Professional Education
Immediately after obtaining her first real estate license as a sales associate, Ms. Kennedy began her studies at the Graduate Realtors Institute (GRI) and upon completion in June of 1988 was awarded the national designation of GRI from the Institute. Simultaneously, she began her studies as a Real Estate Broker with Currey Management in Rochester, Michigan and befriended the owner, Nancy K. Currey. This relationship led to the introduction of one of the first Buyer Agency working relationships in the State of Michigan.
The later part of the 1980’s was filled with professional endeavors for Ms. Kennedy. In 1987 she began additional advanced education with studies through the National Association of Realtors, Certified Residential Specialist and was awarded the prestigious designation in 1989. The CRS Designation is the most highly recognized educational achievement by the National Association of Realtors. Less than 3% of all realtors nationally hold this designation.
In 2001, Ms. Kennedy completed her studies with the National Association of Realtors, Real Estate Buyer’s Agency Council and was awarded the prestigious designation of Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR) as a nationally accredited Buyer’s Agent through the Council.
In 2005 Ms. Kennedy earned the Transnational Referral Certification (TRC) for international recognition by assisting homeowners relocate globally.
In 2020 during the State of Michigan quarantine period of the novel COVID – 19 virus, Ms. Kennedy continued to achieve educational accomplishments. Quickly turning the business into the virtual mode, she became successful assisting people virtually again continuing to support those in need. During this period, Ms. Kennedy secured the National Association of Realtor’s Seller’s Resource Specialist (SRS) Designation, e-Pro Certification, PSA Certification and joined the International Multiple listing services (MLS).
National Credentials (Stephanie, show the definition for each)
Nationally Designated Accredited Buyer’s Representative, ABR
Nationally Designated Certified Residential Specialist, CRS
Nationally Designated Graduate Realtor, GRI
Nationally Designated Seller’s Resource Specialist, SRS
Nationally Accredited Brokers Price Opinion Resource, BPOR
Nationally Accredited Pricing Strategy Specialist, PSA
Nationally Accredited Short Sale/Foreclosure Specialist, SFR
Nationally Accredited Transnational Referral Certified, TRC
Nationally Accredited Electronic Professional, e-PRO
Environmental Expertise & Loss Mitigation
In 1992, upon the recommendation of Ms. Currey, Ms. Kennedy accepted a client as a Buyer’s Agent for an environmental firm whose purpose was environmental remediation. During this relationship, Ms. Kennedy’s responsibilities included professional guidance for the Chief Executive Officers Stanley Prednisol and Allan Shaw. Ms. Kennedy provided the firm with professional advice regarding the potential future market value of the contaminated sites that the firm was considering acquiring for site remediation in the state of Michigan. The team worked closely with the Governor’s office considering the properties that were funded by the MUSTA (Michigan Underground Storage Tank Act) and the LUSTA (Leaking Underground Storage Tank Act). Once the potential remediation sites were selected, the environmental clean-up process began. This overall experience was highly educational and informative for Ms. Kennedy, exposing her to the remediation process, Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 audits and finally site certification before re-sale of the sites. Ms. Kennedy was exposed to many different environmental remedies. This led to a greater understanding and awareness of the local areas of contamination. As she worked with the team on Albert Khan designed buildings on Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan that were once used as car dealerships which over the years leached oil into the site and throughout the state, to the Traverse City area where for generations agricultural areas were exposed to pesticides and herbicides that leached through the groundwater into the nearby Traverse Bay. With this information she could guide her residential real estate clients regarding areas of historic contamination.
During 2008 – 2011 with the downturn of the economy and the new real estate terms of “Short Sale” and “Foreclosure” becoming more prevalent, Ms. Kennedy again shifted her education to secure the designations of Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource Specialist (SFR) and Broker’s Price Opinion Resource (BPOR). With both certifications, Ms. Kennedy became highly respected as a public speaker, assisting homeowners with the struggling thoughts of short sale and loss mitigation. She also became an asset for many local banks that would call upon her to render value of abandoned houses which were becoming toxic assets. Ms. Kennedy assisted Chase Bank, Bank of America, and Titanium in loss mitigation for hundreds of homeowners. She became a volunteer speaker for the Archdiocese of Detroit and traveled the Detroit Metropolitan area speaking at public meeting to homeowners who were economically struggling, providing them with answers to challenging situations.
Professional Memberships (Stephanie, show the definition for each)
NAR National Association of Realtors
MAR Michigan Association of Realtors
GMAR Greater Metropolitan Association of Realtors
REBAC Real Estate Buyer’s Agency Council
RRC Residential Real Estate Council (*sent you the logo for this)
WCR Women’s Council of Realtors
REBI Real Estate Business Institute
Referral Exchange Network
International MLS – Premier Agent
Zillow – Premier Agent
Realtor.com For Professionals
Industry Leadership
During the years of 1991-1995, Ms. Kennedy served for the Michigan Association of Realtors in Lansing, MI on both the Ethics and Arbitration Committee and was Chairman of the Professional Standards Committee for the local Rochester Board of Realtors, Michigan.
Ms. Kennedy continued her volunteer efforts on the state level with her commitment from 1997-2000 with service to the Michigan Association of Realtors on both the Grievance Committee and the Professional Standards Committee.
2001 she volunteered to serve at the national level with the Women’s Council of Realtors and represented the Council on the International Business Opportunities Committee in Washington, DC.
In 2009, Ms. Kennedy was invited to join a panel of real estate experts and speak at the International Real Estate Conference in Eastern Canada and in 2010, Ms. Kennedy joined the prestigious Luxury Portfolio International.
Through the years of 2011- present, Ms. Kennedy was honored to serve on the State of Michigan Council of Residential Specialist Leadership Team and Board of Directors, serving as President Elect in 2020 and President in 2021.
Company Background
Its Principal Associate Broker, Mary Anne Kennedy, began her real estate career in Metropolitan Detroit Michigan with a pre-license class in the early 1980’s. Upon successful completion of the pre-license class, Ms. Kennedy began her career at Schweitzer and soon became an assistant manager for the Rochester, MI office. In 1986 she joined the Michigan Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors.
Also, in 1989, Ms. Kennedy completed the requirements for her Broker’s license. Then she received her Principle Associate Broker’s license and Broker’s license and founded the corporation. Simultaneously she continued her real estate career as a Non-Principal Associate Broker with a local Re/Max office which subsequently became Realty Executives. Ms. Kennedy joined this Realty Executives franchise with the broker when the franchise was first introduced to Michigan. Ms. Kennedy, licensed as the company’s Principle Associate Broker since its early inception, transitioned the company to the new name of Selling Michigan.
Founded in 1989 as a real estate company with an emphasis on providing exceptional services.
“To truly be number one, you must constantly surpass yourself, not the competition”
Looking Forward to the Future
Over the decades of the development of the corporation, one thing has remained consistent: the need for housing and the desire to own your own home. That is the American Dream!
In the United States, reasons for homeownership have changed over the past few decades. We have seen the family needs change from the post WWII housing boom to the development of the suburbanites who raised their families of 5 or 6 in a 3 bedroom 1 bathroom home to the expansion and development of baby boomers who built the American Dream into their palatial estates. For the baby boomer generation, the concept of homeownership was most often approached as an appreciating asset. This concept changed between 2000 – 2010, due to the crash of the housing market, the soaring foreclosures, and short sales. This heralded the belief that housing be more looked upon as a comfortable safe environment to enjoy rather than an investment.
The upcoming generations of X, Y and Millennial home buyers preferred minimalist lifestyles whereas the Silent Generation or Generation Z showed migration to the urban lifestyle of living in the big city near their jobs.
Housing needs changed again in 2020 with the Global Pandemic forcing many to work from home and school from home. This created additional changes making many re-evaluate their housing situation, desiring to shift towards wanting more quiet space, a “Zoom” room, home schooling space and more multi-generational living under one roof.
Owning a home has for decades proven to be the American Dream. Helping people achieve their goals in finding the perfect house to call home, has been and continues to be our mission and our pleasure.
