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You’ve seen their faces around town, and you’ve definitely heard us spread the word about them on HT… Our next Big Little Biz feature is none other than “The Weese Team”! A.k.a. Valley Heritage Realty’s Neil Weese and Kimberly Wisdorf! They’re giving us a sneak peek into their life together as biz partners, T-town lovers, and a big announcement!!! Have fun getting to know these real estate lovebirds!
What made you both decide to take on the real estate venture together?
Kimberly: To me, it just made sense! I’ve been a realtor for 14 years and Neil’s been in the real estate industry for 28. Our skills and perspectives complement each other, yet are varied – which our clients have come to appreciate, so it just makes natural sense to work together.
Neil: I was managing a real estate office called Coldwell Banker and Associates and then in 2010 we closed and sold to Century 21 M&M. At that point, I stayed with them and managed their Merced County offices for a year and just decided to get back into sales again where I started out.
What do you think is your biggest advantage working as a couple?
N: Well, I think we have different strengths- Kimberly’s a very social person; she loves the relationships, the interactions and working with people who want to buy or sell property. I like the numbers part of a transaction where you figure out what the profit and loss is on a particular property and that’s not necessarily her strength. Together, we run our business based on referrals and are always working to strengthen our relationships.
When you’re not working super hard on selling homes, what are you guys doing?
K: Right now I’m training for a 50k, which is 31 miles, so my days are filled with local running for training. Because the 50K is going to be on a trail, we’re always trying to find a trail to run. When I’m not working, I am running and when I’m not running, I’m with my grand-babies!
N: I guess recreationally, I enjoy playing golf. But then I think the other thing I do during my off times is accompany her on her races. I don’t run them…no way…but I get her to the start line and I’m there at the finish line.
You’re her cheerleader!
K: Yeah! He is super supportive! I call him the Sherpa. A Sherpa is when you’re climbing, like, Mt. Everest or a big hill, and they’re the people who carry all of the stuff. He waits, and he finds me the best places to eat after I’m done…oh, and he carries my gear.
N: Well, I don’t have anything else to do, so…
K: We had a deal! He said he would run a 5K with me if I learned to golf and so we did that! He has run with me before and I did learn how to golf!
That’s awesome! How do you guys stay involved in the community?
K: Neil sits on the advisory board for the Salvation Army and he’s the chair for the Red Kettle Classic which is their golf tournament. I’m the chair for the Kettle Dash which is the 5K and 10K run that takes place here. We’re newer members to ACT, but we’re involved with their fun run and with their shopping for underprivileged children.
And tell us about your new community fund!
N: Through Valley Heritage Realty, we’ve set up a community giving fund where a percentage of all the commissions that are paid is put into a separate account that we participate in ourselves and anyone else who wants to be a part of it. Usually every six months or so, the people who participate in this will sit down and decide where those funds will go. Our focus is on our local nonprofits, whether it’s Turlock or our surrounding towns, so we’re excited about it and as we grow, that fund will grow also.
What’s your favorite thing about Turlock?
K: It’s a small big community. There’s a lot of support and people reaching out. We’re seeing so much with the Salvation Army, like with Dancing with the Turlock Stars and the community showing up for all these different fundraisers and it’s just kinda neat how everything crosses over. The community is also big enough that you don’t ever have to leave. You have it all here but it still has a small town feel where everybody knows everybody. It’s very warm and inviting, and that’s what made me stay here, as well as meeting Neil.
N: Especially with all the stuff that’s happening downtown, Turlock’s cool now. It’s a nice place to live. We do have a fair amount of shopping and restaurants, and we have some good opportunities and good amenities there, but it still does have a lot of the small town feel to it all.
Kimberly and Neil’s current listings for residential, commercial, and ag/ranch properties can be found at valleyheritagerealty.com. They recently created a new division within their line of listings called, Premier Properties, which feature very desirable and stand-out homes. “The Weese Team” can be contacted at [email protected] and [email protected].