Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelli Eggen.
Hi Kelli, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I come from a small town just outside of Kalamazoo, MI. I have an older sister and younger brother, and I am the middle child. My sister is married with three children, and my brother is married with two. I am the opposite- I have never been married and have no children; however, I am very much a family person. I am the cool Aunt, haha. My parents still live in the same house I grew up in. It is comforting going home. The stability my family has shown me throughout my life is inspiring. My parents were married at age 18; and began their family at age 20. They were high school sweethearts and are still very much in love and happy. My grandmother, Aunts, and Uncles live in the same house, on the same street, within a few minutes from each other. My family grew up very close. We couldn’t afford much growing up, so I got a job at age 13 to pay for my own clothes and other things I wanted. I worked at a greenhouse down the street, and made $.32 for every flat of flowers I planted. If I wasn’t playing softball on the weekends, or riding my bike, I was working. This is where my work ethic developed. My parents instilled morals, values, and pushed me to go to college and create a good life for myself. By age 16, I bought my first car, and at 18 I put myself through college, graduating from Western Michigan University with a Behavioral Psychology degree. I modeled, bartended, and worked seasonal jobs at the mall throughout college, while the other kids went on spring break. After college, I moved to Chicago and started working for JP Morgan Chase. I earned my Series 6 & 63 Investment license; meanwhile living off of a pack of ramen noodles a day–just trying to make it in the big city in my early twenties. I was extremely afraid of failure. I didn’t want to have to move back home, and was determined to succeed. I began my Masters in Psychology, then transferred to my MBA after realizing that I will still not be as successful as I wanted to be as a Psychologist. I worked in Wrigleyville on the weekends, and would do runway shows and bridal shows with modeling agencies for extra money. I had a running joke at Chase with my colleagues that by age 25 I had already had 25 jobs. I spent 9 years in Chicago, and then made my way to Sarasota, Florida in 2013. I moved here with my boyfriend and his family and flipped houses. Our relationship began in Chicago, we were planning our wedding, and he waited for me to say yes to moving to Florida. I did not want to leave, but I knew working with his family was his dream so I took a leap of faith. Our relationship ended within the first year of living here; however, saying yes to moving here was the best decision I could have made for my future; not knowing it at the time. Going through the growing pains of living alone in a state far away from my family, incredibly homesick, and having no plan for the future was very challenging for me. I contemplated moving back home; I was very lonely. Something in my mind forced me to at least give it a chance. Sarasota was so beautiful and I thought “if I can get through this, I can do anything”. I then got a job managing a bar on Siesta Key, the Siesta Key Oyster Bar. This changed everything for me. The staff, regulars, and snowbird tourists became family to me. I managed the bar for 4 years; which ended up being the most important 4 years leading into my Real Estate career. Everyone that knows Siesta Key knows Siesta Key Oyster Bar, and they knew me. In 2016 I got my real estate license, and left the bar to get into Rental Management on Siesta Key. I sold a couple houses a year until 2019. I was still struggling to get by; working hard to pay my bills. One day I woke up and said “I need to do Real Estate full time”. So I gave my notice and on January 1, 2020, I began selling Real Estate full time.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As a single woman, living on her own, with no cushion to fall back on or support system I have to say the path has been very difficult. There’s a certain level of financial security that a 9-5 job with a consistent paycheck provided that kept me “getting by” with selling one or two homes a year on the side. Once I took that away, I knew that the only option on the other side of that door was success, or failure. It all depended on me. What I did day to day will determine my fate in Real Estate. Which is the hardest part for me. Real Estate takes a lot of mental and emotional strength. My biggest challenges were in my mind. I was my greatest challenge. I realized that I didn’t really believe in myself. I was so afraid of failing, that I wasn’t able to give myself a shot at succeeding. I worked hard, and was always able to take care of myself, but I constantly struggled in one way or another. It was this realization that changed my life. I hired a Life Coach, and a Business Coach, and started diving into my subconscious, my emotions, and my core beliefs about who I am and what I believed about myself. I did not believe I could achieve success, or was worthy of it. I internalized a lot of this, and did not believe I could achieve greatness, or that I was worthy of it. I have spent the past two years doing the hard work; the internal work, and have completely transformed myself at my core. I have shed limiting beliefs, and reprogrammed my subconscious. I practice this daily. I cut out people that do not bring positivity to my life, party too much, and have changed my core belief system about who I am. I am dedicated to self improvement and have learned how to show up for myself first, which has reflected over to my clients. I have developed the confidence in myself as a person, as a Realtor, and as a mentor to help others achieve their goals. In two years, I have sold over $32 Million in real estate and helped over 58 families achieve their real estate needs . I know the only way I have been able to achieve this is by investing in myself–aligning myself with the right people, coaches, and opportunities to help me be successful. I am just scratching the surface of my career, and I am very excited to see where it will take me. I know this business is difficult; it is ever-changing, and I know it takes a high level of dedication and commitment. If a newer agent can get through the mental challenges, and remain positive, they will be very successful. I continue to mentor others agents and am always here to offer advice or any of the tools I have utilized to get me to where I am.
We’ve been impressed with your work, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Thank you so much! I appreciate the support – it keeps motivating me to keep pushing myself further. For starters, I am a lover of life. I get excited about everything. I love nature, sunsets, the beach, animals, and pretty much anything that involves sports or adventure. I am very easy to get along with; and am also very competitive. I like taking my clients out to dinner, and having fun with them. I would say my value system, morals, personality, work ethic along with my genuine and honest nature have helped. I care very much about each and every person I meet; I listen to them about their goals with each transaction. My broker tells me I am very charismatic, outgoing, and funny, so maybe my jokes help a little. My background in banking, finance, investing, and numbers have created this natural alignment with Investors in the real estate world. I would say about 70% of my clients are investors and repeat clients. I have a knowledge base that is unique in that I understand the business aspect of real estate, but also the human aspect of behavior and open communication. I love numbers, and love seeing my clients achieve their goals. I also have a passion for people; the psychology behind behavior, and deepening my relationship with myself has in turn allowed me to connect deeper with my clients. My clients end up becoming a part of my family. It is so rewarding being invited to clients’ children’s graduation parties, special events, goat yoga with my clients, training for bike trips across the state of Iowa, or even just connecting over dinner. The rewarding feeling I get from connecting to people on this level is where the passion burns within me. I am a part of the REBI (Real Estate Business Institute), and hold certifications as a negotiation expert and resort and second home specialist. I work for Coldwell Banker Realty, and am working on my Global Luxury Certification which will qualify me as a $1 Million agent worldwide.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Between self-development and business development, I have an entire bookcase at home full of books! I like Tony Robbins; because he takes the two concepts and brings them together. My client and mentor Craig recommended I re-read “Rich Dad Poor Dad ” last year, and that has been on repeat in my car lately. It is so motivating. Abrahm Hicks is also great on a more spiritual level. Atomic Habits, High Performance Habits, 7 Rules of Power, The Emotion Code, Attached, The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, The Psychology of Selling, The Law of Success, The Four Agreements, The Power of Now, The Universe Always Has a Plan, and The Secret are just a few of my favorites. My Life Coach has been my biggest influence. I fill my Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok with people that influence me to become a better person. I listen to Teal Swan, Abraham Hicks, Gary Vanderchek, Tony Robbins, Ekhart Tolle, Elon Musk, Entrepreneurs and local influencers. On a more spiritual level, I have learned my specific energy type and what environments I work best in, how I communicate most effectively, and how to continue aligning with my purpose has helped me align with my clients. I work off of mostly referrals, so this has been very important to my success both personally and professionally. I have daily affirmations and gratitude texts that pop up on my calendar every hour, I fall asleep to YouTube videos of Michael Seely to continue reprogramming my subconscious as I sleep and I post sticky notes around my house as reminders about worthiness, gratitude, and to live with intention and stay solution focused.
Pricing:
- The average price home I sell is roughly $800,000
- I am working on the Global Luxury Market
Contact Info:
- Website: http://kellieggen.com/
- Instagram: @KelliEggenrealty
- Facebook: @Kellieggenrealtor
- Youtube: @Selling Sarasota
- Other: http://kellieggenrealty.com/
