Excerpt from “The Influencers Up North: Who’s Making Business Happen In Emmet, Antrim, And Charlevoix”
In Traverse City Business News
Emmet/Antrim/Char., Issue 2018 July
Wally Kidd, Petoskey Kidd & Leavy Real Estate (Petoskey, Walloon Lake, Boyne City) Since forming his own real estate company with partner Pat Leavy in 2003, the longtime Realtor has expanded operations to three offices, located in Petoskey, Walloon Lake, and Boyne City. “My business partner Pat Leavy and I were at Bay Harbor,” Kidd said. “We wanted more control over our personal time and to see more of our kids, and decided it was time to venture out on our own.”
After filling out the ranks with 16 agents and staff, Kidd & Leavy is now first in the region for sales of luxury properties. “We’re not a franchise,” he said. “We’ve developed our own systems.”
Involvement
When the partners started, they each had young children, which “allowed us to get involved in the community,” said Kidd.He has been involved in the Petoskey High School Marching Band and served on the St. Francis Xavier School Board, including a stint as president. In addition to sitting on the Walloon Lake Country Club board, Kidd started the local lacrosse program, coaching various levels – including six years of high school – for 13 years. Currently, he’s coaching fifth and sixth graders. “Lacrosse is my passion,” he said. “Two kids who played for me were national champions for club lacrosse at Michigan State.”
Next Act
“We still want to grow the company. Kidd & Leavy is a recognized brand for luxury. We want to take what we do to other resort areas, grow into the surrounding towns that fit,” he said. “We also are looking at giving back, evaluating what we can do. As you get older you get more reflective.”
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