Gregory Hammer

A beautiful home can still be a poor real estate decision. Greg Hammer helps clients know the difference.

Greg leads Hammer Group, a boutique luxury and new-construction real estate team with Compass serving the Twin Cities western suburbs—from Plymouth, Wayzata and Minnetonka to Maple Grove, Edina, Chaska and Eden Prairie.

With an MBA, a background in financial services and two decades of real estate and construction experience, Greg approaches a home differently than most agents. He considers not only what a property costs today, but what it may cost to own, improve and eventually resell. Appreciation potential, financing, taxes, carrying costs, design decisions and long-term marketability all belong in the conversation.

For Greg, the decision comes before the deal.

He helps clients compare building new, buying an existing luxury home, and selling or improving what they already own. The objective is not to steer someone toward the fastest transaction. It is to put the numbers, lifestyle tradeoffs and future consequences side by side until the right direction becomes clear.

New construction is not a specialty Greg added to his résumé. It has been the through-line of his career.

He has spent 20 years working alongside builders, walking jobsites and guiding clients through community homes, custom builds and projects on land they already own. Today, Greg serves as Sales Lead for McDonald Construction Partners, a respected Minnesota builder with more than 40 years of experience and active luxury communities in Eden Prairie, Chaska and Plymouth.

That vantage point helps clients see beyond the model home. Greg evaluates homesite orientation, privacy, grading and floor-plan fit; pressure-tests allowances and upgrade decisions; anticipates selection deadlines and change orders; and keeps future resale in the conversation before expensive choices become permanent. He knows where additional spending can create lasting value—and where it may become a costly personal preference the next buyer will not pay for.

When clients are deciding between a new build and an existing luxury home, Greg can evaluate both paths through the same financial and lifestyle lens. Because representation may vary by property and transaction, he also explains his role clearly at the outset so clients understand exactly whom he represents and what guidance they are receiving.

The house is only part of the investment. Greg helps clients evaluate how the home, land and lifestyle work together. His personal experience with pools, extensive landscaping, screen porches and lake properties gives him a practical eye for decisions buyers often consider too late: Will the lot support the outdoor plan? Will the porch capture the right light and views? What will the property require to maintain? And will today’s lifestyle investment strengthen—or limit—tomorrow’s resale?

He helps clients think ahead about placement, privacy, sun exposure, grading, maintenance, permitting considerations and long-term usability before purchasing a property or finalizing a plan. When specialized expertise is needed, Greg knows which questions to ask and which architects, engineers, contractors or other professionals should be brought in early.

On the listing side, Greg and Tracy Hammer combine data-first pricing with thoughtful preparation and presentation. Every strategy begins with three questions: What work will improve the outcome? What should the seller skip? And which launch strategy best protects the home’s value?

Eligible sellers can use Compass Concierge to fund approved staging, painting, flooring, landscaping and other preparation expenses with zero due until closing, subject to eligibility and program terms. Sellers can also consider Compass Private Exclusive and Coming Soon strategies when privacy, price discovery or launch timing matters.

Most importantly, Greg stays personally involved. When you hire Greg, you get Greg—not a prominent name at the first meeting followed by a handoff to someone you have never met.

Greg co-founded Hammer Group with his wife and business partner, Tracy, whose staging and client-experience expertise complements his financial and construction perspective. Together with advisors Julie Meany, Eva Schmidt and Thomas Meany, they operate on a straightforward principle: a principal on every file, with the full team behind that principal.

Whether you are building from the ground up, purchasing a luxury home, moving up or scaling down, Greg’s role is the same: make the decision clear, surface risks early, protect the value of your investment and keep a complicated process remarkably calm.

Builder fluency. Advisor discipline. Lifestyle intelligence. Principal attention.