This Real Estate Life ep. 6: how to achieve success through a healthy lifestyle with Janet Keogh

This week, we spoke with Janet Keogh to learn how to achieve success through a healthy lifestyle and mindset. Through creating boundaries for her business, and prioritizing her personal health and mindset, Janet has become extremely successful and fulfilled. Year after year, she continues to be praised for her high level of customer service, which she claims couldn’t be achieved if she didn’t also make time for her own health and wellness. If you’ve struggled to find work life balance, especially during quarantine, then this episode is a must. Namaste.

So check out Janet’s interview on Spotify We really appreciate all of you listening each week and would love it if you give us a great review and subscribe! We are working on distributing to Apple Podcasts as well, so more reviews, good ratings, and listens will help us get picked up!

How to Grow Your New Chicago Real Estate Business

Growing a New Chicago Real Estate Business

You’re ready to commit to a career in residential real estate and jump in with both feet. Now comes the important question: How are you going to grow your business? 

There are as many ways to build a real estate business as there are brokers, and it’s important to spend some time thinking of a strategy that will be right for you. As you get started, consider what type of business model you would like to create, how you can emphasize your unique expertise and talents, and who you can turn to when you have questions or want to talk about your progress toward your goals. As with most facets of real estate, there is not necessarily a right or wrong way. It’s about finding the way that works for you as an individual, and sticking with it consistently over time. 

In my perspective, the path to growing your new Chicago real estate business comes down to three main parts: 

  1. Identify who you are, and what you like to do.  
  2. Work with your managing broker and team to develop a detailed business plan that includes specific tactics — including some that appeal to you, and some that you expect to find more challenging. 
  3. Execute your plan and monitor your results.

Oftentimes, people starting their career spend all of their time learning, and not enough time doing. Real estate is a profession that rewards action versus inaction — so while it’s important to have a strategy and a plan in place, keep in mind that there are a lot of different ways to be successful. The brokers who get the most out of these early days are going to be the ones who fully execute on a plan. 

Curious about how you can define and execute your own path to success? Let’s break down each of those steps in a bit more depth: 

Continue reading “How to Grow Your New Chicago Real Estate Business”

This Real Estate Life ep. 5: Managing a Successful Team with Scott Curcio

This week, we spoke with Scott Curcio to learn how to manage a successful and growing real estate team. Scott helps us understand what is truly necessary to make a team successful: it is about a group of agents having a shared vision and commitment to serve a community of clients, and create meaningful Iives for themselves and families while doing so. This clear vision has guided Scott and his team to numerous awards as they continue to reach new levels of success, together. When all members believe in the vision, the sky’s the limit! So check out Scott’s interview on Spotify We really appreciate all of you listening each week and would love it if you give us a great review and subscribe! We are working on distributing to Apple Podcasts as well, so more reviews, good ratings, and listens will help us get picked up!


Coming Up Next on “This Real Estate Life”:

– Healthy Life, Healthy Real Estate Business

– Social Media Marketing Mastery 

Thank you and enjoy!!!

Negeen and Jon

This Real Estate Life Ep. 4: Building a Referral Based Business with Lyn Harvie

This week, we spoke with Lyn Harvie to learn how to build a successful and joyful referral-based real estate business.

For many real estate agents, this business can be a grind. Not for top-producing agent, Lyn Harvie! Since day one, Lyn has taken a relationship-first approach with her clients and her real estate business, and now makes a great living running a business that brings her joy each and every day. By putting her clients needs first, real estate or otherwise, Lyn has earned their trust and admiration as their ONLY real estate advisor, and they thank her by sending her referrals to their friends and family…the highest compliment! Lyn says it’s not hard but you have to be thoughtful, so listen to the episode to learn how she mastered the art of building a referral-based business! #TheLynNetwork

Connect with Lyn-

Instagram: @lynharvie

Facebook: @lynharvierealty

Website: lynharvie.bairdwarner.com

Email: lyn.harvie@bairdwarner.com

Listen to this episode below:

Should New Agents Join a Real Estate Team?

Should New Agents Join a Real Estate Team?

To join a real estate team, or to go solo? That is the question — and an important topic to consider for new brokers who are just getting started in the business. 

Here in Chicago, real estate teams are quite common, both at my brokerage Baird & Warner, and at other real estate brokerages around the city.

As with so many decisions in the early days of your real estate career, the choices you make now can have a significant impact on your success down the line. But it’s important to remember that there is no one “right” or “wrong” way to move forward. 

Ultimately, choosing whether or not you should become part of a real estate team is a personal decision, based on what matters most to you. There are pros and cons to both options — and lots of important questions for new-to-the business brokers to keep in mind. 

Continue reading “Should New Agents Join a Real Estate Team?”

This Real Estate Life: New Podcast episode!

This week, we bring you a whole lot of virtual insanity with top producing Realtor, John Lyons, as he shares his tips for success when leveraging a virtual assistant. John has successfully scaled his real estate business in a short period of time by utilizing a virtual assistant to complete paperwork and other tasks. This frees him up to find and serve clients, which is what he does best and keeps the business growing. But it wasn’t always easy! In our interview, John will share how he got started, the mistakes he made with his first assistants, and how to know when it is time to hire your first assistant. He also shares some great tips for working with clients over zoom calls and screenshares…definitely a strategy that is both important and necessary to do business in our new normal.

Connect with John-

Website: JohnLyons.BairdWarner.com

Email: John.Lyons@BairdWarner.com

Instagram: @JohnLyons.ChicagoRealEstate

Listen to the episode below!

Listen to our previous episode with Matt Thomas about leveraging video to grow your business below-

New to Real Estate? Here’s How to Find the Brokerage That Will Be the Right Fit

Finding the Real Estate Brokerage That Will Be Right For You

When you’re new to your career in real estate, finding the right brokerage is one of the most important factors in determining your future success. 

With so many brokerages and local offices to choose from in Chicago, it’s important to do your homework and put in some time to find the place that will be the right fit for you and the career you want to build. 

When you join a brokerage, you’re choosing a professional “home base” — one where you can start building relationships, learning the ropes, and growing your business. With a decision this big, it can be hard to know just where to start your search. What factors should you look at in order to compare different real estate brokerages? What steps can you take to really find the one that will be the best match for your style and personal goals?

Everyone is different, and launching a real estate business is certainly not a “one size fits all” proposition. In my view, finding the right brokerage really comes down to evaluating three major components:

  • Training and coaching
  • Access to management and support
  • Office culture
Continue reading “New to Real Estate? Here’s How to Find the Brokerage That Will Be the Right Fit”

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!