At the end of March, the National Association of REALTORS® announced their final 30 Under 30 list of honorees, featuring three Chicago REALTORS®! Emily Ackerman of Compass, Jordan Pyle of Keller Williams Chicago – Lincoln Park and Rachel Scheid of Coldwell Banker Realty were honored among the best and brightest young REALTORS® in the country. We had the opportunity to catch up with these three after their wins to discuss how they’ve made it to this point in their careers, what being honored means to them, their plans for the future and more!
Show Up, Be Present, & Find a Mentor
When it comes to applying for the 30 Under 30 list, Pyle knows a bit about it. He’s applied for the honor twice, so he shared some of his wisdom for those looking to apply in the future. He said it’s important to apply early in your career, even if you don’t feel you’re able to compete for a spot. He believes that applying early helps you aim higher and gain more potential. He also highly suggests getting as immersed and involved in the industry as possible to set yourself up as a leader.
He emphasizes the importance of showing up and being present every day. “If you look at things day to day, it may seem like nothing changes, but looking out over 5 years, so much has changed,” he said.
Scheid encourages others to get involved at the state and local level before applying for 30 Under 30, as part of gaining a spot on the list is demonstrating you’re a well-rounded REALTOR®. She also emphasizes the importance of focusing on growing your business as well as your relationships with other REALTORS® in the industry.
As for Ackerman, she thinks that being a strong professional and gaining a merit like this go hand-in-hand. She encourages others to find a mentor, someone who you trust and is authentic that also believes in you and your potential, as the only way to grow professionally is through gaining exposure to as many peers as possible.
Ackerman also says that it’s important to realize you’re not better than any task. “They are all building blocks to the broker you will be,” she said.
Pyle and Scheid both highlight the importance of finding a mentor when getting started in a real estate career. “You’re the average of the five professionals you surround yourself with,” Pyle said.
Scheid says that being involved with CAR helped her gain knowledge from mentors. “Taking advantage of local and statewide free or affordable events connected me with seasoned REALTORS® who were more than willing to give me insight and continuously check in on my progress.”
Set & Achieve Your Goals
Hard work pays off. These three know that, especially Pyle. He came into this industry as a city outsider who faced an uphill battle to learn about the city and the industry as a whole to get to where he is now.
Pyle always aimed to make the 30 Under 30 list, and this merit will now help him look to the next step in his career. He views the honor as a platform to have an even louder and more trusted voice within the Chicago real estate industry. Also, he hopes this honor will give him opportunity to connect with other innovators in the industry to continue to grow.
For Scheid, a vocal industry advocate and a managing broker with a long history of volunteering with CAR and the Illinois REALTORS®, it was never her intention to apply for the list, until she found out about this year’s theme: advocacy. Because of that alone, she thought she had a good chance of being considered, and she was right.
As real estate is an industry that oftentimes bases success on annual production, Scheid loves that this award is based more on REALTORS®’ all-around hard work as a professional, rather than popularity and numbers. She also believes the number of CAR members honored this year (the most ever), speaks volumes for CAR as an association and the work we do to cultivate the next group of young professionals.
As for Ackerman, she echoes Scheid’s excitement to be honored on a less production-focused list. As she said, the real estate industry can be quick to reduce your work down to the work you’ve done and the energy you put in. This honor, she believes, is confirmation that she is on the right trajectory in her career.
A Culture of Involvement & Improvement
It’s clear this group has lofty goals for themselves and their businesses moving forward. For Scheid, her focus was on one person. “I want to be the Beyoncé of real estate!” she said. She aims to build a culture of empowerment for those in her sphere and her community. “We can create safe, fun and exciting communities, and I want to be a part of that.”
Ackerman’s goals were along similar lines. She wants to be able to help as many people as possible by not only being an educator to others, but also an advisor, advocate and protector for younger professionals. She is currently looking at ways to take her business to the next level for her current and past clients.
Pyle wants to see his company running by itself without him in the next few years. He also wants to build multiple streams of business under his real estate umbrella, including something health and fitness-related, and act as a coach for others in the industry.
With the successes these three have had so far, it’s only a matter of time before we see these goals become reality.