Keeping It Real Podcast • Secrets Of Top 1% REALTORS ® • Interviews With Real Estate Brokers & Agents

Do you stay in touch with your real estate clients after the sale? Kate Waddell does! Kate is not only in the top 1% of all Chicago brokers, she’s in the top .01% of all of Sotheby’s International Realty! In our discussion Kate talks about the value of relationships and how specifically she continues to reach out to her clients. This is part of the reason Real Estate Executive Magazine named her one of the the 100 Most Influential Agents in Chicago! Kate Waddell can be reached at 773.517.2666 and kate@kateproperty.com.

One way to know what your clients think of you is to read the online reviews. Matt Liss, broker and owner of Mark Allen Realty, has the most 5-star reviews of any broker in Chicago on Yelp (out of 35k brokers). Clearly, his clients love his service! We talked with Matt about what he does differently than other agents, how he grows his business, and why if you’re not having success with open houses, you’re doing it wrong! Matt Liss can be reached at 773-415-4744 and mattl@markallenrealty.com.

This week we spoke with top 1% producer Scott Curcio who believes that professionalism is critical to a broker’s success. We discussed the importance of ethics, knowing the market, and fair housing considerations that brokers often miss. At Baird and Warner Scott is part of the Founder’s Club (Top 1%) has been the #1 producer in Avondale for many years. Scott can be reached at 773.697.5585 and scott@scottcurcio.com.

Today we spoke with top producer Kaylin Goldstein of The Goldstein Group. Kaylin started her real estate career directly out of college and has grown it to over 100 million in sales. She’s also built a successful team along the way. In our conversation she talks about how she grew her business as a relatively young broker, and how she’s mentored her teammates to become equally successful! Kaylin can be reached at 312.909.1682 and kaylin@atproperties.com.

Top producer Sohail Salahuddin starts his day at 2:30am. That is NOT a typo. Extreme discipline has been at the core of Sohail’s real estate practice and part of the reason he’s been a top producer for many years. Sohail is also a master at pivoting his business to meet current market conditions. If you feel like you need better habits to grow your business, this episode is just the kick in the rear you need! Contact Sohail Salahuddin at 312-437-7799 and sohail@sohailrealestate.com.

Welcome to the first Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick! In this episode Carrie talks about how single-family homes and condo inventory is up over last year, but that buyers are taking MUCH longer to make a purchasing decision. She also gives her forecast for the fall market in Chicago and also the broader U.S. housing industry. I provide a marketing tip that everyone SHOULD be doing to increase their referrals, but few do – handwritten notes! Vote for Carrie for Best Dressed in the Chicago Agent Magazine 2017 Agents’ Choice Awards by clicking here! Carrie can be reached at carrie@atproperties.com or by phone at 312.961.4612.

Brady Miller transformed from superstar jazz drummer to superstar real estate broker. (He’s still a good drummer) Listen to his story of an unlikely shift to real estate, why mentorship has been critical to his success, and how he built his business to over 300 clients in just 5 years. Brady Miller can be reached at bmiller@chicagorea.com and 773.977.8553.  

Top producer Josh Weinberg of Weinberg Choi Residential leads his team each morning in a moment of gratitude. His goal is to donate some of his profits, every single day, to charities in line with his team’s values. The passion and enthusiasm Josh lives translates into high production and satisfied clients. If you need a boost to remember how fortunate we all are, and how to use that same energy to service your buyers and sellers, listen to this interview! Josh Weinberg can be reached at 312.448.7000 or info@weinbergchoirealty.com.  

We are SO excited to announce a new feature to the show! Superstar broker Carrie McCormick is going to co-host the podcast on the first Monday of each month. Carrie will be reporting on what has happened in the Chicago real estate market recently and also what brokers and clients should expect in the coming month. She’ll also be answering YOUR questions about how to reach that next level in your real estate business. If you’d like to submit a question to Carrie, follow one of the links below! * Email * Twitter * Facebook

Are you curious why Redfin has been exploding in popularity in the past several years? In this episode we feature top 1% broker Alex Haried, and he explained why he chose Redfin as his partner, and why 276 of Alex’s clients have rated him a near-perfect five stars. (Alex has closed 23.2 million in the past 12 months, by the way.) Learn what he and his team are doing right! If interested in working with Alex, you can reach him at alex.haried@redfin.com or 630.445.0561 See Alex’s amazing customer reviews by clicking here!

This week we spoke with Andersonville and Edgewater real estate top producer Amie Klujian of the Swake Group at Dream Town Realty. We discussed her move from marketing to real estate, how she goes above beyond for her buyers and sellers, and how philanthropy is paramount to her mission. You can reach Amie at amie@swakegroup.com or by calling 312-320-5339 and by visiting EdgevilleHomes.com.

Carrie McCormick started her real estate career working with developers before transitioning into her own production where she is routinely in the top 1% of all real estate brokers. One of Carrie’s specialties is providing her clients off-market properties (non-MLS listings). She works almost exclusively by referral and answers every single phone call, day or night. We’re glad her clients didn’t try to call during our podcast!

This week we talked with Brooke Daitchman, the top individual producer at Dream Town Realty. Brooke talked about how she has grown her business over the past nine years and how last year nearly 100% of her business came from referrals. She’s a true superstar and has some amazing tips for aspiring top producers! To contact Brooke, please email BDaitchman@dreamtown.com or call 773.412.3047.

How is the current political climate going to affect tax reform, and what does that mean for your buyers and sellers? Also, did you know that you have access to a trove of tools to help your business courtesy of the Illinois REALTORS®? We speak with Beth Wanless who lobbies on your behalf and protects your interests. Our most timely episode to date!

Today I share two social media advanced strategies that real estate brokers have used to build their business. If you’re not utilizing Twitter and LinkedIn to find more buyers and sellers, I’m going to reveal the secret sauce only known by a handful of agents.