Why I Give: Jennifer & Chris Krueger

Jennifer and Chris Krueger are celebrating 30 years of marriage this year — long enough to build a life, a business, and a genuine partnership around the same two things: this city and each other. Together they sell real estate through Engel & Völkers Luxury Real Estate. Jennifer is a native Texan who fell for Austin the moment she set foot on the UT campus and never really left. Chris, a native Austinite himself, has spent more than two decades in homebuilding and real estate, watching this city grow up almost as much as their two kids, Sunny and Jack, have. Add a happy pack of dogs to the mix, and you'll usually find the them hanging out with friends or enjoying the outdoors — lunching on a patio, enjoying the family ranch, soaking up a Central Texas sunset, or just marveling, still, at the place they're lucky enough to call home.

Why is giving back important to you all personally?
Jennifer – Honestly, we’re blessed, and I don’t say that lightly. When I was a young cancer patient, people we barely knew showed up for my family in so many ways: meals, prayers, cards, visits at the hospital to give my parents time to be with my siblings, and so much more.  That kind of compassion and generosity doesn’t just get you through something hard – it changes who you become. I think it became part of my DNA and is one of the gifts that came from that experience. 

Chris – One of the greatest lessons life has taught me is that none of us gets through it alone – whether it’s in the past, today, or years from now – we all need a hand up. Maybe it’s financial help. Maybe it’s encouragement. Maybe it’s someone who simply believes in us when we don’t believe in ourselves. I know I’ve benefitted from people who have invested their time, wisdom, and generosity in me, and I believe we all have an opportunity to pay that forward. 

What are some of the issues that are important for you?
Chris - For me, giving back to things that support kids, families, seniors, and veterans – the folks who make Central Texas feel like home. Healthcare is important to me, and service dog organizations hold a special place in our family’s heart. Our daughter has a service dog, and I had no idea that it was something that I could give back to until I watched and saw up close how amazing these animals are for their people. They are a lifeline – and now I tell anyone who will sit still long enough to listen!

Jennifer - I am particularly drawn to organizations that help kids, like Austin Angels and Any Baby Can.  Some other organizations that are close to my heart are Bags of Grace for their outreach to the Austin homeless community and Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) for all they do to help our local musicians – the people who give this city its soul - stay healthy.

My giving is definitely emotionally driven. Where I see people hurting or a need nobody is meeting, something in me just says “go and do”. 

I love to learn about new organizations and what they are doing for our community. I Live Here I Give Here has been a real gift that way – so many people have not found “the thing” that lights them up, and I Live Here I Give Here shines a strong light on all the organizations quietly doing beautiful work that we’d otherwise never stumble onto. Someone finds them, falls for them, and suddenly Central Texas has one more champion in its corner.

How did you decide to include giving back in your business?
Jennifer - The global Engel & Volkers brokerage supports the Special Olympics - they encourage people to give back and invest in that important cause. A lot of brokerages have their special causes; for example, Keller Williams nationally has a Go Red Day to support the American Heart Association. When Chris and I were just starting out, it wasn’t about following a trend – it was deciding what kind of business we actually want to build. 

Chris - When we were starting out in the real estate industry, it was Jen’s idea to include giving back as part of our work. I realized that it was absolutely the right decision, and I’ve never regretted it.

How does it work?
Chris - We donate $250 to a local nonprofit for every closing. As our business grows, our intention is to grow what we’re giving accordingly.

Jennifer – Everyone knows that Austin real estate can be a bumpy ride – you never really know what your year will look like. That can make it harder to think about ad hoc giving. But every closing brings a check, and that’s a built-in moment to give, which may also encourage our clients to think about giving. 

What do your clients say?
Jennifer - People think that it is really cool that we make a charitable gift for each sale. While there is an acknowledgement, we are not doing it for the recognition – we do it because we believe it is important to create a more generous Central Texas and take care of the people that are helping our neighbors.

One closing in particular sticks with us. Recently, we shared with some clients that we directed the donation for their closing to Austin Angels, which supports kids and caregivers in the foster care system. They are in the process of adopting two beautiful twin, three-year-old girls through foster care, and when they found out about the donation, they got a bit emotional. It wasn’t about the home purchase anymore. It was a realization that we’re invested in their family, their story, and the causes that are important to them.

Chris - So much of real estate is about listening to your clients, and that’s true of giving, too. We don’t bring up the charitable side until the deal is done – not to be coy, but because that’s the moment they know that we heard them and care about them, house or no house, turning them into lifelong friends.  

What would you say to other real estate agents or other people in the real estate industry to be a part of giving back?

Chris - We believe that generosity is contagious. The second people see someone else giving, something clicks, they want in, too. When we lift each other up, good things happen that no marketing plan could ever engineer. At the end of the day, nobody will remember us by the houses we sold – they’ll remember whether we left their life a little bit better than we found it. That’s the only scoreboard that actually matters. 

Jennifer - Central Texas is rich – not just in BBQ and live music, though we’ll happily take credit for appreciating both – but rich in heart. It’s a big, diverse community that needs its helpers, and looking out for others is just what we do in Central Texas. Giving back through our business is simply that instinct, showing up where we spend most of our time. 

We’re not giving huge dollars right now. Our intention is that the giving grows, both as our business grows and as others see us giving and decide to join in. It isn’t always easy as you’re building your business. But this is what’s important to us. This isn’t a strategy – it’s who we are, and who we plan to keep being long after the sold signs come down. 

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From all of us at I Live Here I Give Here, thank you, Jennifer & Chris. You all are making a huge difference in our community and we are grateful for the example that you set for the rest of us.