What’s your best piece of advice for REALTORS® working to level up their careers this year?
“Say yes to every opportunity that comes through the door. It may not work out perfectly for all parties every single time, but it will lead to other opportunities that will expand your career organically.”- Matthew Ayo, Peak Realty Chicago
“Figure out your greatest weaknesses in implementing your business plan and hire or contract people who have that skillset.” – Damian Albert, Albert Realty Advisors, LLC
“Get comfortable delegating tasks and letting go of control to free up valuable time to focus on income-generating activities.” – Christina McNamee, @properties | Christie’s International Real Estate
“Find your niche and expand from there, whether that is a specific neighborhood, an asset type or any other avenue. Monopolize that niche.” – Boris Lehtman, Fulton Grace Realty
“Be persistent, let your prospects know that not everything will be there the next day and hustle hard.” – Matija Landa, Kass Management Services, Inc.
What makes you most proud to be a REALTOR®?
“The supportive and collaborative community of professionals I’ve met and worked with along the way.” – Alain Uy, @properties | Christie’s International Real Estate
“Being able to leverage my knowledge on the local market to help my clients and their families make the best decisions on their future homes and investments.” – Rick Trejo, Realty of Chicago, LLC
“I take pride in creating a business that unites all my past career experiences into a melting pot of skills relevant to helping clients make the biggest and most expensive decision of their lives.” –
Nicole Hajdu, Dream Town Realty
“Being able to help my community and educate them on things they don’t know – even something as small as knowing how to read their mortgage statement. Knowledge is power.” – Laura Rodriguez, Realty of Chicago, LLC
“I’m most proud in markets like we’re in now, where people are very stressed trying to buy, getting outbid, not knowing how to price their homes, etcetera. I am seeing sellers and buyers really leaning on professionals with strong relationships within the industry.” – Sherri Hoke, Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty
What’s your biggest concern or challenge for real estate in the next three years?
“Maintaining affordability/accessibility for first-time homebuyers. Millennials and Gen Z’ers have hurdles we older folks haven’t had, like massive student debt, growing wealth inequality, inflation, rapidly escalating home values and increasing interest rates. I am in this business because I believe in the power of homeownership, and I think this is a diminishing dream for a lot of young people.” – Carrie Weston, Big Shoulders Realty, LLC
“Taking a deeper dive through all the intricate programs available through technology enhancements and finding the ones that work best for your business. It’s a learning curve and takes time to comprehend.” – Nicole Wheatly, EXIT Strategy Realty
“Don’t believe the hype! The media is predicting the worst, but what the current market has shown us is that it is strong & continues to flourish.” – Luis Ortiz, RE/MAX Partners
“I think buyer fatigue may be something to watch out for in the next three years. Some buyers were so turned off by the multiple offer situations, requests for appraisal waivers and overall maddening rush of home buying that these folks may take a while to dive back into the pool of buying.” – Diane Vanna, Baird & Warner
“My biggest concern is as things get more competitive many real estate agents think in the short term and jeopardize their REALTOR relationships. It is important to remember collaboration between agents must exist far beyond a specific transaction and the industry must be stronger working together as opposed to working against each other.” – Ryan Preuett, Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty
“The biggest concern is inventory. I see inventory continuing to not be even with demand, and demand continuing to be strong.” – Pasquale Recchia, @properties | Christie’s International Real Estate
What’s the #1 system, process or tool in 2021 that was a game-changer for your success?
“We streamlined our back office. Now I spend less time filling out contracts and forms and more time showing homes, networking for my clients and marketing.” – Wayne Beals, EXIT Strategy Realty
“Zenlist is a game changer! In our current world of high demand and limited inventory, it enabled my clients to see (most) private listings before they hit, giving them a leg up on the competition.” – Stephanie Wesson, @properties | Christie’s International Real Estate
“FollowupBoss. It’s a CRM that allows me to stay organized with my clients and goals.” – Andres Olaez, RE/MAX Mi Casa
“I started a Google Business page, revamped my website and incorporated video into my overall marketing.” – Sam Shaffer, Chicago Properties
“Referral Maker Pro. It helps me to stay connected to my clients and keep up with the important milestones in their lives.” – Sheryl Carter, Coldwell Banker Realty