A couple of veterans of high finance across Michigan’s Great Southwest are stepping into the next phase of their careers by teaming up to add substantive value to the real estate market in our region.
Keene Taylor and Don Radde are bringing their combined 70+ years of experience and expertise in residential and commercial lending to the real estate market as part that next phase as they join Realty Executives Pro Brokers to support both residential and commercial real estate sales in the market.
Both men are lifelong residents of and businessmen in Southwest Michigan.
Radde’s career was focused on commercial lending and development in Berrien County. He retired two years ago as Horizon Bank’s Market President for Berrien County. In addition, he was a long-time member of Rotary and served on the board of Directors at Lakeland Health Foundations and the Region IV Area Agency on Aging.
Taylor retired at the end of December after 15 years leading the residential mortgage lending business for Horizon Bank. Prior to that he owned and operated Anchor Mortgage, based in St. Joseph, until his firm was purchased by Horizon Bank. Taylor is currently active in the Lion’s Club and the Berrien Community Foundation and was recently appointed to the Harbor Authority Work Group for the local harbor development planning process.
Over the past 35+ year Taylor and Radde have helped thousands of customers purchase and finance residential and commercial properties in Southwest Michigan. Now, they’ve chosen to partner with Realty Executives Pro Brokers of St. Joseph to support both residential and commercial real estate sales based on its long history of success in the Southwestern Michigan community. Realty Executives is built for experienced and productive agents with the average Realty Executives agent selling four times as many homes as the average real estate agent elsewhere in the region.
Taylor calls it a unique opportunity to provide significant value to both homeowners and renters through the combination of the firm’s traditional residential real estate business and the property management services of its sister company, Real Property Management.
Radde likes the opportunity to expand the agency’s presence into commercial real estate. Together, the two veteran finance men have backgrounds that mesh nicely with both Realty Executives Pro Brokers and Real Property Management inasmuch as both Taylor and Radde have personally developed, owned and managed investment properties in the course of their careers.
Paul Heaps is co-owner of Realty Executives Pro Brokers and Real Property Management. He says, “Realty Executives Pro Brokers has a long history of attracting and hiring experienced talent,” and adds, “In partnering with Keene Taylor and Don Radde, collectively we’re able to both strengthen and expand the services we provide to our clients and also continue to attract additional top talent to the organization.”
As a first step, Taylor has established his own real estate team at Realty Executives. He has brought in an experienced marketing and sales leader from the biotech and pharmaceutical industry to partner with him in that effort. She is Michelle Priefer, a St. Joseph native and second home owner in the St. Joe/Benton harbor area for more than a decade. She has joined Realty Executives Pro Brokers as part of the Priefer – Taylor Team.
Priefer says she sees the opportunity to leverage her 30+ years of experience in marketing and sales, and in particular her focus on superior customer listening, to identify and meet the needs of the team’s real estate customers. Her strong analytical adeptness and ethical conduct working in a highly regulated industry are transferable skills that will also provide significant value in support of clients.
With strong ties to the Chicago area for 30+ years as both a college student and four-time resident, Priefer, has experienced her own corporate relocations and as a second-home owner here since 2008, she also brings keen insights into the mindset and needs of second-home buyers and those relocating to the area.
Radde will also assist Realty Executives Pro Brokers agents and clients in the purchase and sale of commercial real estate. Additionally, he and Taylor will be on the lookout for investment and development opportunities for both Realty Executives Pro Brokers clients and other business associates and clients.
Taylor says, “This partnership is a real win-win for all involved,” adding, “We’re really excited to join Paul and Becky Heaps to combine their experience in real estate with our financial expertise— as it forms a powerful combination to expand the presence of Realty Executives Pro Brokers in Southwest Michigan.”
Realty Executives Pro Brokers is located at 815 Main Street in St. Joseph. You can reach Keene Taylor by phone at 269.930.3535, Michelle Prefer at 269.932.9275 or michellepriefer@realtyexecutives.com, and Don Radde at 269.208.5813.
