A real estate transaction is going to be the biggest transaction you ever take part in. Whether you are buying or selling a home, it is crucial the entire process goes seamlessly. (Life is assured to provide enough other things to worry about.) That is why you deserve the service of an expert real estate agent – one who understands your market inside and out, has mastered every tool of their trade, and boasts an impressive track record.
Though he possesses all these qualities, and indeed just recently set a record for the most valuable home ever sold in Eden Prairie, Ryan Platzke carries himself with refreshing humility. You might guess that you’re dealing with a small town man shortly into a conversation with Ryan. And you would be right. His hometown has fewer people in it than most shopping malls at any given moment.
“Growing up in a small town taught me that your reputation is everything,” said Ryan. “If you fail to keep your promises or follow the Golden Rule, word is going to spread fast. I know the Twin Cities and their southwest suburbs are a lot bigger than Ontonagon, Michigan, but not so much that small town rules no longer apply here.
“I guess I’m a little different from most real estate agents, who discover their career later in life. I grew up admiring my next door neighbor’s real estate business, and always knew that was what I wanted to do with my life. I loved going along with him to listings and discovering all the beautiful properties I never knew existed so close to my house. I still get that feeling of excitement to this day whenever I visit a new listing for the first time.
“I attended Ferris State University, which at the time was one of only two colleges in the country to offer real estate sales as a major. I studied that and another field called ‘insurance directives.’ My majors didn’t give me very much to talk about at parties – it was difficult to break the ice by explaining how to calculate assessed value, or the benefits of blanket coverage – but they would certainly serve me later in life.
“It’s hard to believe next year will mark the 20th anniversary of the Helgeson Platzke Real Estate Group. Since cofounding this Coldwell Banker agency in 2002 my team and I have helped list and close countless homes throughout the southwest suburbs, but I think I’ll always prefer working in our hometown the most. I’ve always liked Eden Prairie’s layout, its proximity to downtown Minneapolis, the airport, and Lake Minnetonka, the exceptional schools, the great variety of homes, all the different stores we have here, and of course the people. It wasn’t by chance that I decided to headquarter in Eden Prairie.
“And I’m not our city’s only fan. We currently have about 30 buyer’s agents, each representing up to a dozen pre-approved, noncontingent, and ready-to-go clients who all want a home specifically in Eden Prairie. If you ask my team to sell any house valued between $300 and $700 thousand, we typically won’t even have to list it on the market.
“One thing that really distinguishes Helgeson Platzke is our tech savvy. Coldwell Banker has a proprietary software platform called ‘Listing Concierge.’ With it I only need to enter a property’s address to have its yard sign placed, its lock box installed, its photographer booked and its social media created. The process is so streamlined that we can shave literal days off a listing time.
“Helgeson Platzke is also fortunate to have been one of Zillow’s earliest adopters. Because we signed on with the online marketplace back in the early 2000s, we still hold exclusive rights to all of Eden Prairie’s zip codes. That ensures Helgeson Platzke is the first agency most people are directed toward whenever they inquire about a home in Eden Prairie.
“My team is still celebrating our biggest professional milestone from last December. That is when we closed Tramonto – a five bed, eight bath, 12,558 square foot French country estate right on the bank of the Minnesota River. At $5.7 million, it more than doubled the highest home closing price in Eden Prairie history!
“Our state of the industry technology and great track record have been vital to my team’s success. Still, I believe we owe our top one percent ranking in our area’s marketplace to our customer service. My team is bar none the most seasoned in the industry. Their absolute competence leaves me entirely free to focus on creating the best value for my clients. That’s why I’m able to give my cell phone number to everyone I work with – and more importantly, always be available for their calls.
“Real estate is like no other business. It has to be intensely personal to be done best, where your word is your bond. As old-fashioned as it sounds, I still like to think of myself as a smile and a handshake kind of guy. Well, maybe an ‘elbow bump kind of guy’ these days, but fortunately that seals a deal just as well.”
If you would like to buy or sell a home, you can do no better than to engage the number one Coldwell Banker team in Minnesota. You may learn more about the Helgeson Platzke Real Estate Group at hprealestategroup.com, or contact Ryan directly at rmplatzke@cbburnet.com or (651) 335-3912.
USE THIS EXCERPT FOR POP-OUT QUOTE
"If you ask my team to sell any house valued between $300 and $700 thousand, we typically won’t even have to list it on the market."
