How it all began...

One evening in 2001, after watching a real estate investing infomercial, Lisa Hasenbeck announced to her husband, Clarence, that she wanted to get her real estate license.  He teasingly laughed and proceeded to give her a hard time.  It wasn't long after that, Lisa's new career began taking off.  Clarence stopped laughing and started smiling. "After her first big month, I had to raise my eyebrow a bit. Im very competitive and her success really inspired me, so I pursued getting my license too."

Prior to moving here from Kansas, Clarence worked as an Executive for the Boy Scouts of America.  Lisa owned and operated an equestrian facility there as well.  After selling her business, they decided to take the opportunity to relocate to Florida. Initially, Clarence continued working with the Boy Scouts by transferring to its Tampa office.  However, a new baby was on the way and money from the sale of the equine business was depleting quickly.  They knew they needed to do something significant to supplement their income...

Fortunately, real estate managed to fit the bill.  A few years later, after joining RE/MAX Action First, the Hasenbecks' success in the business was becoming apparent.  They were consistently achieving RE/MAX's most impressive sales awards, including President's Club, 100 Percent Club and the Platinum Club.  In 2011, the duo was inducted into the RE/MAX Hall of Fame.  Clarence and Lisa consistently rank at the top amongst the highest producing agents in Pinellas County.

Through trial and error, they managed to develop and implement systems that worked, but admit they continually needed adjusting. "I think it's fair to say that in 2005, most seasoned Realtors in the business had become quite spoiled with all of the excess. I know we did", Lisa said.  "In 2006, as the market began to change, we started to get worried.  The reality was that we had created and built a lifestyle around an extremely frothy market.  We needed to think about what we could do in order to keep our foothold in the business until the market leveled out.  As with all businesses, time forces change.  We knew in order to survive, we were going to have to adapt and diversify.  That meant reaching beyond the common practice of just selling privately owned residential properties.  It was time to start working another niche.  The only problem was that we weren't sure which direction woukd be the best way to go at the time."

As luck would have it, the answer to that problem developed over a period of several weeks.  John Holecek, a longtime REO (Bank Owned) specialist, is a retired military officer and graduate of the prestigious United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.  John has been a real estate professional for over 25 years and is a fellow associate at RE/MAX Action First. 

After establishing their plan of attack on the foreclosure market, they needed to find the right person to help handle that portion of their business, as well as manage the daily operations of the office.  Brittney Cline was that person. 

"We feel we are fortunate to have four different personalities with very different strengths, and from very different demographics.", Lisa said. " We range in age from 20-something to 70-something.  Our clients benefit from four different perspectives and a wide spectrum of experience.  It's our belief that varying styles and profiles of each of the team members has helped contribute to our success as a whole.  We really complement each other well."

"Clarence is in the driver's seat in terms of guiding the company," she continued. "He's a wonderfully grounded individual, with enough intensity and fire, but still has the ability to take it all in stride and have the relaxed confidence that is so appealing to our clients.  I'm  extremely detail oriented and hes a doer.  He is a calming force that can take my emotion and balance it out. I stand back, assess and plan where we are going next.  Clarence gets the job done.  On top of that, he's an absolute listing machine, a real workhorse!"

Also continuing to thrive is the privately-owned residential side of the Hasenbeck Team's business.  Because of the combination of their experience and expertise, they regulary field calls from repeat clients.  The majority of their business comes from referrals of friends, family and colleagues of those who have worked with them in the past.

Letters from clients praising them for their efforts reflect the commitment the team has to customer service.  Tim Wafford wrote "Thank you for all of your hard work and understanding on our new home.  Your at-ease attitude and patience helped us find the right home for our family.  I am glad to have you as our REALTOR and as our friend.  Again, thank you."
 
The combined production levels of both the REO and regular residential transactions have been so strong that the Hasenbeck Team continues to add staff and earn awards for sales volume.  "We are fully aware of how fortunate we are to be excelling during these challenging times.  Not a day goes by that we arent thankful for the opportunities that we've been given," said Clarence.

Clarence believes that he is only as good as his last sale.  His competitive siprit has served the entire Hasenbeck Team quite well.  Despite market conditions, the team continues to grow by remaining open-minded and changing with the times.  While others are flailing and faltering, Clarence and Lisa have continued to successfully service their network of home buying and selling clients.  Lisa added, "We take it personally.  The way that we do business is a reflection of us as individuals.  Therefore, we are constantly internalizing and re-evaluating what we do, always striving to be better and continually evolving.  That will never change."  Clarence added, "When we know that our clients are satisfied and happy, we can rest easy, knowing that it was a job well done.  There's a tremendous amount of personal satisfaction when you know you played a key role in helping make a family's dreams come true."