Power Teams
The owners of Ricker-Murphy Development recently added Tere Proctor, renowned residential real estate agent and former director of sales at Chicago’s Trump International Hotel and Tower, to its team. Proctor was named the president of ARC Residential, a newly formed sales organization and the exclusive broker at Lincoln Park 2550.

Proctor is not your typical broker. She specializes in working with developers and is known for meeting aggressive sales objectives in record time. As the president of ARC, Proctor will be the lead broker of her hand-picked team, and manage a powerful team of Chicago’s real estate elite.

“The right people in the right places can make your team efficient and productive,” she said. “If you are spending time on tasks that take you away from selling and generating leads, an assistant can take you to the next level. A decision to build a team should be made when current job functions have become bigger than your ability to manage them efficiently.”

If forming a team, the only thing limiting the number of people is how many you can manage; teams can be three people or 30. Regardless of the size of the team, designating one task/role to each person can make management easier. As a team leader, you decide how your team will function most effectively. Proctor hired agents and support staff who had the necessary qualities she was looking for – responsible, detail-oriented, efficient multi-taskers – along with the necessary real estate-related skill set.

“Selecting your staff is the single most important part of developing a winning team,” Proctor said. “Each member of the team is an extension of you and how you are represented in the marketplace. Given my 25-plus years of experience in the Chicago residential market, I have always had a very strong work ethic and look for people who understand the time and effort required to be successful in this highly competitive field. I recently reached out to a broker who had worked with me on a previous project and who has time and time again proven to be a top sales producer. Several of my staff have come highly recommended from colleagues who are experienced in the industry.”

Knowing these candidates have the necessary experience and have performed in the past is a good start to developing a new team member who is willing to learn your business style. In doing this, Proctor adds it is imperative to set goals and create an agenda so everyone knows what is expected of them.