Principal Agent

Dan O’Dell

Life change is the catalyst to any move and no one knows that better than the O’Dells.  After a high-achieving sales career with Eastman Kodak, Dan chose the profession of real estate sales.  During a personal real estate transaction, he experienced how poor representation could devastate a family. Dan vowed to set a new standard in the real estate field after that experience. He moved forward with purpose and mission in his new career exercising all his expertise in negotiation, finance, and marketing to serve his clients.

Today, Dan loves to teach his counterparts, local businesses and community members on topics such as business development, real estate planning with aging parents and the foundation of relationship selling and the significant responsibilities associated with this approach. The simple truth of his philosophy: if we understand the issues and motivations of the people we are working with, we can serve them at a higher level.

Dan and Maria together have 3 adult children and 6 grandchildren. An avid sports enthusiast, Dan is a 30-year high school basketball official, active in the Great American Basketball Youth Foundation, and loves cheering for his Kansas City Royals. Dan & Maria are proud to be certified Mentors & Facilitators by Buffini & Company, the largest real estate coaching company in the world.

Principal Agent

Maria O’Dell

Maria found her calling in real estate after a successful career with Commerce Bank as the Manager of Customer Service and Operations Officer. Her natural ability for understanding her client’s needs and how to serve them has translated effortlessly into the real estate field. When Maria and her husband, Dan, started this journey more than 20 years ago, they dedicated their careers to elevating the real estate industry by setting higher standard for serving their clients. Her passion for creating meaningful relationships and a cohesive experience for all their clients has consistently led Group O’Dell to be one of Kansas City’s top teams in real estate.

Buffini & Company Ambassador since 2012, Maria and Dan were awarded the 2016 Mentors of the Year from more than 2,500 active Buffini & Company Certified Mentors for their training of local vendors and real estate professionals. Licensed in Kansas and Missouri since, 1998, Maria also earned designations as a HomeStager, Accredited Buyers Rep and Certified Sales Professional. Maria’s passion for helping others extends beyond her clients. She has been a long-time supporter and board member since 2018 for SafeHome which provides shelter, advocacy, counseling and education for Domestic Abuse survivors to the Kansas City community.

Maria and Dan enjoy spending time with their three adult children and six grandchildren. When she isn’t leading Group O’Dell, Maria loves to travel, read, admire great design and work in her garden.

Licensed Real Estate Advisor

Mike O’Dell

Mike learned the philosophy and fundamentals of the family business at a young age and has been servicing Group O’Dell clients since 2006. With a degree in communications from Pittsburg State University, Mike’s ability to guide his clients through the real estate process resulted in $48 million in volume in 2018 with 129 transactions. Mike’s vast knowledge of the entire Kansas City metro area serves his clients well as he guides them to find the perfect home and creates advantages for his clients through the negotiation process.

When not selling real estate, Mike enjoys spending time with his wife, Erin, and three sons, Stuart, Braxton and CJ.  He also is an avid golfer, Kansas City Chiefs and Royals fan, and enjoys traveling with his family.

If you need great advice and knowledge about the real estate market, Mike is ready to help!

“Mike is truly one of KC’s best. His work ethic and knowledge of the industry has solidified his spot at the top of KC’s real estate game. I have mutually worked with 20+ clients who have used Mike and Group Odell and they can’t say enough good things about him, Group Odell, the process, their new home, etc. Mike is the first person that comes to mind when someone that I know is in the market for a new home!”

– Cory Schnabel

“Mike was very in-tune with the market and neighborhoods we searched. I was impressed with Mike’s style and ability to provide actionable advice to make narrowing the search effortless.”

– Tim and Pat Tarwater

“The service provided by Mike and Group O’Dell far exceeded my expectations.  I’m very picky about levels of service an individual, group, company, etc. can provide, and they scored all 10’s in my book.”

– Ryan and Krissie Ament

Licensed Real Estate Advisor

Bryan Baumgart

Bryan Baumgart is passionate about helping people and going above and beyond for his clients. His natural curiosity and ability to problem solve help him provide a superior-level of customer service, before, during and after each sale. Bryan has been a licensed real estate advisor in the Kansas City area since 2012 and has developed an analytical understanding of the market to provide sound advice for investors and residential real estate clients alike. Bryan attended Montana State University to study Environmental Design and uses his skill set to help clients envision the design potential in homes, calculate accurate cost of renovations, and provide an objective analysis on their investment to make the home buying experience simple, stress free, and enjoyable.

When Bryan is not assisting his clients with their real estate needs, you will find him enjoying live music at local venues, exploring the foodie scene in Kansas City, and spending time with his wife, Niki, and their beloved Shih Tzu, Pepper.

“Bryan was great to work with and quick and professional with his responses to the many questions that we had as well as the whole process of buying a foreclosed property.”

– Kaysha Rios

“My husband and I just bought our first home. Bryan was extremely helpful helping us navigate the process! He was always available when we needed him and took time to explain each step of the process. We would highly recommend him to anyone.”

– A. Hedrick

Licensed Real Estate Advisor

Ross Payne

Ross Payne is an experienced and dedicated real estate agent on the Group O’Dell team. His commitment to his clients extends beyond finding the perfect property to protecting their investment using efficient and effective negotiating skills to ensure a successful transaction. Ross’ background working in investment and commercial real estate has made him a strong advocate for his clients with excellent communications skills, attention-to-detail, and client-level service.

Ross enjoyed a competitive Division I soccer career at Drake University, where he studied marketing, advertising, and leadership. Ross is an avid sports fan, and enjoys spending time with his friends and family on the golf course and relaxing at the lake.

“Ross Payne was an absolute pleasure to work with. From the beginning, he was professional and responsive to our real estate needs. He worked tirelessly to find the right house within our budget. Even in the most competitive areas for real estate in the Kansas City market, he was able to identify and move on desirable properties quickly. I would strongly recommend him to anyone with real estate needs in the Kansas City area.”

– Nick Nielson

“Ross has the ability to remain calm in the face of complicated deals, with their multiple personality issues, protracted negotiations and temporary setbacks. This attribute has been valuable to me as he has helped me with multi-family, commercial and many single-family investment buy and sell transactions. Such deals require an understanding of financial matters beyond that of a ‘normal’ real estate agent, and call for an agent who can keep lots of balls in the air without panicking — Ross is that agent.”

– Investor Client

Licensed Real Estate Advisor

Michelle Sparks

Michelle Sparks has spent the majority of her career in the housing market, specializing in assisting professionals relocating to Kansas City. Her expertise in the Kansas City market, commitment to client care, and attention-to-detail make her a tremendous asset to her clients. Michelle was born and raised in Wisconsin but has called Kansas City home since 1993. She received her MBA from University of Missouri-Kansas City. She prides herself on finding the perfect place for her clients to call home. In 2011 and 2012, Michelle was awarded the President’s Sales and Excellence Award for her high-level of customer service

In her spare time, Michelle and her husband, Ken, love to ride their Harleys together, as well as, spend time with their three fur babies and chickens.

“We were moving from Vermont to KC and I was connected with Michelle through the Cerner relocation group. Michelle was instantly engaged and responded immediately to texts, emails or phone calls. Group O’Dell did a great job of staying connected throughout the closing process and afterwards to ensure our needs were not only met, but our expectations exceeded. Michelle was patient, available, helpful, invaluable and Group O’Dell did an excellent job!”

– Sidney P.

“ Michelle Sparks helped us find the perfect home! She truly had our best interest at heart and advised us along the whole home buying process, as it was our first time.”

– M. Huff

Licensed Real Estate Advisor

Jon Hecksel

Jon Hecksel is committed to giving his customers a top-notch home buying experience while having fun. He uses his background in law and business to make sure that each transaction is seamless. Jon understands that a home is your most significant investment and loves to negotiate for his customers. He is not only a Group O’Dell agent but also a previous customer.

Jon received his J.D. from Western Michigan University and his M.B.A. from Michigan State University. Before real estate, Jon practiced divorce and bankruptcy law. When he is not selling homes, you will find him at one of the KC sports or music venues. Jon loves to travel and spending time with his two Yorkies, Magnum and Encore.

Licensed Real Estate Advisor

Kenn Williamson

Kenn Williamson brings to his real estate sales career over 20 years of experience in residential finance.  In 2001, he founded a Kansas City based mortgage company and has personally helped over 1,200 buyers purchase their first home or build their dream home.  Kenn’s extensive experience with new home construction has made him an expert on navigating the purchase process and the financing of these types of real estate transactions.

Kenn believes communication is the key to a successful partnership.  His savvy negotiation skills, cutting-edge marketing strategies and service-oriented approach have given him an unparalleled professional track record.  In his free time, Kenn enjoys golfing, traveling, and spending time with his wife, Kelley, and their dogs.  He and Kelley also love to cook and try new restaurants, and consider themselves amateur food critics.

Licensed Listing Manager

Mary Line

Unlike some teams with assistants who are unlicensed and pass paperwork, Mary Line, is a seasoned professional supporting your agent. Offering 20 years of experience as a licensed real estate agent, Mary, coordinates all the details of bringing your home to market. In fact, she is more experienced than most agents in negotiation and pricing and lends another level of guidance through the process of selling your home. Mary leads her interaction with clients with a positive attitude and service-oriented approach to understand and connect to their goals and objectives. Her vast experience is a strong benefit to sellers.

As the daughter of a 30-year Air Force Veteran, Mary has lived throughout the United States. This experience gave her an appreciation for the small town feel with big city vibe that Kansas City offers. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends, walking, gardening, cooking, and cheering for the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs.

“Mary is amazing. The way she directed the photographer made a HUGE difference in getting people into our house. Every detail made the made the place look brand new!”

– D Dickey

Client Care Manager

Katie Tranckino

Katie Tranckino, a Kansas City native and graduate of the University of Kansas, serves as the Client Care Manager for Group O’Dell overseeing each transaction, from contract to close, to ensure all deadlines are met and parties are performing according to contract. Her natural problem solving and analytical skills, combined with her systematic approach to provide a superior level of customer service. Katie’s background working in the mortgage industry has given her a keen understanding of the entire mortgage process for effectively partnering with lenders and title companies to make your transaction process seamless. As the former owner of a real estate business, coupled with her many personal real estate endeavors, she understands what it means to be both a buyer and seller. Katie’s experience, attention to detail and dedication to the entire process give each of Group O’Dell’s client’s confidence in the entire real estate transaction.

When Katie isn’t in the office, she enjoys cooking, exercising, and spending time with her husband, Michael, and daughter, Sophia.

“Through my interactions with Group O’Dell, I had the pleasure of working with Katie on two different levels, as a client, and a vendor. Katie was always extremely knowledgeable, and helpful with all of my real estate transactions. As a vendor, she always treated me, and people inside my organization, with tremendous respect. I would highly recommend Katie for any position that deals with customer service, or customer relations.”

– Josh Herron

Relationship Director

Carmen Scott

Having been in community outreach with the Park Hill school district for 15 years, Carmen is a perfect fit as our Relationship Director. The same creative thinking that allowed her to turn the community education department into a profitable one, is the same creativity that will drive some of the new events and outreach for our clients. Carmen also supports sellers in bringing their home to market by creating collateral.

When Carmen isn’t trying to make someone’s day at work she enjoys spending time with her adult children, exploring the city on date nights with her husband, and getting together with friends.

“Carmen is the first contact with a transferring family.  She is always prompt, personable and pays attention to details. We enjoy working with Carmen and know that everything needed is in good hands.”

– B Oliver, Nexus Relocation

“I have had the opportunity to work with Carmen for years and she consistently responds in a timely manner.  She is always pleasant to work with as well as detail oriented.  It is a joy to work with her and Carmen always brings her “A” game.”

– K. Steiniger

Director of Business Development

Erin O’Dell

Erin O’Dell is the Director of Business Development for Group O’Dell with Keller Williams Realty Partners. Her extensive background in the medical sales industry has provided sophisticated negotiation skills and commitment to clients to provide a high-level of customer service. Erin’s natural ability to connect with people and business savvy have made her an instrumental leader on the Group O’Dell team. Whether she is organizing our Women’s Workshop or connecting new moms to the area, her commitment to provide value and put people at ease naturally flows to those we serve.

Her favorite part of growing Group O’Dell’s business is the opportunity it affords to give back to the community. Group O’Dell humbly supports many organizations including Team Up for Down Syndrome, Hope Center, and HALO.

Erin O’Dell has a degree in Marketing from Pittsburg State University.  When she’s not in the office, she sneaks away to exercise and stuff veggies in her husband, Mike, and their three boys, Stuart, Braxton and CJ.

Licensed Listing Assistant

Daniel Kawakami

Daniel is first and foremost, an artist with a passion for design and architecture. As the youngest son of Dan and Maria O’Dell, Daniel “grew-up” in the real estate business and has a natural ability to envision a properties potential. As a licensed realtor and listing assistant, Daniel’s responsive nature and thorough follow-through before, during and after each transaction, make him a tremendous asset to the Group O’Dell team.

Daniel’s love of all things creative led him to study music production at Columbia College in Chicago. When Daniel isn’t helping our clients with all their real estate needs, he enjoys making music, exploring every corner of Kansas City, discovering flea market finds, reupholstering mid-century furniture, and flipping houses.

Chief Marketing Officer

Carlos O’Dell

Carlos was born in Camden MO to his mother a Bichon/ Shihzu and his father a Yorkiepoo. Litter box trained as a pup, it’s been said Carlos thinks he’s a cat. His ability to put himself in other’s “shoes” is just one of the ways he demonstrates his high emotional intelligence. After studying public relations and marketing, Carlos has created the perfect job at Group O’Dell as Chief Marketing Officer. His magnetic personality and creativity in front of the camera is captivating and if you’re not careful, you’ll find him overtaking your lap when you come into the office.

In his off time, Carlos enjoys licking faces, playing Houdini by disappearing with your personal items, removing the insoles of shoes and finding comfy pillows to rest. He looks forward to welcoming you to the office.