Leslie Dahlen

A long time ago, in a suburb close by, Leslie got her real estate license. She knew she would have fun learning about it. She convinced herself that it was also a “logical” career move. She had recently completed her MBA degree and left her corporate sales job. So, this was a way to put all that business training to good use.

She will admit, she mostly got into it for the adventure of it all.

Leslie was fresh off of two other adventures--living in Spain for 3 months, then coming back to MN and buying a home. She could relate to people who wanted to buy a home. Plus, the thrill of the home search was fun.

At that time, the market was going up. She got to work on some cool projects, like land development and 1031 exchanges. She even found ways to combine her love of travel and real estate.

For a few months, a friend and Leslie hosted client trips to Biloxi, MS. They helped investors buy property there to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. She was always looking for new opportunities.

For me, it was the most challenging, yet defining point in her career. It no longer seemed at all” logical” to continue in real estate. But she wanted to help the people she could. In the midst of the chaos, she finally realized why she should serve in this industry.

Leslie believes your home should be your sanctuary, not your source of stress. In the aftermath of the housing crisis, people felt stressed. Homes had lost value. Loans were hard to come by.

At the time, she was representing a new construction development. Half of the owners were now stuck in construction loans that couldn’t convert into end loans. She had also recently gotten her broker’s license and bought into a national real estate franchise.

Leslie worked with each client, and they figured out a plan. They would rent homes that couldn’t sell. They negotiated with banks, exchanged properties, and used seller financing. She reorganized their business into an adaptable independent brokerage.

There were so many creative ways to solve the financial problems. The real joy, though, wasn’t in figuring out how to make the math work. It was in making a difference in people’s lives.

In real estate, she is totally fine with predictable next steps. She likes systems that make for a smooth client experience.

It has become her mission to help people get into homes that improve their quality of life. Almost as important, she wants them to enjoy the process along the way.

Home should be your safe haven, a place to gather with family and friends. It is for making memories. Finding the right one shouldn’t be stressful. You might even call it fun!