Clearwater Properties Celebrates 30 Years in Real Estate

Back to the Beginning

Clearwater celebrates 30 years of service

Founder and CEO of Clearwater Properties, Kevin Wetherell came to Seeley Lake, Montana with a credit card and a dream to start Clearwater River Realty back in 1993. Although the name has since changed, many of the faces from those first couple of years haven’t. Shortly after opening, he hired an incredibly sharp administrative assistant, Twyla Johnson, and an agent who quickly became a dedicated champion of Clearwater’s culture, Wayne Heaton. After all this time, the three of them still work together and share a passion for the lifestyle Clearwater represents. In honor of the company’s 30th Anniversary, we interviewed them to get a glimpse of how it all began.

What was your first day at Clearwater like?

KW- Wendy and I only knew a few people in Seeley Lake. When we opened our office in 1993, no one came in for weeks. There were 4 other real estate offices in town with long- time established agents who knew everybody in town. We purchased a microfiche reader and acquired the Missoula County property ownership records on microfiche. I would read off owners’ names and addresses and Wendy entered them into a database. Many evenings while we did this data entry, our daughter, Ashlee slept on the floor in the office in front of the pellet stove in a sleeping bag. We focused on mailings to the Double Arrow Ranch subdivision soliciting owners to list their properties. There were 840 properties with a very large percentage being absentee owners who had purchased their property many years prior. This was successful in the beginning to get some listings to create traffic.

TJ- I was invited to come to work as temporary help at the suggestion of my friend, who worked at Clearwater for Kevin and Wendy at the time. They needed help updating their farming databases so my work consisted of sitting in front a microfiche machine (remember what that was?), putting the film of property owners in the tray, looking through a view finder, and manually entering the data into spreadsheets. After about a ½ day of that, they basically interviewed me for a full-time position right on the spot. I got the job and the rest is history. We still use some of the same interview questions with our new hires as they did with me that day.

WH- A little bit of heaven!!!! I had retired about 6 months earlier and was at my wits end!

What was real estate like in the 90’s?

KW- When we applied for our SBA loan for construction funds to build the office, we stated on the business plan that we anticipated having 2 cordless phones, 2 desks, one computer and likely one fax machine. There were no real estate websites, no Zillow, no Realtor.com. Real estate agents, through their MLS were really the gate keepers of the information. When a new property was listed for sale, it was entered into the MLS book- a catalog of listings that came out monthly. This book was distributed to all member agents. Clearwater was one of the early leaders in the area to create property brochures. These were regular camera photos placed (taped) on colored construction paper with a property description. We would take one lead listing photo with a camera, drive to Missoula and get the film developed at Walmart. You would then take that photo and immediately order 20 re-prints to create your brochures. It took a full day in Missoula. In the early 1990’s the market was slow. There was a lot of inventory for sale all over western Montana. You could buy all the 1 to 5 acre land parcels that you wanted for $10,000. Lakefront lots were $50,000-60,000. A nice home was $100,000.

Lake in Montana

TJ- Yes, I remember making so many of those flyers. A lot has changed!

WH- For me it was a dream come true. Business was being done face-to-face, and this was totally my character base. I love interacting with people, and business has changed so much to digital, less personal interactions. I try to continue in my own “old school” way as I think it creates lasting relationships. I am still in touch with some of my first clients!

The headquarters office is in Seeley Lake, what made you choose this location?

TJ- I dropped of my resume to Kevin when I was 5 months pregnant with my daughter. It was like anything back then; jobs were slim, but the fact that my friend worked here was a bonus for me (I was relatively new to the community and didn’t know a lot of people). It was important to me to be able to work and contribute outside of family life.

KW- We really liked the community and the people and determined that it would be a great community to raise our daughter, Ashlee. We purchased the commercial lot where the Clearwater office is today for $17,000. It was owned by a broker who owned the real estate company across the street, Jeff Macon.

Kevin, Wendy, and Ashlee Wetherell Seeley Lake, Montana Real Estate Office

They had a large share of the market, but closed their shop the week we opened and moved to Missoula for health reasons. Seeley Lake was chosen as it is a beautiful valley between two wilderness areas with all of the outdoor recreation you could imagine. It was a small town and we knew it couldn’t grow a lot because it was virtually surrounded by state and Forest Service land. We did not fully understand the opportunities that would be created by “working” the Double Arrow Ranch, later this proved to be a fortuitous decision.

What is the company culture like and how has it changed over the years?

KW- From our beginnings, Clearwater has felt like family. We look out for and help each other both professionally and personally. We are very committed to always do the right thing and remain firm to our word and our commitments for our clients.

TJ- We have always taken great pride in “The Clearwater Way”, which is our family/team environment and treating clients with the upmost respect. I believe that philosophy still plays a large part of our business model in today’s world with many new agents and staff that have come and gone over the years. It carries with you and has a lot of meaning for those of us that have been around a long time.

WH- We continue to increase in value for the services we provide to our agents and our clients. Family values expand into our profession, and this remains an important component for our agents and staff.

New Realty Office Press Release in Seeley Lake, Montana

Courtesy of Seeley Lake Pathfinder

Grand Opening press release, courtesy of Seeley Lake Pathfinder

What are some of your earliest memories? TJ- I have very fond memories of working with some of our very first agents, Jay Haveman, John Keller, Scott Kennedy, Wayne Heaton and Robin Matthews Barnes in particular. Wayne still claims I had to show him how to turn on a computer on his very first day. I believe we’ve taught each other a lot over the years. They all still work here, except Jay (we miss him) and that is a testament to our culture and company atmosphere we have created.

WH - I’ll never forget when I broke my foot in a car accident early in my career there, and my CMP family rushed right in to my rescue. Taking care of my clients as if they were theirs: Showing properties for me, visiting my clients, helping me get around on my crutches. This only cemented my feeling that this was truly a family atmosphere even though we were in an extremely competitive environment.

Clearwater River Realty (406)677-3000

Clearwater's first real estate listings.

Photo courtesy of Seeley Lake Pathfinder

What do you think was the most difficult time and how did you manage to get through it? TJ- It was the mid to late 2000’s when the market took a major downturn. We had to think creatively and even more out-of-the-box than ever to keep the doors open. We had a lot of people in the company come together and do their part to get through the struggle.

KW- I agree, it was definitely the last market downturn that began in 2008. We had just completed a cash and stock purchase of the Cabela’s Trophy Properties exclusive territory rights in 3 states and Waldbillig Realty in Philipsburg. In addition to debt created from that substantial acquisition, we had a high level of expenses - wages, building leases, advertising and insurance. This downturn also created opportunities for Clearwater to acquire other brokerages that were failing because of their expenses. In addition to trying to manage our own expenses, we were motivated to branch out and acquire those other brokerages. This all required large amounts of cash with a greatly diminished income to Clearwater. I’ll never forget the day when I met with my two partners for a cash call for us to contribute our financial share to continue our overhead; we were bleeding out. I told the partners that “the company with the biggest credit line will win”. We were able to grow the company substantially during that time of 2008-2013.

At what point did you realize that Clearwater was going to make it?

KW- Of course, the successes during the boom years of 2005 and 2006 created a lot of confidence in our business model, but it was a more meaningful recognition to see Clearwater really emerge strong from the last downturn. All of the growth that we had invested in started to come to fruition beginning in 2013.

WH- For me, it was about 90 days after I started. I realized that I was associated with a management philosophy that matched my motto from my previous career when I owned and operated my own construction company. An old quote that has been adopted by today’s writers and activists has always stuck with me, “The difficult we complete today. The impossible may take a little longer.” This was so applicable back then and I still live my life based on these words.

I know philanthropy is a huge part of the company’s culture. What communities do you think your Giving Program has made the biggest impact?

KW- I believe that Clearwater and our agents’ commitment to give back has made a meaningful difference to all of the citizens and communities where we work. It generates an indescribeable camaraderie amongst Clearwater staff and agents; it is a great feeling- beyond compare!

TJ- Company wide and across 4 states, our Giving Program has made a huge impact on our communities. It’s evident for me as a resident in the area, to see how our program has enabled many non-profits in the Seeley-Swan, Potomac & Blackfoot Valleys. Our agents have been able to graciously contribute and enrich their own communities through this program. This feeling is infectious and makes us all want to do more.

WH- In all of our service regions, I see a huge impact in wildlife preservation and conservation. Veteran affairs, youth education, and local sports also receive a lot of support through the program. Our agents select organizations that align with their own passions, so we reach a wide array of non-profits. We all are volunteers in some capacity as well. Highway cleanup, local youth activities, parades, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation chapter leaders... we are passionate about giving back.

Wendy and Kevin Wetherell gives 80 acres of Land to Community Foundation

What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the last 30 years?

KW- Technology- we now have cell phones, texting, email, a fully functioning internet, and MLS’s that function in real-time.

TJ- Probably the evolution of technology and the way it has allowed to streamline our business and make everything more efficient and less labor intensive. Real estate is definitely a market driven industry and we have seen our fair share of ups and downs, but I think the Covid pandemic has had a tremendous impact on the real estate market. I look forward to seeing what the future holds.

WH- The biggest change was going from three offices to thirty plus offices, while maintaining our family business traditions. This speaks so highly of our management practices and the values we have maintained over this 30-year period. What a legacy! I am so proud of my association with this company.

What got you into real estate?

KW- Having been born and raised in Montana, I had left Montana to seek work in power plants in 1984. I married Wendy and we had our daughter Ashlee. She was involved in real estate and it had always interested me. When Ashlee was getting of age to start school, we wanted to return to Montana. In 1993 there was not a lot of work in Montana, so we decided to begin our own real estate business in Seeley Lake, MT. Real estate remains my passion- it is ever changing and challenging, yet fun. I get to see that in full effect as I interact with our agents who share this passion for the industry.

Thirty years ago

What is next for Clearwater?

KW- We have a lot planned to celebrate this milestone in our communities. We are exited about our continued partnership with Sports Afield Trophy Properties, our increased conservation efforts and charitable giving, and our innovative strategies in marketing and servicing our clients. I know that there are highs and lows in this industry, but Clearwater Properties has always banded together like a family. Together we can continue growing and supporting each other. I am looking forward to what the next decade brings.

The original office in Seeley Lake operates as the #1 producing location in the company, and ‘headquarters’ for their 30 other locations across Montana, Idaho, Washington & Wyoming.

Clearwater Properties' Seeley Lake, Montana Office today.