By Dan Provost

What makes a top-producing agent? Chicago Agent magazine asked specific questions to some of the top producers in the city and suburbs, and here’s what they had to say.

Q. What qualities should every top producer have?
A. “Persistence and patience. It takes a long time today to close deals. You need great communication skills, too. And you can’t just be communicating with your own clients. You need to communicate with your fellow Realtors, too. And you need an in-depth knowledge of the inventory that is available in your market.”
LISA TRACE, GRIFFITH, GRANT & LACKIE, LAKE FOREST

Q. What are the top tech tools every top producer should have?
A. “You definitely need a strong Web presence today. You need to have a presence on sites like Realtor.com and Trulia, all the sites that buyers are coming to.”
NATASHA MOTEV, KOENIG & STREY REAL LIVING, CHICAGO

A. “Most of us have an iPad now. I love it. I can be out in the field or at an open house and be talking to people, and with my iPad I can pull up the MLS. I couldn’t live without that one. Some kind of smart phone, too, is essential today.”
LISA TRACE

Q. What do you have to sacrifice in order to become a top-producer?
A. “I’m fortunate that my children are grown. My husband is working. I truly am available 24/7 to my clients. And you need to be. If you’re not there, someone else will be. You end up giving up a lot of things at the last minute. You might have to give up a party, an engagement, something. You have to decide if this is what you want to do.”
LISA TRACE

Q. What are your top tips for improving your closing ratio?
A. “You have to keep in contact with the attorneys, buyers and other agents throughout the process. I always set up a calendar that shows when everything needs to be done. It helps, too, to have a good network of attorneys that you can work with that you can recommend to your clients. Having a good relationship with the other agents helps, too. Basically, you have to stay on top of everything.”
SUE PERDUE, BAIRD & WARNER, CRYSTAL LAKE

Q. What are your top tips for prospecting for new clients?
A. “A real high percentage of our listings sell in less than the average market time, and they sell for above the local list-to-sales-price ratio. That all boils down to an agent’s ability and experience at negotiating. It’s one thing to have a listing but another to understand our role as a fiduciary with our sellers. It’s our job to negotiate the absolute best deal on their behalf. If you do this, you will earn recommendations from your clients, and that will help you land new ones.”
PATRICK TURLEY, KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY, GLEN ELLYN