In Oakland County, lakefront living offers something increasingly rare: the feeling of an everyday escape just minutes from the energy of Metro Detroit.
For father-and-son real-estate team Jeff and Matt Barker, associate realtors with Max Broock Realtors in Birmingham, helping clients find that balance has become both a specialty and a passion.
The duo has built a reputation in Oakland County’s luxury lakefront market, recently selling five of the county’s 10 highest-priced lakefront homes since the beginning of 2025.
Their partnership itself began organically.
Son Matt earned his real-estate license while still in college, initially viewing his internship at Max Broock as a way to gain business experience. But what started as a temporary opportunity quickly evolved into a career.
“Fourteen years later, here we are,” Matt says.
Dad Jeff says one of their greatest strengths is trust.
“A lot of partnerships in real estate don’t work out,” he says. “Because we trust each other completely, there’s never competition between us. As his father, I want him to succeed.”
Their two-generation approach also brings a broader perspective to clients navigating today’s rapidly evolving real-estate market.
“Real estate has changed tremendously over the last 30 years, since I started,” Jeff says. “Having both a younger and an older perspective really benefits our clients.”
That perspective is especially valuable in Oakland County’s highly competitive lakefront market, where lifestyle matters just as much as the home itself. With nearly 400 lakes throughout the county, buyers can choose everything from quiet electric-motor-only lakes to highly active all-sports communities filled with boating, tubing and water skiing.
“Oakland County offers something unique,” Matt says. “You can wake up on the water and feel like you’re on vacation, but still be 10 minutes from Downtown Birmingham.”
That blend of serenity and accessibility continues to attract buyers seeking a primary residence that feels like a retreat.
“We have clients selling both their primary home and their Up North lake house in exchange for one lakefront property here, closer to their children and grandchildren,” Matthew says. “It gives them the best of both worlds.”
Perfectly capturing that lifestyle is a home on Upper Long Lake in Bloomfield Township that the Barkers recently listed. Situated atop a half acre of land with 120 feet of lake frontage, the custom-build was designed to maximize sweeping water views and livability, maintaining a usable backyard leading to the shoreline. Natural light floods through the oversized floor-to-ceiling windows of the 8,000-square-foot-plus home.
“They were really thoughtful about how the home captured the water from every room,” Matt says. “Whether you’re in the great room, a bedroom or another living space, you’re constantly connected to the lake.”
The property, listed at nearly $4 million, reflects another trend the Barkers are seeing in lakefront design: a growing preference for modern architecture and Nantucket-inspired styles that emphasize clean lines, natural light and indoor-outdoor living.
Still, Jeff says the emotional connection buyers have to the water often matters more than the architecture itself.
“Some people don’t even own a boat,” he says. “They simply want to wake up in the morning, see the sunrise on the water and experience that sense of peace.”
Lakefront communities also tend to create close-knit neighborhoods, offering fireworks displays, beach associations, holiday gatherings and summer events bringing residents together.
“There’s a community aspect to lake living,” Jeff says. “People get to know each other.”
For the Barkers, helping clients find the right lakefront property ultimately comes down to understanding not only the home, but the lifestyle attached to it.
Here, that lifestyle remains as desirable as ever.