Weichert Real Estate Affiliates (WREA) has named Patrick McFarland as the franchise sales director of Chicagoland. While in this position, McFarland will support Kevin Hill, the franchise organization’s national vice president of business development, in developing opportunities for the franchise in the greater Chicago area.

McFarland’s experience varies from business development positions to management jobs throughout the country. Since joining the real estate workforce in 1979, he has worked for real estate firms in Colorado, New Jersey and Illinois among others. His most recent job before his new appointment was the regional manager of business development for Sears Holdings Corporation Hometown Store Group for the Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas regions, where he was responsible for new market development and support activities.

As the franchise sales director, McFarland will talk to independent brokerage owners who are interested in the kind of support and opportunities that can be provided by a franchise organization.

“The Weichert way of doing business is a conversation worth having,” McFarland said.

Hill selects his sales representatives using an “in the trenches” method – Hill’s entire management staff is comprised of individuals who have worked in the field as realtors, brokers, managers, office owners and sales people. The franchise selects management teams from those who have been “rooted or reared in real estate.”