real estate company owner

Tech-powered & Client-centered

Stepping outside of the box doesn’t come easily for everyone, but that’s certainly not the case for Jeff Cohn and his real estate team, who have found that embracing—and even chasing—change leads to success. One of Cohn’s latest ventures has been spearheading the opening of a Keller Williams franchise in Omaha, kwELITE.

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Located in the Advent Building at 17838 Burke Street, the new 10,000 sq. ft. one-stop shop, technology-powered market center will enhance the buying and selling process in various areas, including the services of mortgage, title, insurance, and financial planning. Technology features at the office, such as virtual reality rooms for touring homes, a state-of-the-art training facility, and high-tech conference rooms, merge tradition and innovation to improve the way real estate transactions are completed with an overall goal to offer a 100% VIP experience for all involved.

As a Millard North High School and University of Nebraska Omaha graduate, Cohn’s real estate career began in 2006 after obtaining his license and joining his parents, Marc and Renae Cohn, at NP Dodge Real Estate. Cohn then worked under Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate, where he not only established the fastest growing real estate team in history, but he also became the number one real estate team at Berkshire Worldwide. Making the shift to Keller Williams was a major move on Cohn’s part but was necessary for his vision to create a hybrid solution for clients and agents alike.

“Keller Williams is not a real estate company, it’s a technology company that happens to be in the business of coaching and consulting real estate businesses,” Cohn said. “We embrace technology to help agents and consumers make more money in less time, while also helping to improve and change lives.”

In less than a year, kwELITE has grown to a team of almost 100 agents in Nebraska and has expanded to several cities, including Gretna, Columbus and Lincoln. The intent is to have a presence in the top 10 cities in Nebraska and then work on expanding across the country. To support agents so that they can best serve clients, kwELITE emphasizes three main areas: education and training, lead generation and accountability, and systems technology. In fact, each agent receives their own full-time mentor as well as a training curriculum that is specific to the agent’s level of expertise.

While some might assume serial entrepreneurs like Cohn are motivated by money, Cohn said that’s not an honest depiction of business people, as many take on a lot of risk in order to create a greater impact.

“My biggest motivator is helping others succeed,” Cohn said. “To me, success is defined by how we choose to live our lives in every moment. If we’re constantly trying to be better, that’s all that matters. We don’t need to compare ourselves to others; we need to compare ourselves to who we were yesterday and try to be even better, and not just business-wise, either. It’s also about improving spiritually, mentally, physically, and charitably. The willingness to change is key, and my number one goal is to create an environment that can serve as the vehicle to allow people to improve and ultimately realize their dreams.”

Cohn, a firm believer in “do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” said kwELITE strives to be a breath of fresh air in the industry, even if that means doing things that have never been done before. For example, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, kwELITE opened its training sessions in person and virtually (valued at $97 per month) to all agents in Omaha free of charge indefinitely.

As someone who has spoken on numerous stages to thousands of people, won Dancing With The Stars in Omaha, established a podcast with 12,000 downloads a month, and traveled across the world on a mission trip only to come back trilingual with a fresh perspective on life, Cohn has never been shy about trying something new. Through every experience, the husband and father of three has continually been inspired by others and learned from the triumphs and challenges.

“I subscribe to the mindset that the biggest loser is always the biggest winner,” Cohn said. “Those who choose to embrace failure and look at it as an opportunity to learn and grow will be the ones who usually succeed. In a society where people don’t want to lose and don’t want people to see them lose, they sometimes try to do things that will not cause a loss, but in doing so, they lose.”

Looking ahead, kwELITE expects to open 100, if not more, expansion locations throughout the country with kwELITE serving as the hub for lead generation, training, accountability, technology, and transaction coordination. “kwELITE’s culture is about creating opportunities and helping others, while utilizing a tech-focused and customized approach to deliver the ultimate experience,” Cohn said. “We believe that it’s never too late to change, and it’s always important to strive to make a difference.”

For more information or to ask about preferred pricing for Edge magazine readers, contact Jeff Cohn at 402-452-0642, jeff@kwelite.com.

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