We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Heather J Keller. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Heather J below.
Heather J, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?
Most of my business is from the relationships I have built with Attorneys. In 2016, a newer Attorney decided to refer me a Short Sale. Up front she told me it was complicated. Without asking any questions, I said “No problem, complicated is my middle name.” Husband was not around and the wife had Power of Attorney. Chicago Title had approved it. We were good to go! I went to the house by myself, everyone else was escorted with police. Fast forward 6-months, I got the Short Sale approved. It had 2-mortgages. About 30-days prior to Closing, the Buyer’s Attorney called me and asked who was signing for my Seller. I said, “What do you mean? The Wife has POA, I am not sure where the husband is at.” The Buyer’s Attorney said… “You do know the husband is on the run for MURDER, right!?” Honestly, I had no idea what to say. I HAD NO CLUE!! I called the Attorney who referred it to me, she didn’t answer nor to this day ever called me back. I left her a pretty nasty message. I couldn’t believe she left out that “simple detail.” I was able to speak to the Wife and she said oh we “assumed” you knew because it was all over the news. Me, personally, I do not watch the news, it is way too negative. I CLOSED THAT DEAL!! Crazy part is the husband is still on the run for murder. He supposedly strangled a Real Estate Attorney here in the Chicago suburbs. AND… He is on the America’s 15-Most Wanted List! LOL!! Definitely my craziest story ever!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Born and raised in Southwest Lower Michigan, Heather made the decision in 2006 to take action, “jump outside her comfort zone”, and moved to Chicago where she landed a job as a licensed Mortgage Banker with a large, downtown mortgage bank. That decision turned out to be the best one she ever made. She met her husband Chris while working together at the bank, and they both saw the coming wave of Short Sales, so they founded a Real Estate Investment Company built just around Short Sales. Being at the forefront of the Short Sale boom, Heather has gained valuable experience and knowledge of the ins and outs of these banks and how they process their Short Sales. It was and continues to be very helpful as Short Sales won’t ever completely go away.
Heather has a genuine, true passion for helping families who are struggling. Although, it can be challenging and demanding at times, she loves a challenge, problem solving, and her background as a Short Sale Expert gives her an advantage over many others in her field. Her driving force and motivation is to stay committed to the process for her clients.
In the world of Real Estate there is never a “regular work week” or the norm. Every day brings a new challenge. It isn’t “work” when you have a true passion for helping. It is the love for people, the art and challenge of negotiating and the feeling of accomplishment when it closes. For the families who are facing Foreclosure to see the relief and smiles on their faces during this difficult financial and personal time. It is very rewarding!
In the end, after weeks, sometimes months of hard work and dedication, the most gratifying part of a Short Sale is after the closing when the families and clients, who Heather assisted say “Thank You.” It is a small gesture, a sincere one, and a great feeling of accomplishment and that she made a difference. Short Sales are not easy! After all those stressful days and nights, it is worth it in the end. “It is the ‘little things’ in life that truly matter,” says Heather.
In 2019, she founded BluePrint Short Sales. After helping hundreds and hundreds of families over the years, she realized that many were turning to industry professionals who did not know how to help these families navigate through the foreclosure process. Families were and even still to this day are getting bad advice. BluePrint Short Sales is changing that…
Heather, sought-after Expert in the world of distressed Real Estate, often lectures to (1) Real Estate Agents and (2) Attorneys. Her goal…
(1) Real Estate Agents interested in making distressed sales (short sales) their niche market can truly learn the ins and outs of this type of transaction inside the BluePrint network/community. This is a unique community as Heather to this day is still running her distressed business along side all of her Partners. She has created a system that is simple but if you “mirror” what she has done, you 100% will be successful. She loves to bring on Real Estate Agents who (1) tired of buyers, (2) want more listings, (3) flexible schedule, which is great for Moms, (4) empathic and compassionate about the homeowners situation, and (5) want to make a 6-figure income. Her training and support is nothing you will find elsewhere in the country. Check her out!
(2) Attorneys who own a small to medium sized firm. Heather can show you how to add VALUE and REVENUE to your firm. This doesn’t cost the Attorney anything nor their clients. It truly is a win-win if you’re open to the possibilities. Heather has successfully helped many firms here in the Chicagoland area and now working with many Attorneys across the country.
In the end, her mission is to “Help 100,000-Families Avoid Foreclosure.” She cannot do this alone. With the help of like-minded Real Estate Agents, she knows one day she will accomplish this mission. Imagine being a part of that? She believes in each one of her Partners inside the BluePrint community.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Real Estate is a people business! My #1 lead source is referrals from the Attorney relationships I have built over the years. And, I am not talking about Real Estate Attorneys! In 2016, I wrote a book called The Ultimate Guide to Selling Your Home as a Short Sale. It is a general overview of how the Short Sale process works. It is a great resource for families facing Foreclosure but also Attorneys who have the same type of clients we do! I give these books to Attorneys, this is how my team builds relationships with them. Essentially, we are showing the Attorneys how to add VALUE and REVENUE to their firm. It’s truly a win-win situation as there is no cost to the Seller or the Attorney. Attorneys love to work with us because of how organized we are and how dedicated we are to helping the clients move to the next chapter of their lives. Now, Real Estate Agents across the country who are a part of my network/community are able to have access to this book as if they wrote it. We teach on how to jump outside your comfort zone and build relationships with the right attorneys. How to find them! How to sponsor their luncheons. Now, I speak often to Attorneys for CLE. I hope one day all the Real Estate Agents inside my network are doing the same thing.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
My husband and I left our mortgage careers in 2007 to start a company based on Short Sales. The mortgage industry had “tanked.” And, we kept hearing the word “Short Sale.” We knew nothing!! We basically taught ourselves how to find the homeowners struggling, how to deal with the Short Sale lenders, and getting it closed. Short Sales and Distressed situations are complicated. We put so much time into the early days. But it certainly was a HUGE struggle for us. Real Estate is tough. It isn’t like the TV shows. You have to work hard, be dedicated and persistent! At the beginning of our career in Real Estate, we knew we wanted the best of both worlds. Eventually get married, have kids and be able to work our own schedule, allowing us to be involved with the kids schedule, etc. Wow!! It took us well over a year to Close our first Short Sale. During this time, we barely could afford rent. We ate a lot of $1 cheeseburgers from McDonalds and even took the train back to my hometown of Michigan so my Mom could buy us some groceries. These were some of the hardest times. People always ask why didn’t you just go get a full-time job. We didn’t want a “job.” We didn’t want to work for someone else. We wanted to be in control of our future. We just knew if we were persistent that it would happen for us. AND IT DID!! In Sept 2008, we Closed our first Short Sale ever. From there, it just got better although we still had a lot of ups and downs at the beginning of our journey as Short Sale Experts. The point of this story is that if you are determined enough to see your dreams. Just wait, it will become a reality. It’s all about timing. Continue to work hard, dedicate yourself. And, always do the right thing! It will happen!
Contact Info:
- Website: blueprintshortsales.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blueprintshortsales/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BluePrintShortSales
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thekellergroup/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@blueprintshortsales
Image Credits
I own my logos, no image credits.