Northwoods properties bought and sold with TLC

Lori Kaye Lodes

Contributor

March 3, 2025

EAGLE RIVER – From Northwoods cottage retreats to everyday homes, Kristi Kurtz said she aims to help people find the right properties in Vilas County and beyond. 

Kurtz became a REALTOR® in December, joining Keller Williams Classic Realty Northwest and setting up shop in downtown Eagle River. 

Kurtz said the umbrella firm – which operates out of Maple Grove, Minnesota, and has an office in Iron River, Michigan – felt like the right fit for her.

That right fit, she said, has guided her personal and professional journey.

Kurtz – who has a degree in radiology and worked in that field for five years before becoming a stay-at-home mom to her three children – said she also works part-time as secretary for the family business, Bogie Poured Walls, but was drawn to the real estate field.

“I’ve always been one of those people who just loves houses and looks on Zillow and Realtor.com all the time,” she said. “I also love design, and thought I could do real estate and still be a stay-at-home mom, giving me something just for me.”

Kurtz said she was also drawn to the real estate field as a result of her personal experience with purchasing a home – which left a lingering bad taste in her mouth.

“When we were looking for houses, it was not a great experience, and I still think about it,” she said. “It was just a transaction for them. Buying a home or second home is such a big deal, and I feel like I am meant to help make it a positive experience for people.”

Kurtz said Keller Williams aligned with her desire to create positive real estate experiences, and she resonated with its focus on training and its motto of “God, family, business.”

Their community orientation, she said, also appealed to her as she started her real estate career with a plan to donate a portion of her commissions to the American Cancer Society. 

“My grandma Pam passed away in November because of cancer, and she was like a mother to me as I called her every day,” she said. “That was another part of why when I was going into real estate – if I can sell two to five houses a year, I can donate some of that to the American Cancer Society to find cures to help other people. I have already been able to do that. My first closing was two weeks ago, and while it was a small sale, I donated some of my commission.” 

A balancing act

Though she started the business in December 2024, Kurtz said she only recently got her office at 105 E. Wall St. in downtown Eagle River situated – and things have taken off fast since.

“I didn’t expect to be busy right away,” she said. “I thought I’d start working and ease into it, but it’s been very busy. Fortunately, I have an incredible husband to help (make things work).”

Kurtz said she designates every Thursday and every other Friday as in-office days when she has a nanny at home, and then if showings require her to be somewhere at another time, she adjusts as needed.

Sometimes, she said she brings her three kids in tow; other times, her husband flexes his schedule to stay home with the kids.

Come summer, Kurtz said she plans to come into the office an additional day of the week.

“It’s definitely a balance,” she said. “I talked with a client this morning and had my kids in the background. Most of the time, people love to hear and see the kids. I try to dedicate certain times of the day to do certain work and then focus on them and their activities.”

Location, location, location

Kurtz said the office she is in is a former cigar shop that she said will work great for up to three team members as the business grows.

She said she chose the location because its downtown, which has great foot traffic throughout all four seasons.

The vision, Kurtz said, is to grow the business within Eagle River, as well as to expand into Minocqua and Rhinelander.

A Jane of many trades

Though the real estate field is technically new to her, Kurtz said business ownership definitely is not.

She said she and her husband purchased the family business six years ago and since doing so, have learned many business lessons.

In her role as secretary, she said she does financials in collaboration with their accountant, using Quickbooks, something she has instituted for her real estate business.
“Going into the concrete company, I had no business experience, and it was a big change to deal with people I didn’t know,” she said. 

Kurtz said she also honed her customer service skills at Bogie Poured Walls – dealing with sometimes-unhappy clients who didn’t understand the concrete process or why a concrete pour couldn’t happen because of the weather or other factors.

She said she also established Bogie Poured Walls’ social media presence, creating a Facebook page and Instagram account to highlight its work and broaden people’s understanding of what all goes into concrete foundation work.

“Sometimes, it was bringing lunch to job sites and doing posts about that or sharing the process behind things, because people don’t realize how hard of a job it can be,” she said.

Kurtz said social media as part of business strategy has worked well with her work as a REALTOR, as well – proving to be essential to building the business, which Kurtz is doing “strictly off social media and word of mouth.”

The business’s Instagram account, she said, has really taken off.

“The posts really resonate with and inspire people who say, ‘Look, she’s a stay-at-home mom, and she’s doing business,’” she said.

In addition to sharing vantage points into her life as a REALTOR, Kurtz said she has taken intentional steps toward humanizing the business with some personal touches.

For example, she said she worked with BizBox to create branded boxes she gives clients a few weeks before closing.

Kurtz said each box features a variety of items to assist in their move – from packing materials for moving plates, to bubble wrap, to a Sharpie for marking boxes.

“They’ve been very well received and customers love it,” she said.

Kurtz said she thinks her genuine approach to helping people has resonated with clients.

She said she recently helped a 65-year-old woman purchase her first home – a task that was “extremely rewarding.”

Kurtz said her goal with the business is to showcase the best of Eagle River’s close, tight-knit community and showcasing through her actions how they support each other.

“(Real estate) is near and dear to my heart,” she said. “I want clients to be able to trust me for the compassionate person I am throughout the house-buying process.”

Kurtz said her husband has noticed how well-suited this new role appears to be for her.

“He said he’s never seen me have a spark about something like I do with this,” she said. 

Kurtz said she thinks her entry into the real estate market is well timed as well.

Even two years ago, she said real estate transactions were just that – transactions – with many people bidding on properties sight unseen.

Kurtz said Eagle River remains a place people want to be, whether it’s purchasing their primary home or a second home or seeking fixer-uppers to update and flip or other investments.

“This community is thriving with people building and buying,” Kurtz said. “While 2020 or 2021 had bidding wars on properties people only called on… that has changed. I now have the chance to be more personal with people.”

Kurtz said her focus is on helping people buy and sell residential property and vacant land, but she also handles commercial property sales and purchases.

Her main focus is Eagle River, she said, but recently had a closing in Minocqua and showings in Rhinelander, so she’s going where the opportunities take her.

When she’s representing sellers, Kurtz said she cues in on her takeaways from HGTV, Magnolia Homes and design passion to help them declutter their homes.

On the flip side, when she is representing buyers, she said she likes to take them through homes and imagine what is possible with them.

“A few days ago, I was showing a house with a large open area upstairs and said, ‘This would be the most awesome playroom,’” she said. “They said they never would have thought to do that. I just love houses and their character, whether they’re new or old.”

Kurtz said she will welcome the community through her own doors this month by hosting a “Coffee with Kristi” event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 15.