Owners and Co-Founders Kent Roers and Brian Roers discussed founding the business, brotherly competition, and company growth in a recent episode of the “Off the Record” podcast hosted by Kathy Robideau of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal (MSPBJ) and Platinum Bank CEO David Faust.

From their upbringing on the farm and playing hockey together to pursuing separate careers, then deciding to start a joint venture in real estate, Kent and Brian cover the ins and outs of what makes Roers Companies what it is today.

“It was ingrained in us early on that you should take chances,” Kent Roers said on the podcast. “You should take opportunities — and take advantage of them.”

Their parents were farmers and business owners who included Kent and Brian in their ventures. Brian shared, “You know the challenges that go on in business when you’re working around that all your life.”

Kent attended SMSU, then started selling life insurance and doing financial planning at age 20. Brian’s path brought him to St. John’s University where he studied accounting and business management while making many connections. Upon graduating, he went to work for KPMG and then started his own firm at age 26. They always knew they wanted to work together, so it was just a matter of time before the right opportunity came along.

“We grew up working next to each other. When we were working together, we didn’t have to really talk. I knew what I was going to do. He knew what he was going to do. And we just got along really well and had great times. Some people whine or talk about work not being fun. We thought it was a lot of fun, and we’d push each other,” Kent said.

Throughout their conversation, Kent and Brian shared how they built out their roles and created Roers Companies, which has now developed more than 11,000+ multifamily units throughout 14 states totaling more than $2 billion in real estate.

When looking at the team and the future, Brian shared, “We really just hit a stride and are getting the teams all honed in. We’re getting everything all set up to be able to handle the volume that’s coming. That’s what we’re really focused on today.”

Listen to the full “Off the Record” podcast episode here or wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Podcasts.