Author: Mike

Posted on

Mike – Time Flies

Time flies!!! Six months ago I started my real estate Career at Baird and Warner with no prior real estate experience. Since then, I can’t believe how much I have learned and experienced in such a relatively short amount of time!

The support system here at Baird & Warner has been invaluable to me. I am the type of person who learns best by doing, and at our office learning is a constant. In addition to the weekly new agent training class with our Managing Broker David,  a couple of the newer agents and I have coordinated with our Sales Support Manager Diana to host classes/discussions of our own on various topics. These may be an informal 10 minute break where she will explain how to handle a multiple offer situation, or it will be a full hour in the conference room where she and David will coordinate a top producer to share their insights.

The staff here is also a great resource. When I had my first rental listing, Gillian (one of our rock-star admins) walked me through step by step all the nuances of the MLS, and how to properly dot my I’s and cross my T’s. No matter what type of transaction you’re working on or what type of question you have, you don’t have to look far to get an answer here. I’ve been able to share some technology tips that I learned from my previous career with some of the veteran agents as well and it feels great to be able to teach them something too!

In the past couple months I’ve been hosting at least one open house a weekend. It’s a great way for me to stay on top of current market trends, and also meet a lot of home-buyers. I feel like I’ve made leaps and bounds with my open house presentation, and my interactions with clients.  I have found that hosting open houses is one of the best ways to build your sphere of influence and client base when just getting started.

A month ago I had the opportunity to interview with a top producer for a full time associate broker position on her team.  She offered me the position and I am now working with her full-time.  Working for a top producer has been incredible. I’m gaining experiences and learning from a true professional and top expert in the field.

One noticeable difference from my last career to this one is the amount of we have here at the Lincoln Park Office.  We have office 

This week we have our annual company wide party at the Bridgeport Art Center.  These parties have a reputation for being a blast, and I can’t wait to check it out.  Next week, we are doing a charity event at a bowling alley right across the street from our office through the Baird and Warner Good Will Network – a nonprofit that provides support to local charities. I created a bowling team of my own for the event with some buddies and we’re really looking forward to it.  We have an inter-office softball league in the summer and there are always other opportunities to get involved with fun events. The people in this office definitely subscribe to the “work hard play hard” mantra.

Overall, I couldn’t be happier with my decision to join this particular real estate office.  With so many options to choose from, it can be hard to know which office is right for you but I know without a doubt I made the right choice in choosing Baird & Warner Lincoln Park!

Posted on

Mike – Learning a LOT!

The amount of things I’ve learned in just a few weeks is incredible. This week, I attended another module at Baird & Warner’s Career Institute downtown. Today we went over sales contracts and negotiations with a few of the top agents and managers from different B&W offices. My favorite part of their presentation was being able to hear about the experiences they’ve collected throughout the years. Afterwards, we split into groups where we acted out different scenarios that would challenge us as buying and/or listing agents. This type of role playing is extremely beneficial in this business and having talked through various scenarios will help me handle these conversations professionally.

Last Thursday, our branch manager David, hosted the weekly sales meeting. He talked about current housing trends in both Lincoln Park and other neighborhoods in Chicago.  Rather than just present us with market stats and trends, David interprets the information and talks about the best ways to assist our clients considering the current market conditions.  He also talked about a few of our upcoming office events including ProHOWbition, an annual charity fundraiser event we’re hosting to raise money for Housing Opportunities for Women.  

This week has been flying by as I have been busy working with my first set of clients. It’s funny to look back on how nervous I was the first time I met them.  It didn’t take long before I was very comfortable working with them. One of the things I admire most about our office is the diversity of brokers who work here. Some have been in the business for only a yea (or less) r and can relate to me as a new agent, while others have been around for many years and can teach me everything there is to know. It’s a very comforting feeling to have the cooperation and camaraderie of an office culture like this and to know I can reach out to just about anyone if I get stuck! 

Posted on

Mike – Starting Out

Going into my first day, I was extremely excited to get started with Baird & Warner as a new broker. I had a strong interest in real estate since high school, so I was eager to see if it would be everything I expected. Like most newcomers experience, I didn’t know anyone within the office yet. It could have been an intimidating environment; however, it was quite the opposite. After walking into the office, I was immediately greeted by friendly staff and agents that were excited to see a new face. I headed into a one-on-one meeting with Diana who got me set up with all of my Baird & Warner accounts (email, MLS, etc.). She also gave a quick rundown of what the next few days would be like for me.  

Luckily, the day I started was the day of David’s weekly meeting, so and I was able to sit in on it and learn valuable tips as a broker. The topic was, “How to properly price a home”. While classes like this one may sound appropriate for only new agents, it’s great for all experience levels. Those who may be in need of a refresher or simply want to stay on top of their game can participate; and they did. David did a great job of not only making these classes fully informational, but interactive with those involved.

While getting to know the MLS, a fellow agent in the office showed me shortcuts and some of his favorite tools. He showed me how he utilized them for his current clients and how he found their perfect property. I’m big with hands-on learning, so being able to go through the process step-by-step, rather than reading a manual, was a huge help.

Overall, week one was what I expected. When beginning a career in any field, there will be times when you’re on “information overload”. There can be so much to remember within a short amount of time, but this office was able to feed me what I needed to know while still allowing me to feel comfortable. This could be the start of a very rewarding career.