Gary W. Keller
| Gary Keller | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
Gary W. Keller Pasadena, Texas |
| Residence | Austin, Texas |
| Alma mater | Baylor University |
| Occupation | Author, Real Estate Expert |
| Known for | Founder and Chairman of Keller Williams Realty |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Keller |
| Children | John Keller |
| Website | Gary Keller KellerINK profile |
Gary Keller is an American entrepreneur and best-selling author. He is the founder of Keller Williams Realty International, which is the largest real estate company in the world by agent count. Keller founded Keller Williams on training and education and later brought his teachings to print. His books include The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, The Real Estate Investor, and The ONE Thing. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board at Keller Williams Realty International.
Keller was born on July 21, 1957 in Pasadena, Texas. Both his mother and father were school teachers, until his father was promoted to be a high school administrator. The family moved to North Shore, outside of Houston.
Being born into a family of educators would later pave the way for Keller's educational approach to business and success. Keller's parents had a large impact in shaping who later became, and he credits three specific events with his father as "significant, I-can't-thank-you-enough, changed-my-life moments":
• Upon graduating high school, Keller did not plan on attending college and was simply playing in his band. Eventually, however, Keller realized he lacked both the talent to be great and "the passion to get better", and he announced to his parents that his music career wasn't going to pan out. His parents, unbeknownst to him, told him they'd applied on his behalf to Baylor University and he had been accepted.
• As a sophomore, Keller's father told him he needed a major and subsequently set him up to shadow, for one day each, a lawyer, banker, accountant, and real estate agent. Keller liked the latter, mostly because it seemed to be the least traditional of environments, a quality that alluded to his entrepreneurial spirit. When Keller returned to Baylor in the fall, he enrolled in their new real estate program. He accepted an offer with a visiting real estate company when they came to interview at Baylor, and moved to Austin, Texas upon graduation.
• Keller found immediate success in Austin, selling six houses his first month—then the market changed. He didn't close anything for the next five months and ran out of money. While home for Christmas, his dad questioned if Keller had actually been working. So Keller went out to his car (a yellow Volkswagen with no AC, inherited from his aunt) and showed his father his card box filled with leads and his calendar showing his appointments and time blocking. Based on these, Keller's father agreed to give him $500. And with that money came a new day. Keller returned to Austin and immediately sold a house. In fact, he ended the year as runner up for the rookie of the year.
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