Will Heaton:
As a 5th generation Washingtonian, Will has a deep affection for his local community stretching the entirety of the Puget Sound Region. As a kid, Will remembers riding his bike around downtown Bellevue, weaving in and out of streets that have now turned into skyscrapers and high-end development. Will welcomes the change throughout the region, the past 10 years have provided opportunities for Will and James to shape and grow Heaton Dainard from a risky idea, to the full service and locally minded brokerage it is today.
From a young age, Will was drawn to investing, particularly real estate as a tangible resource to literally build and expand. When the opportunity came to work for an investment real estate company, knocking doors and finding leads- Will was a natural fit. Will has a knack for spotting and creating opportunity in situations others would run from. In 2008, at the height of the market crash, Will and James jumped on opportunities to invest, beginning with wholesaling, moving on to flipping, and then lending. Will’s entrepreneurial spirit played an integral role in the success of Heaton Dainard. With his multi-faceted approach to real estate, Will enters into each and every business decision from a wholistic standpoint. He utilizes a broad range of understanding from his experience and business ventures in investing, transactional lending, buying and selling.
Business was tough at the beginning, the
Will and James saw an opportunity when the market was down in 2008, focusing on wholesaling, they realized they could also find great deals on the MLS. James got his real estate license, and began representing on-market
His first flip was meant to be a rental opportunity. Will bought a two-bedroom house in Auburn, assuming it would be a nice cash flowing option. After issues with tenants, he found the house had been completely trashed, and required a major renovation to appeal to new tenants. Will poured money and resources into the home, by the time he was done he needed to sell the home to make back some of his lost profits. After making a profit on the home, Will was hooked and realized decided to dive into flipping homes.
While building their flipping business, James and Will have continued to invest in rental properties, starting with single-family homes, moving on to small multi-family, and now large scale apartment buildings. The business model has grown and changed from the beginning, now encompassing all aspects of the real estate process. Will actively participates in all aspects of real estate from facilitates development deals, transactional lending, purchasing, and selling, Heaton Dainard has a hand in every facet of real estate.
James Dainard:
Before Heaton Dainard, James Dainard was working as a waiter at Red Robin while finishing his degree at the University of Washington. As soon as his shifts were finished, he would set out knocking doors trying to find leads for his secondary job – real estate. He thought working in real estate would help him learn sales experience but in reality, he had a lot of doors slammed in his face. After graduating from UW, he decided to give real estate a full-time commitment. His roommate at the time, Will Heaton, was working for an investment company knocking on doors of foreclosures. James thought he could give it a try too. The first few months were completely unsuccessful, no one wanted to hear a sales pitch from a young kid wearing earrings filled with sales jargon.
He got tired of door slamming, and changed tactics, instead of trying to pitch homeowners he tried to strike up a conversation. He shifted his approach from pitching ideas, to getting to know the people behind the doors. He realized that a lot of people felt stuck in their current living situations. James sat down and listened, and then proposed ways to help them find a solution.
“Sometimes sellers don’t know what their actual need is. It might just be that they have two, three kids and a house that’s way too small. I went in with the approach to help them get into a better living situation.”
At 23 years old, James began setting up movers, finding new rental properties and people who could advise sellers on credit repair. Business began to flow, and James realized the importance of looking into long-term benefits for his clients. Fast forward 10 years, and James has taken this approach to all areas of business. At Heaton Dainard we understand that our success is only possible if we help our clients succeed. James is adament about setting a new industry standard based on integrity and doing right by our neighbors. James brings an uncompromising work ethic and client-based view to Heaton Dainard everyday, functioning as the pillar to which our business is built upon.
