Shawn Pearson, Realtor®

Where did you grow up? What was it like?
I moved to "lake country" 30 yrs ago. I'm originally from Blue Earth, MN which is about 9 miles from the Iowa border and heavy duty farm country. Also home of the "Jolly Green Giant"! There was farming of all types in this area and very few or no lakes. It can get very hot in the summer...and I will never forget the heat combined with silage piles, hog confinments or the rendering plants to the south of town! That, I really don't miss!! I did lots of bike riding and getting together with friends at the public pool to cool off on those hot summer days. Winters were often windy with large drifts that could easily shut down road travel.

Why do you live in the Brainerd Lakes Area? What do you like most about it?
I moved here with my parents while still in high school. After adjusting to a new world very different from southern MN farm country, I found myself in love with the outdoors, lakes, trails, wildlife and influx of people you would meet throughout every year (many tourists from my home area). I live here because it is just plain scenic and beautiful...the land varies from lake to lake all around this area, never boring or continuously flat. Also, the wildlife I have seen over the years has been incrediable, not to mention the great sunsets over the lakes or the brilliant colors of the fall leaves, especially when they reflect on the lakes. Minnesota is a state with a lot of diversity and interesting history. To me it is unique that I can live here and still find/see an authentic log cabin standing that was built by early settlers or be on a lake or river where logs floated down to a mill, or drive down a trail made by loggers centuries past and also fish in a mine pit that once was bustling with activity that now sits silent. This area is my home and I know it well. I feel a comfort "up north" and I plan to be here for a long, long time!

What is your favorite lake? Why?
I don't think I will ever have a favorite...I love them all! When there are 10,000 lakes in MN, it's more a matter of "how many can I see and get to know in my lifetime"! Every lake is different and I really like exporing each new lake, checking out the clarity, lake bottom, shoreline and of course the fishing! I think there is a lake for everyone and every family!! I really enjoy learning the different aspects of each new lake I visit and then being able to tell my clients about them!

What is your favorite part of working in Real Estate?
The different aspects I encounter with every listing and every sale! I learn something from each experience and from the questions asked by both sellers and buyers. Real estate is never boring to me and ever changing as time goes on. Real estate touches every one of us in one way or another and I like being a part of that connection. Even in the hardest of times, real estate is exchanged every day for one reason or another. It is part of our American heritage to own property and as a real estate agent I respect the opportunity to be involved in these transactions.

What is the most unusual thing you have encountered while working in Real Estate?
I recently had a showing on a property and it suddenly dawned on me that I did not see a refrigerator in the kitchen. I couldn't even really tell where it was suppose to go. Upon asking the seller about this, she stated that her refrigerator had broken down and it was hauled out of the home. A used one she had as a replacement was located in the detached garage at least 150' away! I felt sorry for this elderly woman having to go to the garage each time she needed something out of the refrigerator. It made me realize again how much we take all of our modern conveniences for granted! In 2010 seeing a kitchen without a refrigerator was like being in a time warp...very unusual as you can imagine!

Why should someone choose you as their real estate agent?
I like to use my real estate knowledge to help sellers and buyers get the results they are looking for! I believe in service for the client whether they are a buyer or seller! I aim to learn as much as I can about the property, regardless if I am working with a seller or buyer! I want my clients to know that I am there for them anytime and will find answers to any questions that should arise! I also want my clients to feel confident that they are in good hands and that I will do my best to represent them no matter how long it takes! Referrals are always the best compliment that an agent could receive, and I sincerely appreciate all of the positive feedback I have received from my past clients! Real estate can be very challenging, buy also very rewarding in the end when everyone is happy with the transaction! You touch alot of lives in this business and the smoother I can make it for all involved, the better I feel I have helped everyone! It truely can be a rewarding career...and that is what keeps me loving what I do!