Gary W. Keller

Last updated
Gary Keller
GaryKellerTeaching1.jpg
Born
Pasadena, Texas
Alma mater Baylor University
Occupation(s) Author, Real Estate Expert
Known forCo-founder and Executive Chairman, Keller Williams Realty
SpouseMary Pfluger
ChildrenJohn Keller
Website Gary Keller KW Headquarters profile

Gary Keller is an American entrepreneur and best-selling author. He is the founder and Executive Chairman of Keller Williams, which is the largest real estate company in the world by agent count and second in closed sales volume, and units sold. [1] Keller founded Keller Williams on training and education and later brought his teachings to print. His books include The Millionaire Real Estate Agent,The Millionaire Real Estate Investor, and The ONE Thing . He is considered one of the most influential people in real estate. [2]

Contents

Early life

Keller was born on July 21, 1957, in Pasadena, Texas. Both his mother and father were school teachers, until his father was promoted to be a high school administrator. The family moved to North Shore, outside of Houston. [3] Keller originally had no intention of attending college. The summer following his high school graduation he began to pursue a music career. Mid-summer, he came to his parents and informed them that he wanted to go to college as his music career was not working out. [4] His parents informed him that they had already applied to Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he was accepted. After visiting the university, Keller decided to attend, following in the footsteps of his sister and father who had previously attended the university. [5]

While at Baylor, Keller spent time shadowing professionals in the fields of law, accounting, banking, and real estate. [5] It was at that time that he became interested in real estate and began to pursue a real estate and insurance degree program that had just started at the university. [5] His senior year he was interviewed by various real estate companies who came to Baylor looking for graduates. [5] Following graduation in 1979, Keller moved to Austin where he began his career in real estate. [6]

Career

Real Estate

When Keller moved to Austin in 1979, he worked for a company that would later become a competitor. He found success in Austin, selling five houses his first month and became VP within five years. [7] In 1983, he partnered with Joe Williams and started two companies – Keller Williams Realtors, which Keller ran, and Keller Williams Commercial, which Williams ran. [8] The commercial company never took off, but Keller's residential side did. In 1987, inside the residential company, Keller created a division that would later become Keller Williams Realty International, which became known as KWRI.

The company grew to be the largest real estate agency in the Austin area within two years. After expansion and franchising, it became the largest real estate franchise by agent count in North America and the only privately held global residential real estate brokerage, reaching over 100,000 agents worldwide in 2014 [9] and surpassing 180,000 agents by 2018. [10]

In 2017, he began to transition Keller Williams into more of a technology company, [11] launching technology initiatives that included KW Labs, KW Keller Cloud, and "Kelle," an artificial intelligence app used as a virtual assistant and an agent-to-agent referral tools platform called "Referrals." [11] Keller replaced John Davis as CEO of the company in 2019. [12]

Writing and publishing

Keller began writing during his early years at Keller Williams Realty. He established KellerINK for the publishing of instructional and inspirational business books with a specialty in real estate. His first book, The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, was co-authored with Dave Jenks and Jay Papasan and released in 2004. [13] The book made the best-seller list on BusinessWeek. [14] He co-authored a second book, The Millionaire Real Estate Investor, in 2005 along with Papasan and Jenks. [15] This book became a New York Times best-seller. [16]

In 2013, Keller and co-author Papasan published their first non-real estate book, The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results. [17] The book reached #1 on the Wall Street Journal business bestseller list. It was also a bestseller on The New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. [18] [19] Hudson Booksellers named The ONE Thing one of the five best business interest books of 2013. [20] The authors have been featured in publications including Forbes and Dave Ramsey’s EntreLeadership Review. [18] In all, Keller has published four best-selling books on real estate and has sold more than a million copies worldwide. [18]

In addition to writing and real estate, Keller has been involved in other ventures including that of an investor. He has invested in companies such as the Austin-based Music & Entertainment Television. [21] Keller is also a public speaker [22] and was a panelist for the nonprofit Relationship & Information Series for Entrepreneurs in 2013 along with former Texas Longhorns quarterback Vince Young. [23]

Other ventures

In 2013, Keller launched ALL ATX, a nonprofit with a goal to educate musicians on how to build successful careers in the Austin music industry. [24] He purchased Saxon Pub in 2016 [25] and One World Theatre in Austin in 2022. [26]

Bibliography

Publication yearTitleOriginal publisherISBNNotes
2004The Millionaire Real Estate Agent McGraw Hill ISBN   9780071502085 Co-Authors Dave Jenks & Jay Papasan. BusinessWeek best-seller.
2005The Millionaire Real Estate InvestorMcGraw Hill ISBN   9780071469531 Co-Authors Dave Jenks & Jay Papasan. BusinessWeek and New York Times best-seller.
2008SHIFT: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough TimesKellerINK ISBN   9780071605274 Co-Authors Dave Jenks & Jay Papasan. New York Times best-seller, the Wall Street Journal Business Bestseller, and the USA Today Bestseller.
2013 The ONE Thing Bard Press ISBN   9781848549258 Co-Author Jay Papasan. First non-real estate book for Keller. New York Times How-to Bestseller, New York Times Business Bestseller, Wall Street Journal Non-Fiction Bestseller, Wall Street Journal Business Bestseller, USA Today Bestseller, and Publishers Weekly Top 10 List. Mentioned on other national lists, including BookScan, Entertainment Weekly, LA Times, Hudson's Booksellers, Reuters, and 800CEOREAD. Winner of 12 book awards and translated into 26 languages.

Recognition

Keller has received numerous awards and accolades over the years. [27] He is a previous winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and a finalist for Inc. Magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year. [17] In 2011 Baylor University honored him with a Meritorious Achievement Award and a Medal of Service for his business leadership. [5] The same year Austin Business Journal recognized him as one of Austin's 30 Most Influential. [27]

Personal life

Keller has his own band that performs annually at Keller Williams events. [28] Keller lives in Austin with his wife, Mary. Their son John also lives and works in Austin. [28]

Keller teaches a business and life development course to young adults both in Austin and through his alma mater, Baylor University. He has been a supporter of Baylor since his graduation, and in 2007 he donated the funds for a residential real estate research center at the Hankamer School of Business. [29] The Keller Center, as it was named, studies consumer behavior, marketing strategies, and management solutions. [30]

Related Research Articles

kw, kW or KW may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Association of Realtors</span> American trade association for real estate brokers

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) is an American trade association for those who work in the real estate industry. As of December 2023, it had over 1.5 million members, making it the largest trade association in the United States including NAR's institutes, societies, and councils, involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. The organization holds a U.S. trademark over the term "Realtor". NAR also functions as a self-regulatory organization for real estate brokerage. The organization is headquartered in Chicago.

Martha Anne Smith is an American actress, television personality, real estate broker, and former model.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">For sale by owner</span> Selling real estate without a broker or agent

For sale by owner (FSBO) is the process of selling real estate without the representation of a broker or agent. Homeowners may employ the services of marketing, online listing companies, or market their own property. Typically, they represent themselves with the help of a lawyer or solicitor throughout the sale. As in most areas, there are detailed legal requirements pertaining to sellers and disclosures they must make.

HomeServices of America is the United States' largest residential real estate services company, based on closed transactions. The company provides real estate brokerage services, mortgage loan origination, franchising, title insurance/escrow and closing services, home warranties, property insurance, casualty insurance, and relocation services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alyse Black</span> American singer and songwriter

Alyse Black is an American singer and songwriter. Black's music is described as indie pop with jazz influences, in the vein of artists such as Fiona Apple, Regina Spektor and Norah Jones. Her song "Stood for Stand for", which was featured on Black's debut album Too Much & Too Lovely, won Billboard's 2007 World Song Contest in the Jazz category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keller Williams Realty</span> American real estate franchise headquartered in Austin Texas

Keller Williams Realty is an American technology and international real estate franchise with headquarters in Austin, Texas. It is the largest real estate franchise in the United States by sales volume as of 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Papasan</span> American author and business executive

Jay Papasan is an American writer and business executive. He is best known for co-authoring, with Gary Keller, books such as The Millionaire Real Estate Investor, which both became a New York Times best-seller and a BusinessWeek best-seller, and The ONE Thing, which reached #1 on the Wall Street Journal business best-seller list. Papasan is the vice president of publishing and executive editor at KellerINK, the publishing arm of Keller Williams Realty. He and his wife Wendy are owners of The Papasan Real Estate Team. In 2014 he was named one of the Most Powerful People in Real Estate by Swanepoel Power 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Jenks</span> American author and business person (1942–2021)

Dave Jenks was an American author and business person.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark W. Willis</span>

Mark Willis is an American business executive and stock holder at Keller Williams Realty, an international real estate franchise with headquarters in Austin, Texas. Willis was President of Keller Williams Realty prior to 2005 when he took over the position as chief executive officer (CEO). In 2015, Chris Heller succeeded Mark Willis as CEO.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Showing Suite</span>

Showing Suite is web-based software that real estate agents, brokers, and home sellers use to automate the showing feedback process and schedule showing appointments. Located in San Diego, California, Showing Suite was incorporated in 2001 under the name HomeFeedback by founders Rick Bengson and Alan Shafran. Currently, Showing Suite is active in the United States and Canada.

Smarter Agent, Inc. was a research and development company, founded by Brad W. Blumberg and Eric M. Blumberg, that built early mobile location-based apps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brenton G. Hayden</span> American entrepreneur (born 2010)

Brenton G. Hayden is an American entrepreneur. He is most well known for founding and serving as chief executive officer of Renters Warehouse. Hayden founded Renters Warehouse during the real estate market downturn in 2007. In 2015, the company reported revenues of $15 million, up 184 percent from the last three years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gregory D. Hague</span> American lawyer and businessman

Gregory Dean Hague is an American businessman, lawyer, real-estate consultant, and entrepreneur based in Arizona.

Patrick Hiban, also known as Pat Hiban, is the founder and former Chairman of Rebus University and is the former host and founder of real estate podcast Real Estate Rockstars with Pat Hiban, which has featured guests including Robert Kiyosaki and Shark Tank's Barbara Corcoran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Shemin</span> American real estate investor and author

Robert D. Shemin is an American real estate investor and author.

RealtySouth is an Alabama-based real estate company comprising over 1,000 sales associates in 27 locations across Alabama. It is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairway Shops</span> Shopping mall in Hawaii, United States

Fairway Shops is an outdoor shopping mall located in Ka'anapali, a neighborhood of Lahaina, Hawaii. The stretch of shops was completed in 2001 and encompasses approximately 34,980 square feet (3,200 m2) of retail space over three acres of land. The land of the center is owned by Gutman Realty LLC and managed by Colliers International. Of the tenants that occupy the complex, a majority of them are small businesses and local companies; a local urgent care center has since opened at the property.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Compass, Inc.</span> American residential real estate broker

Compass, Inc. operates a residential real estate brokerage in the United States. It has approximately 29,000 agents, who are generally independent contractors, on its platform.

<i>The One Thing</i> (book) 2013 self-help book by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan

The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results is a non-fiction self-help book written by authors and real estate entrepreneurs Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan. The book discusses the value of simplifying one's workload by focusing on the one most important task in any given project. The book has appeared on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Amazon.com. It was first published by Bard Press on April 1, 2013.

References

  1. ↑ "Welcome to Keller Williams" . Retrieved 21 Sep 2016.
  2. ↑ Luck, Marissa (4 May 2018). "Keller Williams' growing army of agents eclipses most cities' populations". Austin Business Journal. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  3. ↑ "GPISD Honors Its Own". Your Houston News. Fall 2008. Retrieved 21 Sep 2016.
  4. ↑ "Gary Keller". California Real Estate. 2004.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Medal of Service - Business Leadership". Baylor Magazine. Fall 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  6. ↑ Simmons, Lee (24 May 1998). "Realtor saw opportunity in adversity". Austin Business Journal.
  7. ↑ "Personal Selling Power". Inc. Retrieved 2016-09-23.
  8. ↑ "KW Commercial - Agent Details". kwcommercial.com. Retrieved 2016-09-23.
  9. ↑ Buchholz, Jan (8 May 2014). "Keller Williams hits milestone with 100,575 agents worldwide". Austin Business Journal. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  10. ↑ Luck, Marissa (4 May 2018). "Keller Williams' growing army of agents eclipses most cities' populations". Austin Business Journal. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  11. 1 2 Abraham, Rincey (1 March 2018). "Keller Williams Hopes to Become the Amazon of Real Estate". Miami Agent Magazine. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  12. ↑ "Gary Keller returns as CEO of nation's largest realty company". Austin Business Journal. 9 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  13. ↑ Bruss, Rebert (25 May 2004). "How to be a successful real estate agent". Inman. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  14. ↑ "The BusinessWeek Best-Seller List" (PDF). BusinessWeek. July 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 20, 2004. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  15. ↑ Bruss, Robert J. (1 May 2005). "Book Review: Serious About Success?". L.A. Times. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  16. ↑ "The New York Times Paperback Archive". The New York Times. 19 June 2005.
  17. 1 2 Schawbel, Dan (23 May 2013). "Gary Keller: How To Find Your One Thing". Forbes. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  18. 1 2 3 "The One Thing - Author Jay Papasan Shares The Secret To Success". Entre Leadership Review. December 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  19. ↑ "Hardcover Advice & Misc. Best-sellers". The New York Times. 21 April 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  20. ↑ "2013 Book Of The Year - Best of 2013". Hudson Booksellers. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  21. ↑ Zaragoza, Sandra (7 October 2007). "Music for the masses". Austin Business Journal. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  22. ↑ "Keller makes Toronto speaking debut". REM Online. 13 August 2009. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  23. ↑ Drake, Sarah (9 May 2013). "Vince Young, Gary Keller among RISE speakers". Austin Business Journal. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  24. ↑ "About - ALL ATX". allatx.org. Retrieved 2016-09-27.
  25. ↑ Maas, Jimmy (12 March 2019). "A New SXSW Documentary Follows The Rollercoaster Ride Of Saxon Pub's Survival". KUT 90.5. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  26. ↑ Rascoe, Rachel (1 April 2022). "Faster Than Sound: Gary Keller Now Owns West Austin's One World Theatre". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  27. 1 2 "Austin's 30 most influential". Austin Business Journal. 23 December 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  28. 1 2 Pope, Colin (9 November 2012). "Journal Profile Gary Keller Interview". Austin Business Journal. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  29. ↑ "Keller funds center at Baylor University". Chicago Tribune. 11 March 2007. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  30. ↑ "$5M kickstarts real estate center at Baylor". Austin Business Journal. 6 March 2007. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.