How Lakefront Living Is Poised To Be The Next Great Franchise Opportunity

Lakefront Living, a realty service that specializes in lakefront homes, has made a name for itself by tackling a niche market with a very particular consumer. Where other businesses went wide, Lakefront Living went narrow, and has since established itself as an industry leader for consumers and franchisees alike. Founder Scott Freerksen identified a need in the market in 2003, and has since expanded the business to become the franchise to beat in 2020. He spoke with 1851 on why Lakefront Living’s unique approach is the future of franchising.

“From a consumer standpoint, Lakefront Living Realty specialty brokers solve three critical lakefront buyer problems: Finding only direct lakefront homes, finding specific details of the lakes and finding a local lakefront specialty agent,” said Freerksen. Lakefront Living changed all of that by developing a one-stop-shop for every direct lakefront property for sale on over 1,600 lakes and counting, reducing a previously tedious average search time of three hours down to just 30 seconds.

“Buyers understand they are not just buying a home, they are buying a lifestyle,” said Freerksen, “but each lake is its own unique ecosystem with important distinctions. In order to make an informed decision, a detailed profile of the lake itself is crucial.” Lakefront Living provides specific lake details such as size, depth, water quality, aquatic vegetation, amenities, events, homeowner’s association data and more.

When making the investment to buy lakefront property, wouldn’t you want to talk to someone who has been through the exact process you’re experiencing before? Lakefront Living brokers are local, on-the-ground experts who provide critical community details for prospective buyers that include specific shoreline conditions, neighborhood characteristics, zoning regulations, lake management operations and lakeside events, and even offer boat tours of properties and insight on area amenities such as shopping, restaurants and schools. These amplified points of connection are invaluable when attempting to stand out in a crowded marketplace, creating a true differentiator for Lakefront Living in the real estate space.

“Purchasing lakefront property is different than any other real estate. Other generalist agencies just can’t dive this deep into lake property specifics,” said Freerksen. “Our system works on the principle of niche marketing. When you narrow your focus, you expand your appeal. In fact, we believe that specialization trumps branding and builds perceived value.”

“The market needs a way to compare and differ, and if you don’t give them one, they will default to equating you with all the rest,” said Freerksen. “Success is difficult when you are trying to be all things to all people. Our systems provide the ability to be outstanding at one thing—dominating a large piece of a smaller pie.”

As a franchisee, Lakefront Living provides a rewarding business venture that establishes franchisees as the lakefront expert in a market where they are the dominant player—without even leaving the home! Franchisees are also inducted into a prestigious league of other market leaders nationwide, fully backed by the support of a hands-on corporate team.

“Our approach has always been to grow slow and grow smart, and our No. 1 priority is to support our current partners,” said Freerksen. “It’s no secret that our overall success is solely based on our partners’ success.”

Freerksen trusts that the right brokers will seek Lakefront Living out as the brand ramps us initiatives toward critical partner success factors such as franchisee coaching, local-level market penetration, improving operational systems, building our national brand, and continuous innovation for 2020 and beyond.

Sector specialization doesn’t just make finding a lakefront property easier for buyers. It also creates a lucrative opportunity for franchisees in the hottest segment in real estate: Lifestyle.

“More and more buyers are choosing their place of residence based on how they want to live, and not just where,” said Freerksen. “Criteria such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms and price points are now old school thinking—in the age of social media, people are pursuing a life worth sharing, so a much stronger focus is placed more on a desired lifestyle than anything else.”

At the end of the day, the cornerstone of Lakefront Living’s philosophy is bringing passionate people together to live their best lives. “Lakefront buyers and sellers are passionate about their lifestyle, and passion seeks passion,” Freerksen said.

The startup costs for a Lakefront Living franchise range from $32,265 to $39,705, with an initial franchise fee of $25,000. To learn more about franchising with Lakefront Living, visit https://www.lakefrontlivingfranchise.com/.