About Keefe

The Keefe Story

Keefe Real Estate has long been recognized as the leading real estate company in Southeastern Wisconsin. With over 120 agents in eight offices and sales of more than $525 million annually, we are among the largest independent real estate companies in Wisconsin.

The Beginning & The Early Years

Keefe Real Estate, the early years The company, originally named Farm Auction Service, was opened on July 8, 1943 by Robert D. Keefe with one employee, Hazel Keefe, his wife, in a rented home. Even in the early years, Keefe was successful and recognized as one of the largest auction management companies in the United States.

The company, which specialized in registered and purebred cattle sales, handled between three and four million dollars a year in the late 1940s.

Operations expanded to include farm management and farm real estate operations. Simon Allen, of Interstate Insurance, joined the business when real estate sales, primarily farms, became part of the business. Jack Keuchel was the firm's first real estate salesman.

Bob Keefe later received his real estate license and Myrtle Brugger was hired as the firm's first clerical employee. Business boomed during the early 50s. Additional offices were opened in Clinton, Janesville, Monroe, Madison, Watertown and Beaver Dam.

He was an officer in a corporation with Jim Fitzgerald, J.P. Cullen, John McGuire, Bob Kennedy and the Ryan brothers, which built the first Holiday Inn in Janesville. Additional Holiday Inns were built in Wausau, Eau Claire and Aberdeen, SD. This group went on to own the Milwaukee Bucks for several years in the 1970s.

Because of the successful Holiday Inn construction, banks in Mount Horeb, Montello, Argyle and Mineral Point were purchased and a cable television service was installed in Janesville.

The late 1960's and early 1970's marked the beginning of Keefe's involvement in real estate development. Bob and his partners participated in the development and sale of a variety of subdivisions and condominium projects throughout Walworth County including Academy Estates and Sturwood.

The Business Grows Successfully

Michael Keefe Bob Keefe's son, Michael, joined the family business and moved to Lake Geneva in 1973, leaving a position as a loan officer with the First National Bank of Chicago. Bob retired as Keefe and Associates president in 1980, was succeeded by Simon Allen and subsequently by his son, Michael. In 2004, Michael handed the reigns to his son Rob.

Mike came to the family business with banking experience, computer systems training acquired while serving two years of active duty as a lieutenant in the United States Army and with a Masters Degree in business from the University of Chicago. Since that time, he has both participated in and lead the company, now called Keefe & Associates, Inc., to its current success as one of the most prestigious real estate companies in Wisconsin.

Rob Keefe, President of Keefe & Associates, Inc. has overseen Keefe's brokerage and development operations since 2004. After joining the company following a career as a Naval Officer, Rob led Keefe's mortgage banking venture before being named to lead the parent company. Rob holds masters degrees from MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and an MBA from Northwestern's Kellogg School. He is a board member of the Wisconsin Realtors Association, and is a member of the Urban Land Institute and Young Presidents Organization. He lives with his family in Lake Geneva.

Steve Beers, President of Keefe Real Estate has been active in the real estate business since 1972 and has managed Keefe Real Estate since 1995. Steve has earned the CRB (Certified Residential Brokerage) designation, and over the years has been heavily involved with various Realtor organizations and local civic groups.

Today

Keefe & Associates is a multi-faceted brokerage and development company with its focus on residential and commercial real estate. Keefe is active in the sales and construction of several local resorts, condominiums and commercial centers.

Eight convenient locations:

Downtown Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva Business Park
The Abbey Resort - Fontana
Abbey Springs - Fontana
Burlington
Delavan
Elkhorn
Geneva National - Lake Geneva

Resort developments include:

Geneva National, a premier resort destination with 3 championship golf courses
Abbey Springs
Sugar Creek Preserve, Wisconsin's finest conservation subdivision
Woodstone Prairie, a unique conservation neighborhood in Lake Geneva's prestigious South Shore
The Cove, a resort condominium in Lake Geneva
The Ridges and Summit Apartments
The Oaks condominium community
The Geneva Village Shops, a unique shopping destination located in the former First Baptist Church and parsonage in downtown Lake Geneva
Geneva Landings, a condominium community in Delavan on the lake
Delavan Lake Resort, a condominium resort on Delavan Lake
Harbor Shores Condominium on the shores of Lake Geneva

Keefe Rentals leases privately owned homes, condominiums, and cottages, some with lakefront or lake access, for guests to rent while vacationing in the Geneva Lake area. These rentals may be for weekends, weeks, months or by the season.