June 8, 2026 – There’s something special about a company that doesn’t just work in a community, it grows up with it.
Lepic-Kroeger, REALTORS® has been doing exactly that since 1972. For more than five decades, LKR has been woven into the fabric of Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Coralville, North Liberty, and the surrounding towns and neighborhoods that make Eastern Iowa such a remarkable place to live. We didn’t arrive here to do business and move on. We put down roots, and those roots run deep.
Where It All Started
LKR was born in Iowa City in 1972, founded by Gene Kroeger with a simple but powerful idea: give the people of this community a trusted place to find a home. His partner, Tom Lepic shared that vision, and together they built something that outlasted trends, market cycles, and the passage of time itself.
What they built wasn’t just a real estate company. It was a relationship — between a team of dedicated professionals and the families, neighborhoods, and towns they served.
Ownership has changed hands over the years, but the commitment hasn’t wavered. Today, LKR is led by Erik Melloy, Emily Hammes, Jeff Dill, Monica Hayes, Rich Hatch, and Jamie Venzon, a team that carries that original spirit forward every single day.
Growing Alongside Our Communities
Eastern Iowa isn’t one place, it’s many. Iowa City, with the energy of the University of Iowa and a thriving arts and culture scene. Cedar Rapids, a proud city with deep industrial and cultural roots. Coralville, growing and vibrant right next door. North Liberty, one of the fastest-growing cities in the state. Smaller gems like Ely, Solon, Washington, and Williamsburg, each with their own character and charm.
LKR has had the privilege of helping families find homes in all of these places. We’ve watched neighborhoods grow, seen families expand, and helped people transition through every stage of life, first homes, dream homes, downsizing, and everything in between. Every transaction is a chapter in someone’s story, and we take that seriously.
Jeannette Williams at Walden Place in Iowa City
Today, LKR’s 75 agents carry a combined total of over 975 years of experience, an average of more than 13 years per agent. These aren’t strangers to the area. They’re your neighbors. They coach youth sports, serve on local boards, volunteer at fundraisers, and know these communities the way only someone who truly lives here can.
Giving Back Is Part of Who We Are
From the beginning, LKR has believed that success comes with responsibility. Real estate put us in a position to give back, and our agents and staff have embraced that wholeheartedly.
Over the years, LKR and our agents have supported dozens of local, national, and global causes, from Shelter House and the Crisis Center, to Habitat for Humanity and the Ronald McDonald House, to the Iowa City Animal Shelter, Preucil School of Music, Riverside Theatre, and the University of Iowa Holden Cancer Center. We’ve contributed to the ICCSD Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP), NAMI, the American Heart Association, and so many more.
One of the most meaningful legacies of LKR’s founding is the Gene Kroeger Community Service Scholarship Foundation, a lasting tribute to the man who started it all, and a reminder that the best way to honor a community is to invest in its future.
The Market Leader, By the Numbers
Emily Hammes and Allison Dunmore- LKR REALTORS
LKR’s commitment to our communities isn’t just felt, it’s reflected in the results we deliver. In 2025, LKR sold 38.76% of the total MLS dollar volume in the Iowa City area, with a total office volume of over $521 million. Our listings sold at 99.06% of list price on average, a testament to the preparation, expertise, and market knowledge our agents bring to every transaction.
We hold the highest concentration of CRS-designated agents (Certified Residential Specialist) in the greater Iowa City area, 32% of all CRS agents here are LKR agents. Our team has produced REALTOR® of the Year honorees, ICAAR Presidents, an IAR State President, and Gold Star Agents year after year.
But numbers only tell part of the story.
What It Really Means to Be a Community Real Estate Company
What sets LKR apart isn’t a single statistic. It’s the agent who drives across the area to show a property on a buyer’s schedule. It’s the REALTOR® who checks in long after closing to make sure everything is going well. It’s the office culture that puts relationships first and treats real estate as the vehicle, not the destination.
As our owners have said: “Relationships are our first business, and real estate is our second.”
That philosophy is why clients come back to LKR again and again, and why so many of our new clients arrive through a referral from someone we helped years ago. Trust, once earned, is a powerful thing.
Here for the Long Haul
Iowa City. Cedar Rapids. Coralville. North Liberty. Solon. Ely. Washington. Williamsburg. And all the roads and neighborhoods in between.
These aren’t just markets to us. They’re home.
Jennifer Burhans at Cedar Ridge in Swisher, Iowa
LKR has spent more than 50 years earning the trust of Eastern Iowa families, and we plan to spend the next 50 doing the same. Whether you’re buying your first home, selling a place full of memories, or just exploring what’s possible, we’re here. We’ve always been here.
And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Ready to start your journey? Visit lkriowa.com or call us at 319.351.8811. Let us show you The Way Home.