Pat Bolger, of the Pat Bolger Realty Group, has two words for people considering a move to the area: buy now. Waiting, he says, could end up costing you a lot more.
Right now, there is little more than a 30-day supply of homes in Lake Country, representing a huge inventory shortage. Bolger goes on to explain. “A healthy real estate market should have a four-to-six-month supply of homes. Plus, there is still a strong demand from people who want to buy houses here. That means it will remain a seller’s market.”
Bolger also wants buyers to consider a seller’s incentive to get to the finish line. “Many of the home sellers in Lake Country are sitting on a lot of equity in their properties, which means they have no incentive to make a quick deal. In fact, they can wait for the right buyer at the right price. And if the market continues to tighten, that will work in their favor.”
Why listen to Bolger? He has lived in Lake Country all his life and knows it like the back of his hand. He is consistently in the top 1% of realtors nationwide and in Lake Country as well. And he has experience working through both good and bad Lake Country real estate markets.
Bolger launched his real estate career in 2008, during the start of the nation’s storied financial crisis. “The only way for me to survive was to change things up,” he says. “Until then, most Lake Country home sellers would sign with a realtor who was a family member or friend. The realtor would stick a sign in the yard, put a isting on MLS, and it would sell. But after the housing crash, that simply didn’t work anymore.”
At the time, Bolger was just getting started in Real Estate. “I was the home sellers’ second or third choice Pat said. They would come to me desperate, when no one else could sell their house.” Bolger, with a background in sales and promotion, did what he knew best. “I started advertising and marketing the heck out of the homes. I was also the first realtor in the area to use creative financing and hold open houses for luxury homes. That was unheard of back then.” The properties started to sell, and Bolger began building a reputation as a realtor who gets things done.
Fast forward. Bolger now sells tens of millions of dollars in properties each year, on his own. He won’t be the person to tell you about it. His take? “Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once-in-a-while.” That self-effacing humor is part of his down-to-earth charm. Coupled with knowledge and a straight shooter approach, Bolger hits a high mark with his clients.
“He’s the best realtor I’ve ever run into,” says Ron Sanfilippo. “He knows the market, he knows how to get the property in front of the right people, and he knows how to sell. He has sold four homes for me quickly and he always gets top dollar.”
“He made us feel like me and my family were more important than the sale,” says Dave Ausprung. “He is very intuitive when it comes to a buyer or seller’s needs, and went beyond what anyone could possibly expect, to make us comfortable.”
Pat Bolger Realty Group is a boutique firm, specializing in Lake Country. Not Franklin. Not Grafton. Lake Country. When he has the answers, he tells you. And when he doesn’t, he’ll let you know that too. “Not long ago, I took a CEO who was new to the area to look at some homes in Lake Country. At a certain point, I got the feeling that he and his family would be happier on the East Side or North Shore of Milwaukee, so I sent him to a realtor who knows Milwaukee like I know Lake Country. Later, after the family moved to Milwaukee, the CEO reached out to thank me.”
That said, when Bolger gives a forecast to buy now in Lake Country, you can take his word for it. He is not saying it to sell more homes or make a quick buck. He is telling you what he knows. “Times change and markets change,” he says. “And right now you don’t want to sit on the sidelines if you are a home buyer in Lake Country. You want to dive in and give it your best shot.
If you would like more information
on properties in Lake Country, contact
Pat Bolger of
Pat Bolger Realty Group
PatBolgerHomes.com
pat@pbrrealty.com
262-313-8797




This article is from the
EY January 2025 Issue