April 11, 2023 – Hoover, Ala. – With lake home and lot inventory rising over last spring and preparing to heat up this summer, Lake Homes Realty prepares for long-term growth. The country’s largest lake-focused real estate brokerage doubled its square footage by moving into a new headquarters in late March, along with RealSource Title Insurance and Real Estate Closings. Based in Metro Birmingham, Lake Homes Realty currently operates brokerages in 34 states and remains in a rapid growth mode. The hiring of two seasoned real estate executives is a key part of the company’s growth plan.
Joe Gaeta has joined Lake Homes Realty as the Director of Strategic Growth and Kiki Wanshura has been hired as Director of Market Acceleration. Gaeta has more than 24 years of real estate industry experience, including the past seven years with Zillow Group as Director of Broker Relations. Wanshura has been in the industry since 1997 and came to Lake Homes Realty from Pacaso where she was on the Industry Relations team for the past two years. Her experience with second home ownership pairs nicely with current and potential agents interested in joining Lake Homes Realty. Gaeta and Wanshura will be working closely with Heather Glass, another former Zillow Group executive. Glass was recently named to the newly created position National Director of Development at Lake Homes Realty.
Real Estate Industry Experts Join Lake Homes Realty
“With Joe and Kiki joining Heather along with the move to our new corporate headquarters, exciting times are ahead for Lake Homes Realty,” said Glenn S. Phillips, CEO and Lead Economic Analyst of Lake Homes Realty. “The appeal of a primary or secondary lake home on our thousands of lakes remains high and inventory is on the upswing as summer approaches,” said Phillips. “Our lake home buyers and sellers are, for the most part, unaffected by mortgage rates and economic uncertainly,” he said.
“We remain highly focused on the lake real estate market and believe Joe, Kiki, and Heather have the experience to identify key agents in lake real estate and similar niches as we continue to expand,” said Doris Phillips, COO at Lake Homes Realty and President of RealSource. “The three of them have powerful real estate backgrounds and the personalities to make a significant impact in expanding our market footprint.”
Gaeta, Director of Strategic Growth, joined Lake Homes Realty in April and has a passion for the industry. “It was so important for me to lock arms with like-minded people,” said Gaeta. “Over the last seven years, I have had the pleasure of visiting with Glenn and Doris Phillips from time to time – and working with them has always been a joy,” he said. “I love the specialization of their mission and how they are truly changing the lives of their agents. Many brokerages promise huge success, Lake Homes Realty actually delivers on it,” he said. Having worked with both the broker and agent community, Gaeta believes his experience will help move the needle for Lake Homes Realty and the future projects ahead. “Agents sometimes get stuck and my goal is to help them get unstuck,” he added.
Coming from Pacaso, Wanshura understands the second home industry and believes Lake Homes Realty is positioned well for the future. “ Having worked at a variety of real estate companies, I continue to be incredibly impressed with the tools, technology, and valuable analytics that Lake Homes Realty offers that are unique to the industry,” said Wanshura, who joined the company in March. “ I want to continue my career with a company like Lakes Homes Realty – a progressive company that is making a positive impact in the real estate industry,” she said. Shortly after obtaining her real estate license, Wanshura started teaching classes at her local association of REALTORS. “I quickly realized that I love helping agents grow their own business,” she said. “I think my passion for the industry along with my passion to help agents be more successful will be a great asset to Lake Homes Realty.”
After working with Zillow Group and Moxiworks, Heather Glass joined Lake Homes Realty in 2020 and was recently named National Director of Development. “The leadership and the entire Lake Homes Realty family is set up to make our agents successful,” said Glass. “Joe, Kiki, and I will show lake real estate agents how to differentiate themselves from the competition. Our agents double their revenue within their first years gaining value with the best in the business,” she said. “We often say that even experienced agents joining us get to learn from the A-Team of lake real estate agents.”
New Headquarters
“We toured a wide variety of office space available in Jefferson and Shelby Counties and felt 500 Corporate Parkway best met our needs,” said Phillips. “Over the past 12 months our space has transformed dramatically and is a great environment for our employees, clients, and guests,” he said. “ As Lake Homes Realty and RealSource continue to grow, we will have space to accommodate our workforce. We are also excited to be part of Hoover’s expanding technology corridor along Highway 280,” he added. As a hybrid of technology and traditional real estate brokerages, technology is at the forefront of Lake Homes Realty and it will be beneficial to be surrounded by other tech companies.
SDM Partners of Atlanta owns the 500 Building and surrounding buildings. The new headquarters were designed by Williams Blackstock Architects of Birmingham and the building is managed by Colliers International. Lake Homes Realty and RealSource moved into the 500 building in mid-March. A ribbon cutting with the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce is planned for April 18.
“I am very pleased Lake Homes Realty and RealSource will remain and grow in Hoover,” said Mayor Frank Brocato. “This project is another example of growth in Hoover’s STEM-based industries. I also am pleased that this public/private partnership will assist Hoover entrepreneurs to further grow and contribute to the city’s economy.”
