Wrestling Career Prepares Highland Park Real Estate Agent for Competition
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By Rick Mauch
CandysDirt.com Contributor
Real estate is a great fit in Keegan Mueller‘s life.
The agent for Fathom Reality got into the competitive business eight years ago, and — given his drive in previous careers — the move made sense.
It came on the heels of him opening a CrossFit gym in 2012, which was preceded by a wrestling career that included success as a competitor and a coach.
Whether it’s competing in the gym, on the mat, or in real estate, when the 36-year-old from Highland Park goes in, it’s all in — literally. As an example, when he opened his gym, he lived in its warehouse for six months.
“The place did not have a shower or any insulation. It was freezing in the winter. I remember going to sleep watching BEIN Sport soccer highlights every night, and when I would breathe I could see my breath in front of me,” he said.
Mueller sold the gym in 2019, allowing him to shift even more of his focus into real estate, specifically residential, which he was licensed to sell in Texas, Arizona, California, and Florida. He took time to discuss his passion for that career and other things that have driven him in life.
Do you come from a real estate family?
My mom sold real estate for a while, and so I had a decent idea of what went on, but I was never that involved. My brother, Garrett Mueller, is also in the industry as a mortgage lender. It is very fun having family involved in the industry.
Have you ever sold a home to or for anyone famous?
I have sold a couple of homes to and for Kamaru Usman, the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) GOAT (greatest of all time). He is a good man and down-to-earth. I feel very fortunate to be able to call him a friend.
What is the biggest challenge the market faces today?
The biggest challenge right now is the ever-changing interest rates. Right now, if you look at something that sold 90 days ago, you really have to consider that that was possibly two or three interest rates ago. The way I combat this challenge is by communicating thoroughly with my clients how to look at recent comparables so that they can have realistic expectations.
Talk about your wrestling career.
I have wrestled from kindergarten all the way through college. I wrestled for Ohio State University my first two years in college and then I wrestled for the University of North Carolina my last years, which is where I graduated. Then I went on to The Citadel military college, where I coached the Division-I wrestling team and had one of the best experiences of my life coaching those men. I received a master’s of business administration (MBA) during that time, but nothing compares to what I learned being those young men’s coach.
What advice do you have for frustrated would-be buyers being priced out of purchases?
There are definitely homes out there for first-time homebuyers in good areas, but a reality check has to happen for many of these people before they will be able to mentally make the leap. People have to be able to see the forest through the trees. If they are willing to suffer for a shorter period of time with a higher interest rate, they might be able to get a deal on a home. For example, I just got a home under contract that, five weeks ago would have probably sold for $450,000, but we got it under contract for $418,000. The problem is, these people will now have a 6 percent interest rate instead of 4 percent. But if they hold out and interest rates drop, they will be able to refinance out of this and now they got a home for $32,000 less than what they would’ve gotten six months ago.
Is technology a help or a hindrance, such as do-it-yourself apps for home buyers?
Technology helps and also creates issues. Zillow’s stock plummeted because, to quote their CEO, “We were guessing,” and they bought a bunch of homes off of these Zestimates and lost tons of money. That Zillow’s estimate that they were guessing on has been a thorn in many agents’ side for a while.
But in other ways, Instagram has been huge for me. I do not care how much money someone makes, if they don’t have their voice then they have nothing. Whether the topic is on who I believe Jesus is or what tough political conversation I want to have, I feel convicted to continue the conversation and help create a culture where we can actually hear tough things people have to say and continue life without canceling them.
I’ve gotten feedback from friends that use me to help them with real estate needs that disagree with me on some bigger topics, and they have told me the reason is because — even though I may bring up some controversial things — they know that I will tell them the truth about what I am seeing and they can trust me.
If you know of an agent for us to profile, email Rick Mauch or [email protected]
