Kelly Kemnitz finds her passion in real estate

A Newton native, Kelly Kemnitz didn’t start her professional career as a real estate agent, though she has blossomed into one of the most successful Realtors in the Wichita market.

Though she started out as a physical therapist, Kemnitz eventually transitioned to real estate after a stint as a stay-at-home mother. Kemnitz lives in Wichita with her husband, Ben Brophy, and their four children, ages 12 to 16.

Q. How did you end up in real estate?

A: I have a master’s degree in physical therapy. I only practiced for a few years before having children, but knew I hadn’t found my niche. I left the workforce for about five years to be a stay-at-home mom.

When I decided to return to work, I knew I didn’t want to continue what I had been doing, which was a tough decision after going through such a rigorous curriculum.

I’d been intrigued with real estate since the day I went house shopping with a friend almost 10 years earlier, and I decided to take a leap of faith and give it a chance. I had no idea how difficult it is to build a business in real estate, but my naivety served me well.

It was the best decision I’ve ever made, and I’ve been selling real estate for 11 years. I found my passion.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love working with people. I get to share in one of the biggest events of people’s lives, and I don’t take that lightly.

I also love houses – walking through them, pricing them and figuring out how to make them sell for the highest possible price. I love the fact that I don’t sit at a desk all day.

I love the challenges that real estate presents – problem solving and analyzing are exciting to me.

Q: Now a few years out of the economic downturn, how is the housing market in Wichita doing?

A: The local housing market is strong right now. We had a big year in 2013, and it’s remained good ever since. We’ve had a solid start to 2016 – forecasts for the year are favorable. I’m very optimistic about what I’m seeing and what the numbers are showing.

Right now, we need inventory. I have a lot of buyers just waiting for more houses to come on the market.

Q. Give me three things that every agent has to do in order to be successful.

A: One of the great things about real estate is that very different personalities can be successful in the business. Three things that have helped me succeed in real estate are understanding people, communicating effectively and having thick skin. It’s a tough business. You have to learn to keep pushing forward when you get knocked down because you will get knocked down.

Q: What’s the biggest mistake that people make when choosing a new home?

A: I think sometimes people are hesitant to hire a Realtor because they either think they don’t need one or have had a bad experience with one in the past. My job is to educate buyers through the process so that they make good decisions, educated decisions and non-emotional decisions.

If I do my job, they aren’t making mistakes.

This story was originally published February 17, 2016 at 1:42 PM with the headline "Kelly Kemnitz finds her passion in real estate."