Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Openshaw.
Hi Heather, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
We are Sam, Heather, Cooper(8), Corbin(5) & Cutter (1) Openshaw. We are native Arizonans and run a Real Estate Business in the Phoenix area. We grew up in a small town, Parker Arizona, went to College in Tucson, and are now settled in Gilbert, Arizona. Our family is very active in Rodeo.
We grew up fishing on the Colorado River and Lake Havasu. My grandfather has run a “Take A Kid Fishing” Program in our small town for the past 45 years, giving kids who don’t normally get to fish, the opportunity to. Our family loves to swim, bike, and do pretty much anything outdoors. The resort is a perfect mix of how we grew up, and what we love now, Real Estate.
Why Brophy Lake Resort in Minnesota?
We came to Minnesota for a wedding 5 years ago, and our friends treated us to a day at their resort on Ottertail Lake. In 2021, we purchased Otter Tail Beach Resort from them, and loved it so much, we decided to give it another go. We like the Alexandria area and decided to find something in this area. We also love the beauty of the resort and the room for expansion on the bluff.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We operate on the thought process that a smooth road is a road not often traveled. We enjoy the bumps in the roads and know that bumps allow us to grow and improve the customer experience at the resort.
One of the things we have learned in the last few years of owning and operating a resort in Minnesota is finding the right people is key. Since our home base is in AZ, we have had to find people that we trust to help us be the boots on the ground for each resort and make sure that the resorts are run in the manner that we want. We have been extremely lucky to have found some core members of our teams that are members of their local community.
Another thing that we have learned is how much our customers love and adore the resorts where they spend their vacation time. Our clients are our best spokesperson for getting new clients and keeping the old ones so we constantly strive to listen to their suggestions and make the best decisions based on client retention. Change is sometimes hard when taking over for beloved resort owners that have been there for many years but it is definitely possible.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Openshaw Real Estate Group?
Openshaw Real Estate Group was established in 2005 while I was completing my bachelor’s degree at the University of Arizona. I fell in love with the details and process of real estate and have continued working with real estate since that time. My husband and I started by flipping homes and investing in rental properties. When we decided to quit our corporate jobs in 2016, we wanted to create a team of agents that were working together to give our clients the best experience when making one of the biggest purchases of their lives.
Since starting our team, we have added other ancillary businesses that add a new element to our real estate company from a small construction firm to investing in a title agency and mortgage company. Owning a resort was on our long-term plans but when the opportunity presented itself earlier than expected and in a different state than AZ we knew this was the next step for us. Our goal is to have 5 resorts under our business umbrella in the next few years, we currently have 2 resorts, Otter Tail Beach Resort in Battle Lake, MN, and Brophy Lake Resort in Alexandria, MN.
One of the things we are most proud of with our business is our client retention. Whether it be with our real estate clients where 70% of our business comes through past clients and referrals or through our retention of clients at the resort. Otter Tail Beach Resort is based on 7-day rentals from Mid-June through Mid-August and almost all clients in that range have been coming to the resort for 5+ years with one family even being there for over 25 years. Our number one priority is customer service and we think our retention speaks to that.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I grew up in Parker, AZ which is a small town in AZ along the Colorado River. I am the oldest of 5 and the only daughter. I was heavily involved as a child in 4-H and FFA through showing animals. I spent many hours on the river fishing with my family and later as a teen working at the local beach store near the river.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.brophylakeresort.com
- Instagram: @brophylakeresort
- Facebook: brophylakeresort
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/brophy-lake-resort-alexandria
Image Credits
Tara Keator and B Real Media
