The Key to Scaling Your Real Estate Business: Insights from Jeff Nydegger

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In the competitive world of real estate, staying ahead requires a mix of strategic vision, resilience, and an unrelenting drive to succeed. Jeff Nydegger, co-founder of Kendall Partners, exemplifies these traits. Over nearly two decades, Jeff and his team have built a thriving real estate business by focusing on direct-to-seller marketing, core values like integrity and growth, and leveraging lessons learned from both successes and failures. If you're aiming to generate motivated seller leads and scale your real estate business, Jeff's journey offers invaluable insights.

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The Foundations of Success

Jeff Nydegger's entry into real estate began with ambition and a willingness to take risks. His military background played a significant role in shaping his decision-making process, instilling discipline, adaptability, and a mission-driven mindset. These traits were crucial when he transitioned from military service to the challenging world of real estate. Jeff's ability to strategize under pressure and remain steadfast in the face of adversity became foundational as he navigated the 2008 market crash and subsequent shifts in the industry. After leaving the military, he and his wife, Sarah, made a bold decision to invest in a $25,000 real estate education course. Despite the financial strain, Jeff’s confidence and commitment to long-term growth propelled him forward. Partnering with Kevin Hansen, they founded Kendall Partners in the Chicago area in 2007, just before the 2008 market crash.

Rather than folding under pressure, Jeff and Kevin pivoted to short sales, mastering a no-money strategy that allowed them to thrive even in a turbulent market. These experiences shaped their resilience and adaptability, core qualities that remain central to their success.

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Transitioning to Direct-to-Seller Marketing

In 2019, Kendall Partners made a pivotal shift to a direct-to-seller marketing model, allowing them to buy approximately 20 houses a month. This strategy focuses on sourcing leads directly from homeowners, creating a streamlined and scalable acquisition process. Jeff’s approach emphasizes building trust with sellers, standing out in an industry where many rely on wholesale contracts that often fall through.

Key components of Kendall Partners’ direct-to-seller model include a blend of innovative and proven marketing strategies. The team heavily relies on direct mail campaigns, crafting personalized letters to reach homeowners directly and establish trust. Additionally, they utilize pay-per-click (PPC) advertising to target motivated sellers searching online for quick and hassle-free home sale solutions. By combining these methods with a strong online presence and other tools like SEO and retargeting ads, Kendall Partners ensures a consistent and high-quality flow of leads.

Clear Communication: Sellers appreciate honesty and straightforwardness. Jeff’s team ensures that they fulfill contractual obligations without contingencies.
Efficient Processes: By choosing to double-close transactions or lightly renovate properties before selling, Kendall Partners maintains a reputation for reliability and professionalism.
Marketing Mix: Utilizing direct mail, online ads, and other tools ensures a consistent flow of high-quality leads.

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Lessons in Leadership and Partnership

Jeff credits much of Kendall Partners’ success to the strong partnership he shares with Kevin Hansen. Their collaboration is a textbook example of the visionary-integrator dynamic. Jeff, as the visionary, focuses on big-picture strategy and innovative ideas, while Kevin, as the integrator, excels at operational execution and risk management. This balance has been crucial during pivotal moments, such as navigating the 2008 market crash and shifting to a direct-to-seller model. Kevin’s meticulous planning acts as a tether to Jeff’s ambitious ideas, ensuring that their ventures are both scalable and sustainable. For instance, while Jeff identifies new growth opportunities, Kevin ensures that the financial and logistical aspects are thoroughly addressed, making their partnership both dynamic and reliable. Their dynamic—Jeff as the visionary and Kevin as the integrator—has been key to navigating challenges and scaling their business. Trust, integrity, and humility underpin their collaboration, enabling them to work through disagreements and align on long-term goals.

For real estate investors considering partnerships, Jeff emphasizes:

Shared Core Values: Align on principles like integrity and growth.
Complementary Strengths: Identify who excels in vision and strategy versus operations and execution.
Clear Communication: Address conflicts openly and focus on mutual goals.

Jeff also highlights the importance of predictive index profiling to better understand team dynamics. Jeff is a "Maverick" while Kevin is an "Artisan," and their complementary styles create a balance between assertiveness and meticulousness.

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Scaling Sustainably While Maintaining Balance

As a father of four, Jeff understands the importance of work-life balance. He prioritizes spending quality time with his family, often coaching his kids’ sports teams and actively participating in their activities. Additionally, the proximity of his office to his home provides him with the flexibility to be present for his family while maintaining a strong focus on his business. This intentional approach ensures that he remains engaged both as a father and a business leader. He’s intentional about his time, ensuring that both his family and business receive the attention they deserve. Kendall Partners fosters a similar culture, attracting employees who value professional growth without sacrificing personal well-being.

Jeff has coached his kids’ sports teams and prioritized family vacations, setting an example of intentional living. Proximity of his office to home allows him flexibility, although he avoids working from home to maintain focus.

Key strategies for maintaining balance include:

Time Management: Scheduling family time and vacations to avoid burnout.
Delegation: Hiring skilled team members to handle day-to-day operations, allowing Jeff to focus on strategic growth.
Long-Term Vision: Building a business that can operate successfully with minimal hands-on involvement.

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Building Confidence Through Resilience

Jeff’s journey underscores the importance of persistence and learning from challenges. A striking example is the $55,000 loss on a flip early in his career. Rather than being discouraged, Jeff and his partner Kevin used the experience to reassess their approach and refine their strategies. This setback highlighted the importance of financial planning, risk management, and adapting to market conditions, shaping the foundation for their future success. Early missteps, such as losing $55,000 on a flip, became opportunities to refine strategies and strengthen resolve. For real estate investors, confidence comes from experience—each deal builds the skills and knowledge needed to tackle the next.

Jeff's confidence was also rooted in his faith and support system. His wife, Sarah, played a critical role in managing their finances creatively during lean times, such as leveraging 0% credit card offers to fund their early ventures.

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Key Takeaways from the Interview with Jeff Neidinger:

1. Jeff’s Background & Business Journey

Founder of Kendall Partners, a real estate investment company in Chicago Metro.
Been in the real estate industry for 17 years, starting with fix-and-flips in 2007.
Pivoted to short sales in 2008 during the financial crisis.
Transitioned to direct-to-seller marketing in 2019 and now buys 20+ houses per month.
Operates with his business partner Kevin Hansen, whom he has worked with since 2007.

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2. The Early Years & Learning Curve

Military background, served 30 months deployed before transitioning to real estate.
Got into real estate after seeing a bandit sign for an investment seminar.
Spent $25,000 on a real estate course, financing it on zero-interest credit cards.
First deal: $10K profit on a fix-and-flip.
Second deal: Lost $55K on a bad investment but pivoted to short sales to recover.

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3. Lessons from Scaling a Real Estate Business

Short sales were a no-money-down strategy that allowed him to build capital.
Built credibility in the Chicago market by successfully handling hundreds of short sales.
Recognized the difference between sales and marketing—had to learn lead generation.
Read "Traction" by Gino Wickman, which helped define his role as the visionary and Kevin as the integrator.

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4. Direct-to-Seller Marketing Model

Shifted from flipping & construction-heavy rehabs to direct-to-seller property acquisitions.
Uses direct mail, PPC, and other digital marketing to generate leads.
Focuses on buying properties in bulk, wholesaling, and wholetailing instead of full rehabs.
Buys every property outright—no assignments or wholesaling, reducing risk and increasing credibility.

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5. Why They Avoid Assignments & Always Close on Deals

Never wholesales contracts, always does a double close.
Protects profits & maintains trust with sellers by ensuring a clean, guaranteed closing.
Helps avoid last-minute buyer fallout, which is common in wholesaling.
Many sellers now ask: "Are you a wholesaler?" due to bad experiences with unreliable wholesalers.

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6. Disposition Strategies – How They Make Money

Double Close: Buy the property and sell it the same day to an investor.
Wholetail: Buy the property, do a light cleanup (paint, carpet, minor fixes), then list it on MLS.
Full Rehab (only when needed): Significant repairs when market conditions demand it.

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7. Working with a Business Partner

Jeff and Kevin have been partners for 16+ years and treat each other like brothers.
Key to a successful partnership:
- Trust & integrity – Never doubted each other’s ethics.
- Clearly defined roles – Jeff is the visionary, Kevin is the integrator.
- Ability to have hard conversations without damaging the relationship.
- Aligned core values – Both prioritize long-term thinking and team culture.

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8. Work-Life Balance & Avoiding Burnout

Believes in being intentional with time to balance work, family, and personal growth.
Involves his family in business discussions and sets clear vacation & personal time goals.
Goal: As the business grows, become less involved in daily operations while maintaining high-level leadership.
Advice: "You can scale a business and still maintain personal freedom—but it takes planning and discipline."

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9. Jeff’s Approach to Hiring & Company Culture

Core values: Growth, integrity, and long-term thinking.
Looks for employees who push forward, not just work a job.
Everyone at the company follows the Predictive Index (PI) assessment for better role alignment.
Believes in building a team that shares the same long-term vision.

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10. Investment & Partnership Opportunities

Seeking private money lenders offering 8-12% annualized returns for real estate funding.
Open to working with local investors, rehabbers, and landlords in Chicago.
Interested in long-term partnerships, not just one-off deals.

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11. Recommended Books

"Traction" – Gino Wickman (business growth & operations).
Patrick Lencioni's books (leadership & team-building).
Jim Collins' books ("Good to Great", "Built to Last", "Great by Choice").
"Scaling Up" – Verne Harnish (business strategy & scaling).
John Maxwell's leadership books.
The Bible & Maxwell Leadership Bible (faith-based leadership).

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Unlock Your Potential

If you’re ready to take your real estate business to the next level, focus on generating motivated seller leads and building systems that scale. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your approach, Jeff’s story is a testament to the power of resilience, strategic vision, and staying true to your values.

Start by identifying your strengths, building trust with partners, and leveraging direct-to-seller marketing to source high-quality leads. With the right mindset and tools, you can achieve sustainable growth while maintaining balance in your life.

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