Kelly MacLeod
We sat down with Women to Women Network member Kelly MacLeod of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices NW, and here's what she had to say…
Who are your clients/customers?
I serve everybody and anybody looking to buy or sell real estate, but with my history in property management, I have a special knack for first-time homebuyers and investment property owners. For example, someone looking to buy a single-family residence in their community to use as a rental property would be an excellent fit for me. I can especially speak the language of these small investment property owners, but I'm excited and open to helping just about anybody.
How do you help your clients/customers?
I worked in property management for almost 20 years. The company I worked with began going through some significant changes while the city of Portland made adjustments to how I could manage the properties I worked on. It felt like a good time for me to make a change, too. I was looking for a rewarding, new career with some flexibility to be a mom. Real estate felt like the best next step. I've always worked to help people find and manage houses, and now I've added helping them to own their own homes. My clients are investing in themselves through homeownership.
What brought you to this line of work?
Even in the perfect circumstance, buying and selling a house is stressful. Whether you're excited about this process or you're in a position where you have to sell due to life circumstances, I work to make real estate buying and selling enjoyable and less complicated.
I like to bring a little bit of laughter and levity to the process. I reassure my clients that we can get through the bumps in the road together and find joy in it. Home buying is a process that people don't go through very often, so it looks different from the first time if you haven't done it in five or ten years. I'll be in your corner to navigate that.
If we’re looking at an investment property, I can partner with the client and their financial planners to help them achieve their ideal project portfolio. My strength with investment properties is looking for and identifying properties that are well-suited for the job. For example, you may see a five-bedroom, one-bathroom house that's a great deal financially, but it might not work as a rental. Five bedrooms are difficult to rent and keep rented, especially with so few bathrooms. I give my clients foresight on the day-to-day logistics of owning, managing, and maintaining a property rental.
What brings you joy?
My greatest joy over the 20 years I've spent in this industry has been helping people to find homes that spoke to them. There is magic in watching people light up when they walk into a house and feel that they could call it home. You can see their thoughts filled with dreams for the future. It's an honor to be there to start new chapters that are yet to be written, and I get energy from their energy. I love nothing more than laughing. Life is hard, but I feel like we can do anything through laughter.
What defines you and your business?
I'm passionate about people. It's so important to me that my clients feel comfortable. I want people to feel that they can be honest and authentic. The relationships and connections I have made are profound and important to me. I don't want to be somebody that comes into your life and helps once, never to be seen again. I intend to continue to be a resource along the way. I love the idea of staying connected. No matter what the inquiry, it means a lot to me that someone would think of me, and I genuinely look forward to hearing from past clients.
What's the most important thing you want people to know about you and your business?
I am passionate about what I do and if buying a home is your dream, I want to help you get there. I want to be more than just a transaction coordinator. I want to be somebody that people can rely on for all of the bits and pieces that come with this emotional decision. We can do this together!
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices NW