“By staying organized and by doing this everyday, we can take most of the burden and stress on for our clients and allow them to actually enjoy the process.” Nate said. “Looking for houses is fun. By teaching clients what to focus on at the beginning, their confidence increases and they can let themselves enjoy the fun parts of the process instead of feeling overwhelmed.”

Nate’s done a little bit of everything. He started his career training to be a flight instructor, then studying to teach social studies. He opened a bar in Lake Hallie called Moke’s (now it’s the Thirsty Badger) and operated it for few years, before selling the business to a frozen pizza company and becoming a Realtor, which he says is the perfect fit.

He finally found his calling at RE/MAX Affiliates, where he works completely autonomously for each and every client. And his personal and focused approach to the work makes him stand out. He’s constantly in contact with his clients, moving them forward ahead in the process, answering questions, even just checking in to say there’s no major updates this week. Even when he’s hanging out with his family, traveling, or playing golf, Nate’s got his phone nearby in case his clients need him.

He takes out the worry, the stress, the anxiety of the buying/selling operation – and you’re bound to learn a lot by working with him too.

“I am a teacher at heart, so I enjoy educating people about how the modern real estate market works so they understand how to make wise decisions,” he said. “I think the time I put into teaching clients how this all works is what sets me apart.”

Nate shows sellers how to squeeze every penny out of their property they can, and he guides buyers on how not to overpay for a property while focusing on getting the one they want. And to keep up with the ever-evolving markets and modernization of real estate, he’s constantly learning and training to best serve everyone he works with.

It’s a crazy process sometimes, but Nate’s got your back. He’s fun to work with and endlessly knowledgeable about all the important stuff that goes into real estate. And if you’re ready to find your dream home without all the stress that comes with it, he’s the right call to make.

Cheree agreed, adding that sharing an occupation helps them appreciate each other’s challenges. “You do put in a lot of hours, and the other person obviously understands what you’re going through and why you’re working until 9:30,” she said.

The Tirys’ partnership has placed them among the most successful Realtors in the region. Between 2002 and 2017, Team Tiry sold more homes than any other team or individual agent in the Chippewa Valley. And Team Tiry has been voted Best Realtor for five straight years in Volume One’s Best of the Chippewa Valley Reader Poll.

Part of their success, the couple said, comes from how they handle business: Aaron works with sellers and Cheree works with buyers. Dividing the work plays to each spouse’s strength: Aaron describes himself as more analytical, which is helpful in ensuring sellers get the best price possible, while Cheree is more attuned to guiding buyers through the day-to-day joys and stresses of home-buying. “We felt that it’s easier for us to manage it and do a higher-quality of service because we’re not juggling both sides,” Aaron explained.

Team Tiry’s effectiveness also comes from their focus on the Valley: While other agents may work in a much wider area, the Tirys only deal with properties within a 15- or 20-minute radius of Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, and Altoona. They acknowledge that this sometimes means turning down business, but they say it allows them to focus on what they know best.

Their approach has created a sense of loyalty among customers: So far this year, 83 percent of Team Tiry clients have been past clients or have been referred by past clients. The couple’s down-to-earth style helps, too.

“We’re not pushy people,” Aaron said. “We’re not your typical salespeople – we’re told that all the time. That’s just not our personality. We’re here to help, and our main thing is we want (customers) to be happy, and I think they see that throughout the transaction. When they’re stressed out and they’re having issues, they know that we’re going to do what’s right.”

In their spare time, the couple enjoy traveling and gardening (for more than a decade, they’ve volunteered to maintain a flower bed on 10th Street in Altoona). They also participate in or sponsor a host of community activities, from Family Promise of the Chippewa Valley’s Hike for the Homeless to Literacy Chippewa Valley’s Scrabble Bee.

“We believe in giving back to our community,” Cheree said. “Giving back is an important part of our life and faith.”

Because they build more than 100 houses annually, “We know new construction like nobody else,” Cody continued. C&M is the most prolific homebuilder in the Chippewa Valley, with roughly a dozen new neighborhoods currently under development.

But C&M Real Estate isn’t just a one-man operation anymore. Cody and his wife, Molly, have built a strong, hard-working team at their real estate agency. In addition to selling the homes that C&M Home Builders builds, C&M Real Estate can help buy and sell existing homes.

The C&M team includes Chris Becker, who has 20 years of experience in real estate and knows construction as well (her husband, Bob, has a drywall business); husband-and-wife team Brian and Linda Dunham; and Scott Knepper, who specializes in commercial and residential real estate. Molly Filipczak, also a licensed Realtor, uses her expertise in interior design to help clients design new homes and stage existing ones. Another member of the team, Calvin Ekern, works with buyers to design spaces they will love to live in.

“I think a big part of success is everyone works equally,” Cody said of the C&M staff. “Everyone is equal, and everyone works as a team, so anyone that you work with at any time is always going to be knowledgeable.”

That knowledge – as well as the integration of C&M’s home building and real estate arms – is a boon to customers. Many clients, Cody explained, both sell their homes and buy newly built ones from C&M. Furthermore, C&M prides itself on building numerous twin homes and other reasonably priced houses. Finding new homes in the low-$200,000 range is otherwise difficult in the Valley, Cody said.

The Filipczaks, who have two teenaged children, both believe in community involvement. They’ve created the Cody and Molly Filipczak Family Fund through the Eau Claire Community Foundation, and they support numerous causes that benefit children, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Chippewa Valley, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin, and the United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley.

Cody noted that an influx of people to the Chippewa Valley has led to a tight housing market. “Right now there’s such a shortage of all housing that I’m able to show people why building a house is normally the better option,” he said. “That’s probably the most rewarding: Helping people make the right decision.”