Agent Spotlight Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Baird & Warner Lincoln Park

January 19, 2022January 25, 2022

Agent Spotlight: John Irwin and Jackie Lafferty

With more than 11,000 real estate agents serving the Chicagoland area, choosing just one agent to represent your interests when you’re buying or selling a home can feel like a daunting task. Luckily, when you work with superstar Baird & Warner Lincoln Park agents John Irwin and Jackie Lafferty, you don’t have to choose just one agent. John and Jackie are independent brokers who maintain a consulting relationship — when you hire one, you’ll receive the accumulated knowledge, experience, and wisdom of both.

December 22, 2021January 6, 2023

Agent Spotlight – Courtney Welsch

Courtney Welsch, a real estate star who ranks consistently in the top 3% of all Chicagoland brokers, has known the real estate business from a young age. As the daughter of a Chicagoland top broker, Courtney’s seen the business from all angles, and knows more than anyone what it takes to generate consistent success for her clients.

December 9, 2021January 3, 2022

Agent Spotlight: Scott Curcio

Scott Curcio wasn’t in the real estate business when he bought his first property, but that purchase sparked an ongoing interest and put him in the “real estate mindset,” as he tells it. In fact, prior to embarking on his career at Baird & Warner Lincoln Park, Scott was an events and marketing professional, skills that have undoubtedly contributed to his rise to the pinnacle of his profession, as one of the top 1% of Realtors in all of Chicago. Scott’s hardworking, meticulous approach sets him apart from the crowd and has allowed him to create a successful, results-oriented practice for each and every client he serves.

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 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.”

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.

December 9, 2020May 6, 2021

Lincoln Park Agent Spotlight: Millie Rosenbloom

Millie Rosenbloom has had a long and celebrated career in Chicago real estate — and her unique perspective on the industry started at a young age.

Growing up, Millie says, her mom and dad used to buy properties to fix up and sell. She moved a lot during grade school, while gaining a lifelong understanding and appreciation for architecture, building homes, and the many kinds of work involved in real estate along the way.

Once she decided to start down this career path, Millie initially had something of a turbulent beginning.

“When I first started, I interviewed with Habitat. And they did not hire me because I didn’t have any experience. So I found a small little firm and went to work there, and six months later they closed their doors, unfortunately,” she says. “So I wound up going back to Habitat.”

This time, Millie interviewed and got hired. She then spent 15 years working her way up the ladder, eventually becoming part owner of the company. Over this span, she grew the brokerage division from 15 agents to 120, before selling it to Baird & Warner in December of 2007.

“And I’ve been here ever since!” Millie says.

October 30, 2020May 6, 2021

Lincoln Park Agent Spotlight: John Lyons

John Lyons is known as one of Chicago’s most trusted real estate agents. As a broker, he is passionate about always continuing to learn and find new ways to improve his business and provide a better experience for his clients. And for John, the support he gets from Baird & Warner Lincoln Park helps him to do all that and more.

John got started in real estate after losing a corporate sales job, which forced him to think differently about his career options.

“That failure made me realize what I didn’t like, and pushed me towards entrepreneurship,” John says. “I was just burnt out and tired, and I realized I didn’t want to work for anybody anymore, particularly a middle manager.”