Heart for Helping – Estate Planner Aims to Please

WPHHAdmin

Oct 2, 2024

Protecting, Building Generational Wealth With Heart

Certified Real Estate Planner, helps families achieve financial goals with expertise through real estate planning.

Story by Van Mitchell, Staff Writer

Matt Neill has a heart for helping people build, protect, and transfer generational wealth through real estate investments for which they’ve worked hard. Neill does this as an Oklahoma Certified Real Estate Planner.
“What we do is help families and individuals build, protect, and transfer generational wealth,” said Neill, a Realtor with Keller Williams Central Oklahoma. “We aim to help people come up with a comprehensive plan.”
Neill explained that developing a comprehensive plan is like a chair. “A chair has four legs,’’ he said. “If you’re developing a comprehensive plan, you generally have a financial planner, a CPA, and a trust or estate attorney. What those three things don’t do is specialize in real estate. Real estate planning would be the fourth leg that really makes it solid because we are going to have a perspective different from all of those, as well as complementary to them. We’ll work with them to develop a comprehensive plan-like what they have with their liquid assets held by their financial planner.”
Neill said each client may have a different plan for their property going forward. “When you have multiple investment properties, you think about legacy and you could be blessing your family and extended family,” he said. “And you may be in a situation where your family is very well taken care of and you have different goals that you’d like to achieve in life-that may be donating to a charity that you like, such as a scientific organization.”
Neill said with charitable gifts there are options. “There are vehicles out there called Charitable Remainder Trusts, or CRTs, that if people want to pass a portion of their wealth to those organizations, they can do that-the key is they have to be aware of it,” he said.
Neill said tax shelters are another option. “There is a product out there called the Delaware Statutory Trust, which is a real estate product,” he said. “It still has the tax shelter of the 1031 exchange, so it will grow and appreciate like real estate, and provides monthly income and benefits of depreciation without the burden of rentals.”
Neill said there are other products out there to consider when reviewing your real estate plan. “There is a product called a HECM mortgage, which is basically an FHA reverse mortgage, which can allow you to use funds from your current paid off property to potentially purchase investment properties and create income streams that can help fund some of that life that you desire,” he said. “There are options out there. It’s about finding out what the client truly desires. That’s really our goal here.”
Neill said he offers other real estate planning services. “We help people in trying times when people pass away with trust sales and sometimes unfortunate probate sales,” he said. “We help investors eliminate capital gains taxes and help seniors downsize and find a more appropriate living environment.”
Neill said sometimes people aren’t sure what to do, where to go, and how to get there. “We solve all their problems with a complete solution. We have some resources that can help them age in place, so they can enjoy their real estate longer,” he said. “It’s about what the client needs are and where they want to go, and how do we meet those goals together with other resources that I have connections with to give them a really comprehensive plan.”
Neill became a Certified Real Estate Planner through a special program done by Keller Williams.
It is a 12-month training program with 5 specialized certifications:
1. Senior Relocation Services (SRS)
2. 1031 Exchage (1031X)
3. Delaware Statutory Trust (DST)
4. Trust Sales
5. Probate Sales
Keller Williams Certified Real Estate Planner (REP) unlocked upon completion of all 5 modules and comprehensive exam. Knowledge checks each month.
Neill has also earned his Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES) through the National Association of Realtors.
He will have an information table at the Second Half Expo which will be held Saturday, October 19th from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St. in Oklahoma City.
The Expo is tailored to people in the “second half” of their lives who are looking to connect with the resources needed to live the way that they have always imagined.
“Have you ever wondered to yourself, ‘How can I make my home better so that we can age in place safely?’ There is a company called, Age with Intention that looks at that exact thing. We will be giving away a free one-hour in-home assessment to help someone to enjoy their home longer, or “age-in-place” from that company, so be sure to stop by our booth at the Second Half Expo,” he said.
Neill said as a Christian, he has a desire to serve others.
“I’m a Christian, and I do believe Jesus calls us to serve. And that’s really where my heart to serve comes from,” he said. “What I want to do is give people options so they can make the best choices for themselves. And so that was why I got into it. I was like “I need to get in front of people I don’t know, that don’t know me, that I know I can serve, because I’m going to have a heart for them. I’m going to listen to what they want to do and find the best way to accomplish those goals.”
Neill said his journey through real estate has been rewarding and enjoyable. “I will tell you it’s an adventure because every client is different. Real estate is exciting. Every home sale is different. How we get it ready, the people involved in the sale, what their goals are, all those are different,” he said. “And for me, that’s fun, because it provides variety and challenges, and it really gives me a sense of accomplishment when it’s done right and done well.”