Conner and Hannah Linde family with their three boys, Clarke (5), Ollie (3), and Percy (2).. Photo submitted.
Conner Linde – A Realtor Shares What Makes Duluth So Great
For some people, it takes a while to choose a career path. For others, it seems almost predetermined.
Duluth realtor Conner Linde’s journey to selling homes happened pretty organically. His mother, Stephanie Linde, is the owner and founder of Real Estate Consultants, a brokerage firm she established in 1998. “My mom is a great example of someone who can accomplish anything she sets her mind to,” Linde said.
Conner Linde is a real estate agent with Real Estate Consultants. Photo submitted.
Young Conner often tagged along with his mom during her work day. These fond, early memories of real estate ultimately sparked in him a shared passion for the business.
“When I was little, I would go with her – I’d tour a house with her or wait in the car while she did a showing,” he explained. “I heard her say the term ‘market analysis’ a lot, and I always thought she was saying ‘Mark and Alice,’” he added with a laugh. “It was about my mid-teens when I started to think about real estate as a career.”
Today, Linde is a successful Realtor and joined the family business in 2018. As both a native Duluthian and a family man with a wife and three young kids, Linde has plenty of reasons to recommend Duluth.
“Duluth has a really strong culture,” Linde shared. “People here work in order to live, not live to work. And, people want to be here, which generally means happier people.”
Childhood
Linde is originally from Duluth. While his mom was busy establishing Real Estate Consultants, his dad, Ivars Linde, worked as a third-party vendor, handling leather and upholstery repair for car dealerships. Linde is the middle of five children; all of whom were home-schooled.
Ivars and Stephanie Linde enjoying the trails of Duluth. Photo submitted.
When pressed, Linde is hesitant to choose his favorite Duluth neighborhood, as they all have wonderful amenities to offer. “We lived in several neighborhoods over the years,” he shared. “My mom would find great deals on houses she liked, and we bounced around.”
Linde’s first jobs were in food service; first at Bridgeman’s, and later, at Coney Island. A chat with his mentor helped Linde narrow down his professional prospects to either real estate, banking, or another career using numbers.
At age 18, he got a job as a bank teller at Beacon Bank, and later transferred to Frandsen Bank’s Cloquet branch. During his banking years, Linde earned a business degree with an emphasis on economics from Liberty University Online.
Love and Marriage
When he was 19, Linde took a mission trip to Ecuador. On this trip, he met his future wife, Hannah, who was from Houston, Texas. The two married in 2017 - when Conner was just 20.
Hannah and Conner Linde were married in 2017. Photo submitted.
The couple initially decided to make their home in Houston. “All of her family lived in Houston, and I was able to find a job at a bank,” Linde said. But relocating to Texas simply wasn’t meant to be.
“My job - at Frost Bank - was at a pretty slow branch. I had a ton of time to think and knew it was too slow of a pace for me. So, I got to thinking and re-evaluating.”
With Hannah’s support, after a year in Texas, the Lindes moved back to Duluth, and Conner immediately began to work towards earning his Minnesota realtor’s license. He joined Real Estate Consultants in 2018.
Today, Linde also serves as a Chamber Ambassador for the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a great outlet for my extroversion,” he said with a laugh. “And, it’s fun to see all the new businesses coming onboard.”
After moving to Duluth, Hannah initially got a job in academia. However, after the arrival of the couple’s three young sons – Clarke (5), Ollie (3), and Percy (2), she now stays at home to raise their children.
Conner and Hannah Linde with their three boys, Clarke (5), Ollie (3), and Percy (2). Photo submitted.
Real Estate
Linde currently works from his Observation Hill home, while Stephanie works from her home in Pike Lake. Together, they comprise Real Estate Consultants’ sales team, partnering with local real estate photographers and stagers when listing a new home for sale.
Linde is licensed to sell residential real estate in the state of Minnesota. While most of his clients are from Duluth and the surrounding communities, he has also represented clients as far away as Mille Lacs, Ely, and Grand Rapids.
He offered some thought-provoking observations on why people are relocating to Duluth. “The topic of climate refugees is very interesting to me right now,” he noted.
“I’ve had clients who moved here from California with the express reason that Duluth is a climate refuge or haven. It’s above my pay grade to understand all the science, but given the Lake and the topography, Duluth may be one of the safest places.
“Also, since COVID, and with more people working remotely, I’ve also seen people asking themselves, ‘Why not live where I vacation?’ As a result, we have lots of people moving here from Minneapolis and St. Paul.”
Linde shared several interesting tidbits about Duluth’s current white-hot real estate market. "Many buyers who purchased a home as recently as 2020 have seen an increase in their home's value in the range of $40-50k. And in general, homes here are selling for well above listing price.” Linde estimated that the average sale price for a home in Duluth is between $250-300K.
Linde doesn’t expect Duluth’s robust real estate market to slow down anytime soon. “I expect this market to continue for the foreseeable future,” he said. “This is in large part due to the Essentia project, along with general expansion everywhere. Duluth has a housing shortage right now. We need more housing of every kind: condos, townhomes, rentals, low-income houses, and high-income houses.”
For buyers, Linde offers these tips: “Buyers should be well-acquainted with their numbers, both for the monthly house payment they can afford, but also the interest rate. Additionally, it's never too soon to start taking steps to improve their credit score.
“And, it’s important for sellers to keep in mind that it’s not hard for a listing to go sideways, despite the hot market,” he added. “You always want to select an experienced agent.”
Lots to Love About Duluth
The Linde family truly loves life in Duluth. Even Hannah, the Houston transplant, has come around.
“Hannah was pregnant at the time, and was initially … tenuous … about the move,” Conner shared. “But now, she’s even more in love with Duluth than I am. She’s made lots of friends, and loves the natural beauty.”
Conner and Hannah are in love with Duluth. Photo submitted.
Together, along with the family dog, Hallie, the Lindes enjoy wholesome activities like visiting Enger Park, hiking, and skipping rocks on Lake Superior. “I love seeing our kids enjoy the simple pleasures of skipping rocks,” Linde shared. “It reminds me of growing up in Duluth myself.”
And the children also enjoy places like the Lake Superior Zoo, Great Lakes Aquarium, and visits to Little Neechers indoor play space, called the Play Café. This summer, the Lindes are planting a veggie and herb garden, and look forward to their first harvest.
Goals
Looking ahead, Linde has some ambitious professional goals that he’d like to achieve. “We’d love to bring in some additional Realtors/agents. We’d also love for our brokerage to be the best – not only in terms of helping you buy or sell, but also the best place to work.” Linde is also considering the pursuit of a broker’s license.
“I also want to support the growth Duluth is currently witnessing, and support other local businesses,” he added. “But honestly, I can’t imagine life being much different than it is right now.”
Perhaps you’re ready to take the leap and #befromDuluth? Real Estate Consultants can help. For more information, please visit recduluth.com.
