DMD Client Highlight: Keller Williams Alaska

Often, we hear company goals and mission statements about supporting one another and making a difference together. Still it’s rare to see big ideas like that in action, but the folks at Keller Williams Alaska take their mission seriously. They really do work to build community while building business. I’ve seen it firsthand in our nine years working with them.

Changing lives starts at home – pun intended – and Keller Williams Alaska’s agent-centric approach really has put them in the lead in Alaskan real estate as the #1 broker.

They have a saying, “win-win or no deal,” and that’s for everyone involved: the sellers, the buyers, the agents, and even locals, such as staging professionals, home décor shops, and real estate photographers like us here at DMD.

Another unique advantage of KW is they are a global network of real estate agencies that shares access to the latest and greatest from every market, and they pass that wide-reaching knowledge along to their clients.   

The folks with KW Alaska also go above and beyond by working within our local communities, not only as real estate professionals, but as champions for our kids, our families, and everything else that’s important to making our communities strong.

Here are a few shots from a recent year’s Annual Red Day and initiative operating under the motto “Give Where You Live.” This was a project where KW staff donated their time to help renovate a home for the less fortunate.

Another event we had the chance to record was the KW Backpack for Kids event. The goal was to collect 110 backpacks and fill them with the supplies school-age kids needed for the new year, potentially helping 110 local families and the countless educators depending on the community to help with supplies when parents can’t.

They even have a public charity created to reach out and support each other during times of extreme and unexpected hardship.

I don’t know of any other real estate firm that helps the community in the same or at the same level this group does.

Whether you’re looking for a home or wanting to build a business, I’d recommend the folks at Keller Williams Alaska to anyone. We’re fortunate to work with them, and your decision to find your next home through Keller Williams Alaska is not only a step in the right direction toward making your own dreams come true, but a whole lot of others, too.

Deshka Landing Lodge: Sometimes We Dream A Little Bigger

One reason photographers step behind the camera is to capture what they find interesting and beautiful in the world and share it with folks who appreciate the same things. I would venture that the job is similar to that of a writer – we just create stories through pictures.

And specifically, as a real estate photographer, we are called upon to create dreams.

Most of the time, here in Alaska, our “stories” center around a single family carving out a life against gorgeous, largely untamed nature. Occasionally, though, we have the opportunity to tell a tale that’s a bit outside of that box.

Take the story of Deshka Landing Lodge for instance.

This up-to-date community lodge with five guest cabins and designated camping space stands an hour and a half north of Anchorage and only yards from a boat launch into the Susitna River. It was coming to market in 2017, creating a rare opportunity for potential buyers: the chance to acquire an established lodging and fishing charter business. The place was well-equipped, cabins fully-furnished, and the business turnkey.

Tourism reports estimated that two million tourists visited Alaska that year, spending $3.2 billion while they were here. Travelers want unique experiences, and Alaska is full of them for most people – traditional fishing, hunting and trapping, aurora watching, ice fishing, dog sledding, and so on.

That’s just part of the “story” of Deshka Landing Lodge, though.

Yes, it was bound to be a great, moneymaking investment for the right buyer. But its promise of adventure, recreation, and relaxation went beyond tourists – the owners would also get a slice of that life.

In a year where surveys showed striving for greater work-life balance winning out over both salary and a flexible schedule as the most important factor when evaluating a job prospect, it was a business for dreamers.

So that’s what we focused on in our photo shoots – the lifestyle of the lodge. The closeness to nature. The adventure. The dream.

Enter two dreamers: Jim, an avid fisherman and hunter, and his partner Maria, a motorcycle enthusiast and an impeccable quilter.

I can just imagine them searching for a nice little business to run. Something that would allow them to achieve the balance they’d been seeking and do work they felt passionate about.

When Kloud Realty pointed them toward the Deshka Landing Lodge listing, it was a match made in heaven. And, I like to think, the photos helped them to visualize themselves living that dream in all its glory.

By the end of June that year, the newest chapter of the Deshka Landing Lodge had begun. And travelers who’ve stayed since count themselves lucky it did.

Today, people from all over the world come to enjoy unforgettable Alaskan fishing experiences, homemade meals and family-style dinners, comfortable cabins, indoor and outdoor community areas, daily housekeeping, and fish processing/freezing services through the various packages Jim and Maria now offer.

These are the best kinds of real estate success stories in my opinion – when everyone involved has the chance to dream a little bigger.

To learn more about Deshka Landing click the button below

To learn more about Kloud Realty Group click the button below

Introducing Photographer Kate Clark...

As DMD Real Estate Photography expands to the Fairbanks area, we have the privilege of welcoming new photographers to the family. One of these photographers is Kate Clark. We wanted to share a little bit about her background.

Kate has been enjoying the beautiful skies in the Fairbanks area for just over seven years, but she is a native Californian. Her love of photography began over 20 years ago (“back in the darkroom black and white days,” she says.)

Her education in digital photography kickstarted after her dad asked her to take the photos for her sister’s wedding. The camera she used for that event is still the one she uses today. She calls it her “trusted friend,” and it has taken her from her home in California all the way to Fairbanks.

Kate has explored many niches in the photography world, including weddings and school photos, but it wasn’t until a realtor friend suggested that she try out real estate photography that she started using houses as her subject.

That was about five years ago. Nowadays, Kate says, “I am happy to report that it is a niche that I never thought existed and the only one I want to shoot. I love real estate photography, and I am super stoked to be expanding to other agents.”

She also puts her photography skills to use for neighboring kids who are homeschooled, like her children are. Her “Better Than School” photos allow her to connect with other homeschooling families in the area.

In addition to homeschooling, Kate also keeps busy gardening and sewing. She even made headlines after she created the iMaxi, a protective case for iPads that started out as a joke. And she was also one of the creative minds behind Mugtuk Monsters. She certainly puts her gift of creativity to good use!

Now that Kate works at DMD, she can pursue her passion for photography full-time. Her husband is also following his passion, working full-time as an entrepreneur. The two raise and homeschool their kids together in Fairbanks.

Kate and her husband have enjoyed settling into the Fairbanks community. In fact, if you live in the area, you have probably seen them around town. When we asked her why she loves Fairbanks, she said, “When we moved here, we were on our own, and the community enveloped us, and our friends became family. I love how everyone is related somehow and that you know you’ve lived here long enough when you can’t go out in public without seeing a friend.”

We are happy to call Kate a friend and a new member of the DMD Real Estate Photography family. Be sure to check out her portfolio on Facebook.