize in our state, and the trafficker is often a family member.
That means these kids can’t return home, but they also can’t stay long-term in traditional shelters. Our organization is the only one in the Twin Cities providing long-term housing, food, trauma therapy, health care, and education—funded through private donations, churches, grants and county support. It’s work that means a lot to me.
Looking back, I can see how every challenging moment—my father’s passing, my depression, IBM’s layoff—was preparing me for something bigger. Real estate gave me a chance to rebuild my life, serve others, and live out the entrepreneurial dream planted in me long ago. And I wouldn’t be here without Nancy, faith, and the unexpected turns that pushed me forward.
When clients work with us, they can expect real expertise backed by decades of experience. I’ve been a buyer, seller, and investor since 2002, so I understand firsthand what it feels like to navigate these big decisions—and that perspective makes me deeply empathetic as well as knowledgeable. As a broker, I also train other agents to succeed, which means I know marketing, contracts and strategy inside and out.
We make it a priority to truly connect with our clients, getting to know their goals early on so we can guide them with clarity. We’re proactive communicators, consistently sending updates and making sure clients never wonder what comes next. Everyone we serve also gains access to our trusted network of attorneys, title companies, and lenders, including programs and opportunities th
at many buyers don’t even know exist. We love helping clients find the right financial fit as much as the right property.
Above all, we want the process to feel exciting. Buying or selling a home is a major milestone, and we work hard to make sure every client enjoys the experience from beginning to end.
Sincerely,
Jeff Klemmer