How Lakefront Living Realty is Changing Lives, One Lake House at a Time

Lakefront Living Realty founder Scott Freerksen and co-owner Christine Mosier know that claiming an address on the water isn’t just about owning a home—it’s about embracing a lifestyle. That’s why, in 2003, Freerksen left his job in corporate America to work as a premier real estate broker specializing in lakefront homes along the East Coast. He dominated the markets across four states and made such a name for himself that Mosier, who in 2015 was working as a realtor for RE/MAX in Ohio and longing to strictly sell lakefront homes, contacted Freerksen.

Once they connected and discussed their shared passion for the lakefront lifestyle—plus their realty backgrounds as top producers in their respective markets—the two knew they were onto something special, and Lakefront Living was born.

Lakefront Living is unlike any other real estate or brokerage firm because the franchise focuses exclusively on lakefront homes.

“Nobody else is doing what we’re doing nationally,” said Mosier. “When I was with RE/MAX, I wanted to sell only lakefront homes, and I tried to find a brokerage or a franchise that would allow me to do that. It didn’t exist.”

Mosier was blown away by the gap in the market, because “there are lakes in almost every single state, and there was no real estate company that sells just strictly lakefront homes.”

Enter Lakefront Living.

“The unique part about our business is that we’re the only niche-focused real estate franchise in the country,” said Freerksen.

This laser focus has allowed Freerksen, Mosier and Lakefront Living franchisees to become experts in their field, educating buyers not only on a given property, but on the entire lake they could soon call home.

“All of our agents are experts in the marketplace, so when consumers have questions about lake living—everything from home maintenance to water quality—consumers look to us as experts. We have the people who can answer those questions,” said Freerksen.

“Our agents sole purpose is to educate the buyers and sellers they work with,” said Mosier. “We are focused on our niche, and we’re not just selling a home; we’re selling a lake. Our agents are not only seasoned professionals, they live the lakefront lifestyle themselves.”

Consistent with the brand’s mission to educate about said lifestyle, Lakefront Living utilizes an extensive yet accessible consumer website that Mosier aptly characterized as “a one-stop-shop.”

“With other real estate websites like Trulia or Zillow, you don’t get all the info you need because it only has information about the property,” said Mosier. “But, as a buyer, you absolutely need to know about the lake, and that information is immediately available on our website.”

“One of the questions we never got five years ago that we get now—because of the way some of the most popular real estate websites operate—is, ‘Is this home still available?’,” added Freerksen. “It’s because a lot of those well-trafficked sites regularly include listings that aren’t actually available anymore, so buyers are wary. With our website, buyers never have to worry about that, because our information is 100% accurate and up-to-date, always.”

In addition to an exhaustive website that itself serves a compelling consumer value proposition, Lakefront Living offers several key features that keep consumers coming back.

“It’s all about keeping up a stellar relationship with the existing client and connecting with buyers out there who haven’t bought yet,” said Mosier. “For those, we do a weekly newsletter—and even those who have already bought from us, they never take themselves off the newsletter subscription,” Mosier laughed. “They look forward to them.”

The brand also offers high-value buyer seminars.

“The seminars that we do for buyers are well-attended; 150 buyers get together once a year, and we talk through all aspects of lakefront living,” said Freerksen.

Freerksen explained that Lakefront Living also features weekly blog posts that are written by a given franchisee and distributed regionally, as well as a national blog post distributed throughout the system.

Not surprisingly, the brand has made a name for itself as a subject matter expert to such a degree that it has been featured several times on HGTV.

“It’s been really fun! HGTV seeks us out when they’re filming and that is really affirming,” said Mosier. “It’s not just Lakefront Living that gets the exposure, the featured lake and surrounding community are all abuzz with excitement to see their slice of heaven on national TV."

Freerksen and Mosier themselves are not only passionate about what it means to live on the lake but about what it means to live on the specific lakes in their market. This makes them vital resources for buyers.

“Each lake is so unique. I’m in Ohio, so most of the lakes in my state are man-made and serve as destination lakes,” said Mosier. “Most of my buyers and sellers are people who work in the city and are executive small business owners who want to buy a second lake home within an hour or two of their home—they’re working so much they can’t take a vacation and they want to just be able to get away for the weekend. They’re often boating enthusiasts with families excited to spend quality time near the water.”

Conversely, New England-based Freerksen serves a demographically distinct buyer community.

“In our New England market, we deal very little in vacation homes or second homes,” said Freerksen. “Most of our buyers are looking for full-time lakefront residences. Over half are empty nesters. These are folks who always wanted to live on a lake and are taking advantage of this time now to finally buy that lakefront home.”

So does the franchise model lend itself to this regional variation? According to Freerksen and Mosier, the answer is: Absolutely.

“For every market, you have to have a good understanding of who your client is. Thanks to how we’ve developed our model, we have the systems in place to deal with whatever demographic matches the inventory we have,” said Freerksen.

“I agree,” said Mosier. “We have specialists at every lake in a given state.”

Since launching Lakefront Living, Mosier and Freerksen have truly seen the promise of the brand’s tagline, “changing lives, one lake house at a time,” come to fruition.

**“**It’s always about a year later after a sale that we get a call or email and a homeowner shares how they get ‘what this whole lakefront lifestyle is about,’” shared Freerksen. “Homeowners will constantly say that their lives were changed by buying a lakefront home and they wish they had done it sooner. We hear that feedback all the time. It makes me feel really good about what we’re doing and what our franchisees are doing.”

Mosier agreed.

“Seeing how we positively impact the lives of our buyers, and seeing how our agents are so passionate about helping people, makes me feel amazing,” Mosier said. “We’re just starting out but I know that 10 years from now, in every single state, anyone thinking of buying or selling a lake home will say, ‘Oh, I’ve got to contact Lakefront Living.’ I’m proud that we have created this truly unique business and are building it every day.”