What does it take to keep swinging when the market slows and the stakes keep getting bigger?
Timothy Schutte is a real estate broker at Exit Realty in Urbandale, leading an office of about 15 agents. He grew up on a farm in northwest Iowa and graduated from Drake in 2007 with a double major in economics and politics. He got his real estate license in college, entered the business heading into the 2008 crash, and learned to survive by finding leads, grinding through early transactions, and learning how to win listings.
Tim walks through his investing evolution from small condo and flip deals with his dad to a defining bet on the Kirkwood in downtown Des Moines. He explains how they structured the purchase with layered financing, and how that project became the engine for more acquisitions through 1031 exchanges.
He also unpacks the reality of land development: engineering delays, neighbor conflict, city processes, and why his newer Northwest Ridge View project in Johnston feels less stressful with the right partners and a clearer plan. To wrap, Tim shares hard-earned lessons on cost control, the "thrill of the deal," and what he watches most closely to keep the business healthy.
Timothy Schutte's Top 5 Takeaways:
- How the 2008 crash forced discipline and the persistence to get deals done.
- Why structure, contingencies, and execution determine if big deals succeed or fail.
- Why it's important to build in time, liquidity, and flexibility on conversions and development.
- How land development risk is different and its unique challenges.
- Control costs better than the competition and stop wasting money.
About Timothy Schutte:
Timothy Schutte is a real estate broker at Exit Realty in Urbandale, Iowa, where he works with a team of roughly 15 agents. Raised on a farm in northwest Iowa, he later earned an economics and politics double major from Drake University (2007).
Alongside brokerage, Timothy has invested in rentals, flips, and development projects, including a major downtown condo conversion and newer land development work in Johnston. He's motivated by deal structure, value creation, and building projects that last.
Contact Info:Phone | 515-991-4204 Email | Timothy@solddesmoines.com Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/TimothySchutteRealtor/ LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/desmoinesrealtor/
Learn More: https://www.littleguyloans.com/learnmorepod