Andre T. Mitchell and D.J. Peoples

Brokers
Baird & Warner

“Teamwork makes the dream work” is the motto Andre T. Mitchell and D.J. Peoples say best reflects their approach to real estate. Known as The Dream Team, they were the first in Baird & Warner’s Frankfort office to partner, and recently completed their first year placing among the office’s top 1 percent of agents. In addition, Baird & Warner recognized the duo as members of its Vice President’s Club. “We always strive to be the kind of Realtors people enjoy working with and feel confident they can trust to get the job done,” Mitchell says, and Peoples agrees. “We always go above and beyond to make clients’ dreams come true!”

Mitchell previously worked as director of leasing and marketing at one of the city’s premier property management companies. The experience not only helped him understand how marketing goes hand-in-hand with occupancy levels, but also allowed him to play a critical role in ensuring the leasing of units in his portfolio. “I had to teach my team how to overcome objections, understand their consumer, and highlight our properties in order to strategically market our units to attract renters to them, and that gave me the confidence to know I could be successful in real estate,” he says. Mitchell’s career transition paid off – he ranked among the top 1 percent of agents in the Frankfort office for volume and units closed his first year, and was among the top 5 percent of Realtors companywide for units closed. “The market changes frequently, so our clients rely on us as a resource,” he explains. “We keep pace with what’s happening to be certain they have the information they need to make the best possible investment decision they can, whether it’s what to pay for a home or at what price to list it.”

People’s personal experience buying and selling four homes as a military family prompted her to consider real estate as a career. “I realized I could make the process seamless for people looking to purchase and list a home,” she says. Her previous college teaching experience, in addition to her work as director of off-campus programs, equipped Peoples with the background necessary to explain the intricacies of real estate transactions to her clients. Moreover, she was a sales manager for a new construction development in the south suburbs, where she played a pivotal role in selling 167 homes. “Our team knows every client is unique, and so are their needs and wants,” Peoples explains. “A Millennial won’t have the same needs and wants as a baby boomer, and that’s something we recognize by tailoring our approach for each person.” She goes on to say The Dream Team’s portfolio of clients is diverse, and includes everyone ranging from first-time buyers to seasoned investors, with 90 percent of them referral-based. “We don’t just open the front door to the homes we help people buy and sell; we commit ourselves to our clients’ future happiness and make certain we help them achieve it.”

Friends before they were partners, Mitchell and Peoples pay their success forward through charitable outreach. As a team, their desire to give back to local entrepreneurs came when they were introduced to a local women’s shelter looking to impact the community; from that point, it became their goal to continue that support throughout communities in the Chicagoland area. The pair collaborates so well thanks to their shared values and appreciation for the people they serve. “Family and faith inspire us each day,” Mitchell says, and People’s seconds that statement. “Knowing we can rely on our faith and loved ones to always encourage us makes it easy to be an encouragement to the people we serve.”

Thanks to AtWater Apartments for letting us use their beautiful location for our photo shoots.