By Anthony J. Machcinski
Observer Correspondent
Tim and Scott Bixler may not have been alive when their great-grandfather helped develop Kearny’s Manor section in 1926, but the twin brothers and co-owners of The Bixler Group have taken up the family real estate business.
Originally born in Kearny, the brothers joined their great uncle at The Bixler Group in 2002 after graduating from St. Lawrence University.
“At the time, there weren’t many corporate jobs and it was an opportunity for (my brother and I) to work together,” said Scott Bixler. “So after college, my brother and I decided to talk to my great uncle about coming back to Kearny.”
The Bixler Group, besides being a family business, was a great spot for the brothers to settle. With Scott’s background in real estate and Tim’s insurance background, the pair could work in their field under the same roof.
“It has always been real estate and insurance,” Scott said. “My brother tends to do about 90% of the insurance and I handle about the same amount of real estate.”
Scott said the real estate market was something that always intrigued him, but the chance to help someone achieve his or her dreams keeps him motivated.
“I love working with people within the community,” Scott explained. “It’s great to walk away from a closing table, but even better to know you just fulfilled someone’s dream.”
With 115 years of service to Hudson and Bergen County over five generations, Scott believes that the family’s history separates them from other realtors in the area.
“Within the community, we’ve been around so long that people knew my dad and my uncle,” Scott said. “There’s just a lot of history with us in town.”
Scott explained that families have bought their homes from the twins’ father or grandfather, then sold them later in life through them.
“My grandfather sold a customer a house and we have those files still in the basement,” Scott said. “I can walk in the basement and put our hands on a file from the 1940s.”
Scott believes that having the extensive history of the home on file is not only an advantage, but also an important piece to show to prospective home buyers.
Scott (top) and Tim Bixler head up The Bixler Group, with offices on Kearny Ave.
“We can take (the file) to a listing and show them what the house looked like in the 1940s,” Scott said. “It’s a niche that we have.”
Scott believes that The Bixler Group’s success stems from its long history and hands-on ownership.
“I think a lot of it has to do with that we’re a familyowned business that’s been around a long time,” Scott said. “We’re a smaller mom and pop where we, as the owners, are constantly hands on.”
He continued, “My great uncle sold someone a house in the ‘60s and now they’re looking to sell it and they came to us because they remember the service he gave them.”
However, things weren’t always easy for the twins.
“When the market crashed in 2008, it was a struggle,” Scott said. “It made us work harder. We figured that if we could make it through that, we could make it through anything and we’ve built it back up since then. We’ve brought our name back to the strength it always was.”
As for the future of The Bixler Group, Scott hopes to continue to strengthen the family business.
“We’re trying to stay small, but surround ourselves with other good agents,” Scott said. “We’d like to get a few more strong agents and not make it huge, but keep it small and strong.”
The Bixler Group is located at 758 Kearny Ave. in Kearny. For more information, including area listings, visit their website at www.bixlerest1891.com or call their office at 201- 991-0032.
