Volume One

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Charter Bank

Jerry Annis + Jane Seymour Kunick
• Donnellan Real Estate

Above & Beyond

tight-knit team provides personal touch to local real estate transactions


Jerry Annis and Jane Seymour Kunick are lifelong friends who treat each other like family — and they think of their clients that way, too. The pair of Realtors at Eau Claire’s Donnellan Real Estate share a similar work ethic, admire each other, and are committed to doing what’s right for their clients because it’s the right thing to do.

Jerry describes the duo as “servant souls,” to which Jane adds, “That’s what our mommas made us.”

“We take on these clients — especially sellers — as our family, and we treat them how we would treat somebody in our family,” Jerry explains. “If they need help, we do it.”

“We were raised the same,” Jane adds. “We have a lot of the same values and morals. Neither one of us question needing to go above and beyond, because it’s who we are.”

Jerry and Jane formed their strong bond growing up together in Eau Claire — a hometown they still love deeply. Their parents were good friends, and they attended school and church together. Years later, they became partners in the real estate business at Donnellan. They say their team approach allows for flexibility and full service for clients.

Their friendly focus and attention to detail is ultimately good for business: About 80% of the team’s clients are referrals, and many others are repeat customers.

So what does going “above and beyond” mean? Sometimes, it’s literally means rolling up their sleeves. “The clients become your friends, and you do whatever’s necessary,” Jerry says. “We’ve power-sprayed decks. We’ve mowed yards. We’ve painted the inside of houses and taken stuff to the dump and Goodwill — which most people don’t expect out of a real estate agent.”

“We get people saying, ‘Wow, you did what?’ ” laughs Jane. “But to us it’s just second nature to want to do what we can do.”

“And,” Jerry chimes in, “it’s nice to get out of the office!”

Getting out of the office, after all, means hitting the streets of Eau Claire. Jerry and Jane are always happy to sing their hometown’s praises, and that’s part of the goal of the podcast they launched last year, Eau Claire is Here, and You Should Be Too. Over the course of 14 episodes (and counting), Jerry and Jane have highlighted music, arts, and activities in Eau Claire, interviewed interesting locals, and pulled back the curtain on the local real estate market.

It’s a market that’s still buzzing, they say, though not as much as it was at some points over the past year. Instead of 15 offers, someone selling a home may get two or three, Jane explains. Sellers are generally still getting the prices they want, Jerry says, and interest rates are still historically low for borrowers.

Whoever the client is — whether a first-time homebuyer or someone downsizing after 50 years in the same house — Jerry and Jane sit down and explain the process to them, allaying their concerns.

“For us, it’s a lot of guidance and direction, and walking this path with these people step by step and explaining, ‘Well, here’s what’s coming next,’ ” Jerry says.

“We talk about the market and make these searches,” he continues, “and at the end of that meeting they say, ‘I’m excited now.’ Buying a home or selling a home should be a happy time and an exciting time.”

Jerry and Jane recently added two new faces to their team: Rod Elkin and Ayden Klafke. Both of the new team members are helpful, driven, detail-oriented, and personable — just like Jerry and Jane.

Rod say real estate is both a hobby and a career. “I enjoy meeting and getting to know people and their story,” he says. “Listening to what people desire allows me to fine tune an individual’s preference and find that perfect fit.”

“I have always had a passion working with people and houses,” Ayden explains, “so what better job than to be a Realtor? I would love to work with you to find or sell a home!”

“Now we have a team of four people that have the same mindset and deal with our clients and our friends the same way,” Jerry adds. “We just wanted to be available and reactive to all the people that we work with.”

Charter Bank