Kimberly Hansen, designated broker/ owner of Turning Point Realty, is one tough lady fueled by boundless energy, dogged determination and a sincere passion for the people and properties she represents. As the daughter of an NFL coach, it’s easy to speculate that Hansen may have absorbed some of his gridiron grit because she has never hesitated to tackle any challenge or obstacle. And, she’s had more than her share throughout her life.
Because of her father’s career, the family moved around a lot during her formative years. While this can be disruptive and a negative experience for a lot of kids, Hansen has always opted to look at the positive side of things.
“Moving around as a kid was a natural part of life,” she says. “I saw a lot of different homes in different regions of the country, so ‘house hunting’ was always a favorite family pastime. Moving to the Valley of the Sun in 1986 gave me the opportunity to see firsthand the explosive growth that’s occurred in our community.”
More than just an observer of this expansion, Hansen’s analytical mind coupled with innovative foresight landed her marketing positions with some of the valley’s most respected luxury homebuilders. It wasn’t long, however, before changes in her personal life necessitated a career change.
CHANGES
Marriage and a new, blended family altered her priorities. “I had a small son and had married a CPA with two small boys of his own, one of whom is disabled,” she says. “We needed insurance, so I got a job at ASU working in the economics department. I stayed there for 10 years and got the boys through high school. Six months later, to the day, we experienced a house fire and lost everything.”
Feisty and fearless, Hansen bounced back again. Rather than allowing this devastating loss to discourage her, she saw a wonderful opportunity among the ashes. Working with their insurance company she oversaw the rebuilding of their home, essentially acting as project manager.
“I got a unique perspective of how to build a home from the ground up,” says Hansen. “This only fanned the flames of my real estate interest, so I started taking classes. It was time to explore working for myself doing what I loved.”
In 2005, Hansen began her real estate career in earnest. Over the next six years, she threw herself fully into honing her skills, learning every aspect of the industry and expanding her network.
Strong, dedicated and ready to test her wings, Hansen opened the doors of Turning Point Realty in 2010. Most people probably thought she was crazy, the biggest real estate depression in recent memory was in full swing. But, with the same determination she has approached every other challenge, Hansen poured herself into making a go of her new business.
“Little did we know the depth and breadth of the economic downturn,” she says. “My now ex-husband was instrumental in helping to shape and form Turning Point Realty, and the financial advice I received helped keep me afloat during the worst of the worst.
“I was doing a lot of referral business,” Hansen continues, “which did help, because there were still people who’s circumstances necessitated buying or selling regardless of what the market was doing. But, I also did bank owned properties. I had a team of five women and one worked exclusively in BPOs, working with the banks and short-sales. We hustled. We did what we had to in order to stay afloat.”
SURVIVING/SUCCEEDING
Ultimately, Hansen and Turning Point Realty did better than just “stay afloat,” by the time the market started back on the road to recovery, they were thriving.
Hansen credits her team of professionals for helping to navigate the financial challenges market conditions thrown their way. She says that their hard work, knowledge and loyalty made the difference when things got tough.
“I am proud to acknowledge my wonderful team,” she says. “Associate broker David Roth, the McEnnis Group- Brittany and Ryan McEnnis, Jon Christine, Kathy Johnson and our administrator T.C. Danielle Didio, are very special people who take enormous pride in their work and are a joy to work with.”
Over the years, Hansen has also discovered unique ways to sustain her sunny outlook, even in the face of obstacles or unexpected challenges.
“We’ve been through the fires and it hasn’t always been easy, but I always kept a positive attitude and did my best,” says Hansen. “I’ve always believed the best way to get through life’s challenges is to give back to others and the community. Working with Sunshine Acres Children’s Home in Mesa has been rewarding and fulfilling and allowed me the opportunity to meet a dynamic group of giving individuals and some incredible kids!”
Her life and business philosophy is one shared by her good friend Robyn Kloner, senior mortgage banker at Bell Mortgage. “We both believe that keeping a positive attitude and pressing on is the only way to meet these challenges,” says Kloner. “Your only other option is to climb under a rock and give up. That’s not who we are.”
Hansen and Kloner met several years ago and say they instantly “clicked.” They have been friends frequently working together ever since.
“We’ve known one another for quite some time now,” says Hansen, “and Robyn is right, we knew almost instantly that we would be great friends. We have so much in common; both are strong, independent business owners and we share the same philosophy and integrity when it comes to business.
“We are both in our 50s, seasoned in both life and business,” she adds. “We both been through an awful lot, but feel we’ve not only survived but thrived.”
As Hansen and her team near their 10th anniversary of service, they remain fully committed to their clients and live by the mission statement created when they first opened their doors, which reads in part: “To care deeply about the world we live in while helping our clients find, maintain and build wealth. To assist homeowners selling their homes as well as homebuyers purchasing the home of their future.”
