I grew up in the Iowa Great Lakes, raised my family here and have lived on West Lake, East Lake and Center Lake. Real estate is what I do, but Okoboji is much more personal than a market I happen to work in.
My connection to the Iowa Great Lakes didn’t begin when I got into real estate.
I grew up here. I raised my family here. At different times in my life, I’ve called West Lake, East Lake and Center Lake home.
That matters when somebody sits down with me and says they’re thinking about buying in Okoboji. I understand that they’re not always choosing between a few houses. Sometimes they’re deciding where their family is going to spend summers for the next twenty years.
And when somebody is selling, I understand that the property may be more than an asset on a spreadsheet. It may be the cabin where the kids learned to ski, the dock everybody fished from or the place the whole family still associates with summer.
I want to handle the real estate carefully without forgetting what the place means to you.
That’s one reason I don’t believe everybody should be told to buy in the same place.
Different parts of the lakes can fit different people. The way you boat, where your friends are, whether you want summer activity nearby, the kind of property you like and the traditions your family already has can all change the answer.
Having lived on West Lake, East Lake and Center Lake gives me firsthand context when we have those conversations.
Press play to watch the Carlson family’s Okoboji real estate story.
The Carlson family’s connection to real estate in the Iowa Great Lakes goes back more than 65 years.
I value that history, but not because I think longevity by itself should convince somebody to work with me.
What matters is what comes with it: a long connection to the area, an understanding that lake property can become part of a family’s story, and a responsibility to help people make good decisions about places that may matter to them for a very long time.
That’s what “Your lake life is our legacy” means to me.
Buying and selling here gets much easier when we start with the right questions.
If you’re buying, I want to know what a normal summer day looks like. Where do you boat? Where are your friends? Are you here every weekend, the whole summer or only a few times a year?
With lake property, I want us thinking about shoreline, dock setup, access, view, outdoor space and location—not simply bedrooms, bathrooms and finishes.
Improvements matter. So do the things you can’t recreate easily: shoreline, view, lake location, access and the way the property actually works during an Okoboji summer.
West or East. Lakefront or lake access. Older cabin or newer home. Sometimes the right decision becomes much clearer once we understand which tradeoffs actually matter to you.
Local knowledge matters, and I don’t do this work alone.
The Carlson Real Estate Team brings together people who know the Iowa Great Lakes and understand that buying or selling here can be a very personal decision.
Whether you’re looking for a lake home, another residential property, commercial real estate or simply trying to understand your options, our goal is to give you knowledgeable, personal guidance from people who know this part of Iowa.
Get to know the people you’ll be working with at Carlson Real Estate Team.
George is a third-generation Realtor in the Iowa Great Lakes area. The Carlson family has helped generations of families realize their lake-home dreams for more than 65 years. George grew up here, raised his family here and has lived on West Lake, East Lake and Center Lake.
gcarlsonrealestate@gmail.com
Brandon specializes in residential and commercial real estate throughout the Iowa Great Lakes region, including Okoboji, Spirit Lake, Milford and Arnolds Park. He also serves Sioux Center, Orange City, Hull, Sheldon and surrounding communities, with an emphasis on honesty, integrity, local knowledge and personalized service.
brandon@brandonbojirealestate.com
Cameron is an Okoboji-area native with deep roots in the Iowa Great Lakes community. She brings local knowledge, an appreciation for the area’s character and natural beauty, and a commitment to making the real estate process as seamless as possible for the people she serves.
cameronquance@kw.comTell me which parts of Okoboji you already know, what you do on the water and what kind of property you’re picturing.
Read my Okoboji buyer guide →I’ll want to understand the home, the water, the improvements and the details a buyer needs to appreciate before we talk about the next move.
Read my Okoboji seller guide →If you’re thinking about buying, selling or simply trying to understand your options around Okoboji, tell me what’s on your mind. We’ll start there.
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