MLS ranks Lyzenga #1 in Lansing for 2021
LANSING, Ill. (January 31, 2022) – Caleb Lyzenga grew up in a family of builders and contractors, and he spent his youth remodeling homes alongside his father, Dan Lyzenga, of Lyzenga Construction. He attended Lansing Christian School and Illiana Christian High School, but after graduating in 2018, he still wasn’t sure what he wanted his career focus to be. He tried a few courses at South Suburban College, but nothing seemed to click. He then went through an online course of study and gained his real estate license, but he just wasn’t sure how to get started.
So for five years Lyzenga continued working with his dad full-time. It turns out, those construction skills, interactions, and support from his father and grandfather who owned some rental properties, plus a growing network of quality people in the real estate profession — all of that gradually crystallized the purpose Lyzenga began to see for himself.
It was March of 2020 when he decided to make real estate his full-time profession after a few months of being instructed and mentored by Heather Bult and later on Brooke Metz, two of his closest colleagues. As the world began its pandemic shutdown, Lyzenga wondered if he had made the right choice. “There were a few weeks there when we just didn’t know how to even do our jobs,” he remembers. “Showings couldn’t happen. Closings had to be reconfigured as curbside signings. We were all trying to do our jobs with our clients’ safety as our top priority.”
The longer people stayed at home, the more consideration they began to give their homes. And soon, selling and buying were happening faster than ever. “The market strengthened,” says Lyzenga.
A year later, the market is still strong, and Lyzenga cautions people to find a REALTOR® they trust, whether they are selling or buying a home. In Lansing especially, he says, “it’s sad when you get an agent who doesn’t know Lansing’s market, and they list people’s homes too low.” Lyzenga believes that without proper research and knowledge, agents commonly overlook what Lansing has to offer.
“It has a wonderful downtown,” he begins, “with a genuine, small-town, family-friendly feel to it. There is easy access to the highway for people who want to visit the city. There’s easy access to Indiana. The school system is great. It’s overall just a nice, safe community made up of all ages and people in all walks of life!”
“I just love working in Lansing,” Lyzenga summarizes. “It’s my hometown and I will always have a special place in my heart for this community.”
The fact that he still lives in Lansing himself, as do his parents and other family members, gives Lyzenga a sense of protectiveness toward homeowners in town. He urges people to interview several realtors before committing to one. “Check with past clients; check references,” he advises. “You want someone who’s honest, who knows the market, and who’s going to take care of you.”
For his own clients, Lyzenga has found that his background in construction is a valuable asset. When working with sellers, he can tell them what in their house needs to be fixed before listing — and how much those projects should cost. When working with buyers, he can assess the condition of a house they might be considering and compare that to the asking price. Those insights are a strong reason he was able to reach Top Sales Agent in 2021. He sold 40 homes in Lansing during the year, a total of $7,194,100 in sales.
Lyzenga is grateful for the trust his clients place in him. “A huge thank-you to all my clients who have trusted me to buy and sell their homes,” he says. “I could not have achieved this exciting accomplishment without each and every one of you!”
When Caleb Lyzenga was pounding nails next to his father as a youngster in Lansing, he didn’t know that one day his construction skills would enhance his selling skills and his people skills. But looking back he can see a common thread in all his work experiences: “I love working in Lansing. I love helping people out. I love what I do.”
Caleb Lyzenga has recently started with eXp Realty in order to serve his clients even better. He can be reached directly at:
- 708-208-2209
- [email protected]
Related
- Lansing realtors look back at an unprecedented year in real estate (December 2021 article)