July/August 2026
CONNECTING REAL ESTATE. BUILDING COMMUNITY.
KAREN KELLY
RIGHT WHERE SHE BELONGS AGENT ON FIRE
EVENT RECAP
VENDOR SPOTLIGHT
Profiling Matt Kresko
Highlights from recent Agent STL and STC events
Five Questions with Greg Schowe
LOCAL, DEPENDABLE, TRUSTED.
Dan Luigs 314-503-0964
04 06
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
5 QUESTIONS WITH: GREG SCHOWE
Inside the 2026 Issue
JULY / AUGUST
CONNECTING REAL ESTATE. BUILDING COMMUNITY
08 10 14 AgentSTL
JULY/ AUGUST 2026
RECAPPING AGENT STC: KEY TALKS
COVER STORY: KAREN KELLY
MATT KRESKO
AgentSTL
TEAM
THE PEOPLE BEHIND AGENT STL A dedicated team of professionals building connections, creating opportunities, and elevating our community.
David Ames FOUNDER David is the Founder of Agent STL |STC events and magazine. He is also also a Sales Manager |NMLS# 738479 at New American Funding.
Building a stronger community by creating a space for connection, growth, and impact.”
Lori Williams LENDING CORRESPONDENT STC Lori is the Lending Correspondent for Agent STC. She is also a Sr. Loan Consultant | NMLS# 283127 at New American Funding.
Dan Luigs
Kathy Bradley
MARKET DIRECTOR
MEMBER EXPERIENCE LEAD
Dan is Market Director for Agent STC. He is also an Insurance Broker, Author, and Podcast Host
Kathy is Member Experience Lead for both Agent STL and STC. She is also Team Lead for Keller Williams Realty West.
We’re here to support, connect, and elevate real estate professionals across the entire St. Louis region.
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STRONGER TOGETHER
Letter From the Editor The Next Chapter By David Ames
One of the things I’ve come to appreciate about this business is that very few careers follow a straight line. People arrive in real estate from completely different places. They bring careers, experiences, relationships, successes, failures, and lessons learned somewhere else. And often, those things end up becoming the very reason they are good at what they do now. That idea runs throughout this issue. Our cover story features Karen Kelly, whose path to real estate came after more than three decades in St. Louis media. On paper, changing careers after that long might look like starting over. Her story makes the case for something very different. Karen didn’t leave those years behind. She brought them with her. Communication. Sales. Negotiation. Listening. Building relationships. Knowing St. Louis and the people who make it what it is. The setting changed, but the skills didn’t. I think there is something in that for all of us. Growth doesn’t always mean adding more. Sometimes it means getting better at recognizing what you already do exceptionally well and finding better ways to put it to work.
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That is something I’ve been thinking about quite a bit with Agent STL too. As this community has grown, I’ve become less interested in simply doing more and much more interested in making what we do more useful. Better conversations. Better resources. Better systems. More opportunities for people to learn from one another and leave the room with something they can actually use in their business.
I hope somewhere in this issue you find an idea, a person, or a conversation that helps shape your own next chapter. See you at the next table.
David Ames is a mortgage lender since 2009,
That thinking is shaping the next chapter of Agent STL.
specializing in marketing strategy, business
You’ll see some of it in this issue, and even more of it in the months ahead. We’re continuing to experiment, build, and occasionally change our minds when we find a better way.
strong, connected real estate communities.
But the purpose underneath it remains pretty simple. Create rooms worth being in. Tell stories worth sharing. Help good people get better at what they do. And build a real estate community where relationships matter more than transactions. None of us knows exactly where our careers will take us. Sometimes the thing that looks like a detour ends up being preparation for what comes next. Karen’s story is a pretty great reminder of that.
growth, and VIP client experiences. He is the founder of Agent STL and is focused on building
New American Funding NMLS 738479 636-614-9733
David Specter Senior Account Executive Mobile: 314-707-3441 Email: dspecter@chwpro.com
FIVE QUESTIONS WITH: GREG SCHOWE
1
What’s the biggest misconception REALTORS® and their clients have about 1031 exchanges?
The biggest misconception is that a 1031 exchange is treated as a last-minute tax tactic and only involves a few extra pieces of paperwork added to the closing documents. I’ve heard of
Greg is the Missouri & Illinois Division Manager for Asset Preservation, Inc., a qualified intermediary specializing in IRC §1031 tax-deferred exchanges. He has extensive experience with 1031 exchanges and works with investors, REALTORS®, attorneys, accountants, and financial advisors. A significant
numerous 1031 Exchanges fail because the REALTOR® and
part of his role is also educating real estate professionals about
client waited until the last minute or even worse, worked with
exchange strategies and rules.
2
a Qualified Intermediary that handled the 1031 Exchange improperly.
When should a REALTOR® bring up the possibility of a 1031 exchange with a client, and how early in the process should you get involved?
For REALTORS®, the best way to prepare clients for a potential 1031 exchange is to start the conversation early, ideally before the property is listed. Many investors don’t realize they may qualify or understand the strict timing and ownership requirements involved. Early planning preserves options and helps avoid costly mistakes. By involving a qualified intermediary, CPA, attorney, and lender early,
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REALTORS® can help clients understand both the rules and the opportunities for portfolio growth.
What’s one 1031 exchange opportunity that you think real estate investors commonly overlook?
Not understanding what qualifies as “like-kind” property. The
There are numerous products, like easements, oil gas and mineral rights, vacation homes, etc. that qualify under the tax code that are not the typical
4
“brick and mortar.”
Desert island album. One album for the rest of your life. What is it?
I am a music junkie that listens to so much diversified music. I am also a prodigy of the 80’s which is the best decade of music ever produced. It’s hard to choose one
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album, so it would be Purple Rain by Prince or Boston’s Greatest Hits album.
What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you?
I have physically been around the world. During my military
term like-kind property refers to the nature or character of the
era, during a deployment from San Diego to the Persian
property, rather than its grade or quality. I still have
Gulf, I was transferred off the ship and traveled from
conversations with both REALTORS® and clients that say if I
Bahrain to Philadelphia for reenlistment and advanced
sell a farm, I have to buy a farm. Or if I own an apartment
welding school. After my schooling, I was stationed at Pearl
building I need to buy another apartment. Another caveat of
Harbor for two and a half years where I repaired submarines.
the tax code is the that it says real property qualifies.
I also had the humbling sight of seeing the Arizona Memorial every day across the bay from my shop.
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EVENT RECAP
COMMUNITY IN ACTION
Stepping Back Watching Others Step Up. KEY Talks wasn't just another Agent STL event. It marked an important moment for the growth of the community.
AGENT STC STEPS FORWARD For the first time, Agent STL Founder David Ames intentionally stepped away and let the new Agent STC leadership take the reins. They crushed it. Following the official launch of Agent STC, Dan Luigs stepped into the role of Host and Lori Williams became Lender of Record. KEY Talks was their first opportunity to truly take ownership. Dan and Lori handled the event with their own leadership, relationships and energy, proving that Agent STC could grow into a community of its own while remaining connected to the larger Agent STL mission. That matters. Agent STL was never supposed to depend on one person running every meeting or standing at the front of every room. Growth means finding good people who believe in the mission and giving them room to lead.
Jason Pashia tackled one of the industry's biggest questions with Will AI Replace You? Sarah Bernard explored leadership, change and what comes next with Let Go and Trust What's Next. Logan Strain broke down how different generations think, communicate and make decisions in The Generational Client. Three speakers. Three perspectives. One morning built around ideas worth hearing. BIGGER THAN ONE PERSON The success of KEY Talks represented something bigger than a great event. It showed that Agent STL can grow without everything having to flow through its founder. Dan and Lori stepped up. The speakers delivered. The community showed up. And Agent STC took another step toward becoming something entirely its own.
KEY Talks was proof of what happens when you do. THREE SPEAKERS. NO FILLER.
Thank you to Dan, Lori, Jason, Sarah, Logan, our partners and everyone who continues to show up and invest in this community.
Built around Knowledge. Execution. You., KEY Talks featured three speakers delivering focused 20-minute talks designed to give agents something useful they could take back to their businesses.
Sometimes growth means knowing when to step back and let great people lead. 8
Kirkwood Office 214 N Clay Ave Suite 100 Kirkwood, MO, 63122 O'Fallon Office 1654 Bryan Rd O’Fallon, MO 63368 Mon-Fri: 8am – 5pm Brian McGovern President
Orders@TitleResourcesInc.com Phone: (636) 527–9670 Fax: (314) 387–9242
COVER STORY
RIGHT WHERE SHE BELONGS AFTER MORE THAN THREE DECADES IN ST. LOUIS MEDIA, KAREN KELLY FOUND A SECOND CAREER THAT BROUGHT TOGETHER THE SKILLS, RELATIONSHIPS AND PERSPECTIVE SHE HAD BEEN BUILDING ALL ALONG. By David Ames
F
or more than 30 years, Karen Kelly built a career around people.
She began in St. Louis radio shortly after graduating from Mizzou with a communications degree, landing a promotions internship at KSD during the summer Riverport Amphitheatre opened. What started as an opportunity to learn the business quickly became a career. Karen worked behind the scenes, helped produce morning radio and eventually became executive producer and co-host of JC Corcoran’s morning show. From there, her career expanded into sales and management, ultimately leading to her role as general sales manager at KMOX. Radio taught her how to communicate. Sales taught her how to listen. Management taught her how to solve problems and navigate personalities.
Communication. Listening. Counseling people through difficult decisions. It was everything she had already been doing, just in a different setting. “I always say I wish I would have done it sooner,” Karen says. “It was all my best skill set.” What looked like a dramatic career pivot from the outside turned out to feel remarkably natural. Karen had simply found another way to do what she had always done best. THE HUMAN SIDE OF THE BUSINESS Ask Karen what has stood out most since becoming an agent and she comes back to something that technology cannot easily replicate. Real estate is an intensely human business.
And all of it taught her the importance of relationships.
There are contracts, deadlines, inspections and negotiations, of course.
So when Karen began considering a career change during 2020 and people repeatedly told her she would be good at real estate, she wasn’t entirely sure what they saw.
But behind every one of them is a person experiencing something that may be routine for an agent and anything but routine for the client.
Then she got into the business.
A difficult inspection report. A contract falling apart. A move that carries more emotion than anyone anticipated.
Suddenly, it made perfect sense. Marketing. Sales. Negotiation.
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The agent’s job extends far beyond opening doors and completing paperwork.
“It was the best change I ever made. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.” “There are so many behind-the-scenes things that I don’t think buyers or sellers ever know that we’re doing,” Karen says. “That’s the beauty of what we do.” It is also why she believes the personal side of real estate will continue to matter even as technology changes the industry. No two transactions are exactly alike because no two people are exactly alike. And sometimes the circumstances surrounding a move require far more than real estate expertise. A SPECIAL PLACE FOR DOWNSIZING Long before Karen became an agent, she experienced one of those moves herself. She helped her parents downsize while navigating illness, aging and the complicated emotions that come with leaving a longtime home. That experience now shapes an important part of her business.
COVER STORY
Karen works across the spectrum, from first-time buyers to sellers and everything in between, but she has developed a particular connection with seniors who are downsizing and the adult children helping them through it. She understands both sides. The children may be overwhelmed and trying to solve practical problems. Their parents may feel as though decisions are being made for them or that pieces of their independence are disappearing. Karen sees her role as a bridge between the two. She understands why belongings matter. She understands why letting go can be difficult. And she understands that moving into the next stage of life is not simply a transaction. “I did it,” she says. “I really know the strain and drain it puts on everybody.” That experience gives her the ability to slow the process down, listen and make sure the person making the move still feels heard. For Karen, it is another reminder that sometimes you end up exactly where you are supposed to be.
THE DEAL SHE’LL NEVER FORGET
“It’s a very human business. I don’t think that can be lost.” A CAREER BUILT ON CONNECTION The similarities between radio and real estate go deeper than Karen initially expected. Her first career was built on connecting with listeners, advertisers, colleagues and clients. Her second is built much the same way. Karen’s years in media also gave her something unusual for an agent relatively new to the industry: decades of relationships throughout St. Louis. People still recognize her from radio. Former clients and listeners occasionally have the same reaction when they discover what she does now. They know Karen. That familiarity may open a door, but Karen knows reputation is what determines what happens afterward. As her real estate career continues, her goal is not simply to become more recognizable. It is to build the kind of reputation that makes clients and other agents comfortable when they see her name. “Oh, it’s Karen. It’s going to go smoothly.” That is what she wants people to think. She wants to be known as someone who communicates, does business the right way and can be trusted on either side of a transaction. Because in a relationship business, reputation compounds. One good experience becomes another introduction. One transaction becomes a referral. People who know, like and trust you become the foundation for whatever comes next.
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One transaction in particular captures the kind of responsibility Karen is talking about. She was referred to a family dealing with a villa in Chesterfield after aging relatives experienced serious health issues and ultimately moved into nursing care. Two women from outside the country were responsible for handling the property. Until the situation brought them together, they had never even met each other. They did not know Karen either. After one initial meeting, nearly everything happened remotely through WhatsApp, FaceTime and email. There were different countries, time zones and language barriers, along with months of documents, paperwork and decisions surrounding an already difficult family situation. There was no obvious playbook. What there was, eventually, was trust. Over roughly six months, Karen guided them through each piece of the process until the property was sold. The transaction closed. The relationship didn’t. “We’re forever bonded,” Karen says. “They still text me. We still reach out.” For Karen, that is what made the experience so memorable. Three people who essentially began as strangers were connected by an extraordinarily personal situation. By the end, they had become part of one another’s lives. THE ST. LOUIS CONNECTION Karen’s connection to St. Louis runs through nearly every chapter of her life.
COVER STORY She was born and raised here. She has been an usher at Busch Stadium, given stadium tours, worked at Sundecker’s and Six Flags, spent decades on St. Louis radio and built relationships across the region.
But she does not believe every connection has to begin with an immediate business opportunity. “Business comes through people who know, like and trust you,” she says. “When you do what you love, the money will come.”
Now real estate has given her another way to experience her hometown.
It is a philosophy that worked throughout her media career and one she has carried directly into real estate.
The job takes her into neighborhoods throughout the city and county, often seeing them through the eyes of buyers discovering an area or sellers preparing to leave one behind.
EXACTLY WHERE SHE’S SUPPOSED TO BE Changing careers later in life can be intimidating.
For someone who genuinely enjoys St. Louis, that part never gets old. Outside of work, she remains a sports fan, loves concerts and spends as much time as she can with family and friends. Her history here also feeds one of the skills she values most: connecting people. “If you need a guy, I usually have the guy,” she says. After decades of meeting people in different industries and different corners of St. Louis, Karen has built a network that allows her to help even when the answer has nothing to do with buying or selling a house. And she likes it that way. THE REPUTATION SHE WANTS TO BUILD Karen has no grand reinvention planned for the next phase of her career. She wants to keep learning. Keep adapting. Keep building relationships. Keep helping people. Most of all, she wants to continue establishing a reputation that means something. There are thousands of agents she has yet to meet, and Karen sees those relationships as opportunities rather than competition. She wants agents on the other side of a transaction to know that working with her means professionalism, communication and cooperation. “You want to do business with her. She does business the right way.”
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That is the reputation she wants. The same applies to clients. Karen wants to grow a referral base made up of people who had an experience good enough that they want to work with her again and comfortable enough that they will put her name in front of someone they care about. It is not a complicated philosophy. Do good work. Treat people well. Be useful. Build trust. The rest tends to follow. STRONGER TOGETHER If there is one theme running through Karen’s career, it is connection. She believes agents can learn from one another. She believes relationships with other professionals matter. And she believes there is room in a competitive business to help one another succeed. “We’re stronger and better together,” she says. That outlook extends beyond real estate. Karen takes pride in being a trusted source, whether someone needs an agent, a recommendation, an introduction or simply someone who can point them in the right direction. If a transaction eventually comes from that relationship, great.
Karen does not pretend otherwise. But several years into the decision, she has no doubt she made the right one. The radio career was not something she left behind as much as something she brought with her. The communication skills came with her. The sales experience came with her. So did the ability to listen, negotiate, solve problems and connect with people. Even the difficult personal experiences that preceded her real estate career have found purpose in the way she now helps clients navigate their own transitions. It all fits together more clearly in hindsight. “It was the best change I ever made,” Karen says. “I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.” After a career spent building connections throughout St. Louis, Karen has found a new way to put all of those skills to work. And perhaps that is the best way to describe her second act. Right where she belongs.
AGENT ON FIRE
By Dan Luigs
Matt Kresko Matt Kresko has built a fast-growing real estate business around a simple idea: relationships first. By showing up, adding value and staying consistent, he’s become a trusted resource for agents across St. Louis.
AGENT ON FIRE
A
sk enough real estate agents around St. Louis about Matt Kresko, and you start hearing the same things. He invited me somewhere. He connected me with someone. He helped me with a deal. He gave me an honest answer. That reputation is not accidental. Matt has built his real estate investment business around relationships, and more specifically, relationships with real estate agents. “I’ve decided to niche into real estate agents,” he says. “A lot of investors try to bypass the agent. I’ve found the best way for me to grow my business is through them.” Matt buys, renovates and holds properties, with the occasional wholesale deal mixed in. But he is quick to acknowledge that an investor offer isn't right for most sellers. It makes sense when financial, emotional or property distress causes speed and convenience to become more important than getting top dollar.
That is where he believes a good agent is invaluable. When an agent brings Matt an opportunity, his goal is to take care of the client while keeping the agent involved. That might mean having the agent represent him as the buyer, paying a referral fee or giving them the listing when the renovated property returns to market.
Today, Matt has grown his portfolio to 29 rental doors and has completed or is currently working on 14 flips. Now operating independently, he's building the next chapter of his business around the same thing that got him here. Relationships. THE UNSEXY ANSWER
Just as important is transparency. “I’m very straightforward,” Matt says. “I’m transparent with my exit strategy and what I’m going to do.”
Ask Matt how he generates business and you won't get a complicated answer. Build your database. Follow up. Repeat.
A FAST START Real estate wasn't Matt's first career. He spent eight or nine years in recruiting, including four years running his own firm. His introduction to investing came through house hacking, purchasing a duplex with an FHA loan and renting the other unit.
“The more people you add to your database and the more you make sure you follow up, the more opportunities you're going to get,” he says. “That's the unsexy answer.” The difference is what happens during the follow-up. Matt doesn't want every conversation to be another request for business. He looks for opportunities to be useful.
Then COVID changed his perspective.
He might invite someone to an event, congratulate them on a closing, send a book or podcast, make an introduction or share something that could help.
“I want the agent to get paid, and I want their client to be taken care of.”
“It's not uncommon for somebody to be good at following up to ask for business,” he says. “What's uncommon is finding ways to improve somebody else's business or congratulate them.”
Recruiting became increasingly transactional while Matt found himself drawn toward people in real estate who were building businesses around two things he already valued: relationships and personal development. In July 2022, he made the jump. Matt joined FasterHouse, worked in production and eventually moved into a director of sales role while beginning to invest on his own.
Sometimes it's as simple as an invitation. “Texting somebody and saying, ‘Hey, I'm going to this event, you should come,’ takes almost nothing,” he says. “Most people just won't do it.” Matt estimates he's had conversations with thousands of real estate agents over the past several years. Those repetitions have taught him what agents struggle with, what they value and where he can help.
His first rental purchase came in June 2024.
29 RENTAL DOORS
14 FLIPS
AGENT ON FIRE
LOVE THE GAME Spend a few minutes around Matt and another part of the equation becomes obvious. He genuinely enjoys what he does. He likes building. He likes solving problems. He likes competition. “If you can learn to enjoy what you do, it becomes a game. It becomes a sport,” he says.
His response is to document the journey instead.
“The more conversations you have, the more you understand the people you're trying to help.”
The successful deals and the difficult ones. The progress and the mistakes. “I don't want people thinking everything in my life is perfect and I'm just crushing it all the time,” he says. That willingness to share both sides has helped create a local brand that feels less like marketing and more like following along. ONE RELATIONSHIP AT A TIME
Matt compares it to the excitement an athlete feels before a game. Work is still difficult, but getting better becomes part of the fun.
Twenty-nine doors are impressive. Fourteen flips are impressive.
“If you enjoy what you're doing, you'll outlast people who don't.”
But those numbers aren't usually the first things people mention when Matt's name comes up.
That competitive mindset extends beyond business.
They remember the invitation. Matt prioritizes fitness and nutrition and is an avid volleyball player. He sees a direct connection between taking care of himself and his ability to perform professionally.
The introduction. The honest conversation. The time he helped when there wasn't necessarily anything in it for him. That's the business Matt Kresko is really building.
Exercise makes it easier to eat well. Both improve sleep. Better sleep creates more energy. “It all compounds on itself,” he says. Volleyball also gives him a way to exercise that doesn't feel like another task on the calendar. It's competitive, social and something he genuinely enjoys. For someone trying to become more active, Matt's approach offers a simple lesson: find something you actually want to do.
One conversation and one relationship at a time. SHOW THE LOSSES, TOO Social media has become another important part of Matt's local brand. His strategy is simple: post consistently, talk about what you want to be known for and don't pretend everything is perfect.
And if you're reading this thinking you'd like to get better at relationship-based business, referrals or building an authentic local brand, Matt has already volunteered for the next conversation. Reach out. Chances are, he'll answer.
“Don't just share the wins,” he says. “Don't be afraid to share the struggles too.” Matt calls the current social media environment a “trust recession,” created in part by years of carefully curated highlight reels.
Matt Kresko is building more than a real estate portfolio. Through relationships, consistency and a genuine desire to help, he's become a trusted resource for agents across St. Louis. 16
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