David Bailey, Author at Baird & Warner Lincoln Park

September 23, 2021September 23, 2021

Business Generating Vs. Business Servicing: How Are You Spending Your Time?

There’s a lot that goes into the typical day of a Chicago real estate broker. Here at the Baird & Warner – Lincoln Park office, one of the things that we encourage all of our agents to focus on is making sure that they are putting their time to the highest and best use. For new and experienced brokers alike, this often comes down to understanding the difference between the activities that generate new business, and the activities that service the business you already have.

Too often, I see agents get caught up in servicing their business at the expense of generating new opportunities. While this may feel productive in the moment because you’re doing a lot of things, it often means that you’re not focusing on the activities that will actually allow you to grow your business, and make it more sustainable and lucrative for the long haul.

August 23, 2021August 23, 2021

Chicago’s Fall and Winter 2021 Real Estate Market Outlook

What do the remaining months of 2021 have in store for the Chicago real estate market — and how can brokers prepare themselves for the rest of the year?

Looking at current trends, it is clear that there is an enormous amount of opportunity in the marketplace going into the fall. Agents who commit to understanding the market and putting in the work are in a prime position to set themselves up for a strong showing through the rest of the year, while also setting up for a strong beginning of 2022.

Let’s dig into some important trends that will shape the market through the rest of the year and beyond:

August 2, 2021August 2, 2021

Agent Spotlight: Kate O’Neill

Though she is still early in her real estate career, broker Kate O’Neill has already learned a lot of valuable lessons — and earned some impressive successes in less than one full year in the business.

For one thing, Kate has yet to have a buyer of hers pay above list price, “which is pretty big in the current market that we’re in,” she says. “I’m pretty proud of that!”

For another, Kate has quickly earned a glowing reputation around the Baird & Warner – Lincoln Park office for her social media savvy, particularly using Instagram as a channel to speak to her sphere, sow the seeds for long-term referral relationships, and reach her ideal millennial buyers.

“One thing with my social media that I always keep in the back of my mind is to treat it like my business card and my social proof,” Kate says. “That way, when people look me up, any potential new clients or friends of mine who know I just got started in this can see that I’m busy and that I’m actively working. That I’m constantly hosting open houses, or selling a property, or teaching them something that they didn’t know.”

July 15, 2021July 15, 2021

Ask Yourself These 3 Questions to Crush the Second Half of 2021

As a real estate broker, it’s important to regularly check in on your most important goals, and make sure that you’re executing a strategy that will help drive your success. Ongoing monitoring, self-evaluation, and targeted training are critical to implementing a sound business plan that will help you get where you want to go.

As we head into the second half of our incredibly strong 2021 real estate market, this moment is an excellent opportunity for real estate brokers to evaluate their performance through the first half of the year. Here are three important questions to ask yourself:

Are you doing everything you need to be doing right now to reach your business goals for 2021? If not, what needs to change?
What are you doing really well right now, and in what areas can you improve?
What are you doing in the second half of the year to invest in the single most important asset to your business — YOU?

July 7, 2021July 7, 2021

Agent Spotlight: Mike Greco

When broker associate Mike Greco started looking for a new opportunity after a first career in retail management, he knew he was really looking for not just a new occupation, but a new life — one where he could be more in control of his time and lifestyle.

“I wanted to have flexibility and I wanted to feel rewarded for the time and effort I put in,” Mike explains. “And I wanted a job where every day was a new challenge and I got to spend a lot of time with people — where it was a mix of being out in the field, and only having to be behind a computer for a couple of hours a day.”

That search for a more flexible, rewarding, and active career quickly led him to real estate — and to Baird & Warner – Lincoln Park.

Though he interviewed at a few different brokerages, it was meeting the staff at Baird & Warner – Lincoln Park that helped him ultimately decide that this office would be the right fit — especially as he started out in his real estate career.

“I really liked the culture that Baird & Warner has,” Mike explains. “You really get the feeling of support, not only from David, Negeen, and Diana, but also from the other brokers. It’s a very welcoming community. And that’s the type of person that I am. I like winning as a team!”

June 23, 2021June 23, 2021

Agent Spotlight: Jim Abbott

Jim Abbott Baird & Warner Lincoln Park Agent Spotlight

Consistently ranked as a Chicago Top Producer and one of the highest-performing agents at Baird & Warner year after year, Jim Abbott is no stranger to getting asked about the keys to his success. He has two simple pillars that he always shares, he says.

Number one: “Over-communicate and stay organized. Although we buy/sell homes daily, the average buyer/seller only does this every 3-5 years on average. The market and technology will be different than the last time they bought or sold and we need to walk them through that. Give updates, let them know the next steps are, and create a timeline to follow. Be their go to person that keeps in contact with their lender, attorney, inspectors, etc. They have so much to do, anything we can do to help them will be appreciated!”

And number two: “Any chance you get to exceed someone’s expectations, do it! Your job is to execute at 100% but people will remember the small stuff that is unexpected or above and beyond that. It can be as simple as stocking their refrigerator with some snacks and drinks for the day they move in or helping them coordinate painters/movers/etc.”

June 15, 2021June 6, 2022

Did You Know Baird & Warner Gives You Unbeatable Access to a Full-Time Management Team?

Most real estate offices will be led by a Managing Broker. But very few give agents unparalleled access to a full-time management team with more than 50 years of combined experience in Chicago real estate, whose sole focus is on accelerating your success at every step of the way.

That’s exactly what agents at every stage of their careers experience at Baird & Warner – LIncoln Park.

At every level, our brokerage’s leadership is made up of people who truly understand what agents need to be successful, and who are truly committed to providing the very best tools, resources, training, and support to make it happen — especially when it comes to pivoting and meeting unexpected challenges head on.

May 26, 2021May 26, 2021

Agent Spotlight: Becky Sexson

Becky Sexson Baird & Warner Lincoln Park Agent Spotlight

Becky Sexson has earned numerous professional accolades since launching her real estate career five years ago — from being named Baird & Warner’s Rookie of the Year in her first year in business, to being named a Rising Star in Chicago Real Producers magazine, to being designated as a Top Producer in Chicago by the Chicago Association of REALTORS®.

But before transitioning from a career path in the not-for-profit space, “real estate was not really ever on my mind,” Becky says.

That all changed when she went through the process of buying a condo, which sparked her interest in the real estate. And, as she tells it, it was her now-husband who first made her believe that a career in real estate might be the perfect fit.

“He put a bug in my ear,” Becky explains. “He would say, ‘hey, I think you’d be great selling real estate. You’re really organized, a great networker, you’re really outgoing, you can build relationships and you’re good with numbers… Maybe it’s something that you might want to consider.’”

So Becky ended up getting her license and jumping into real estate, giving herself a year in which she would devote herself to building her business full-time, with the same level of dedication and planning she had used to structure and excel in her previous 9-to-5 jobs. It ended up being one of the best decisions she ever could have made, she says.

May 10, 2021May 10, 2021

Did You Know That Baird & Warner Offers Agents National and Global Reach?

Baird & Warner is synonymous with Chicagoland — but did you know that our brokerage also offers agents national and global reach?

Here at Baird & Warner, all of us take fierce pride in being a part of Chicagoland’s largest independent and locally-owned real estate company. We just celebrated our 166th birthday; that’s more than a century and a half of making real estate easier for buyers and sellers across Chicagoland.

From helping to lead the rebuilding after the Great Chicago Fire, to expanding the L, to fighting for Fair Housing, to strengthening our communities through our Good Will Works charitable arm, our story is the story of Chicago. Our long history has provided us with deep roots in our community, giving us the kind of local experience and expertise that no other brokerage can offer. We know these communities better than anyone else, and we’re always committed to finding new ways to adapt, innovate, and meet our clients’ changing needs.

That means we’re committed to the idea of making real estate easier for everyone — even if you’re buying or selling outside of Chicagoland. We like to say that our agents are local experts with a global reach, with the strategic partnerships and connections it takes to provide our clients with unmatched service whether they’re buying or selling across the state, the country, or the world.

April 28, 2021May 6, 2021

Did You Know That Baird & Warner Can Put More of Your Money Back Into Your Pocket?

How Baird & Warner Puts More Of Your Money Back Into Your Pocket

Baird & Warner offers very competitive commissions as well as impactful support, training, and business planning that empower our agents to develop more sustainable long-term businesses that will be able to grow, scale, and support their goals for many years to come.

And did you know that on top of all that, Baird & Warner can also help put more money back into your pocket each and every year? Here’s how we do it: