I’ve got some friends who have told me this issue, the Truth About Agents issue, is their favorite. They love seeing where they fall in the pretty graphs and how many people are raking in more dough than they are. One of my besties took a look at that chart about splits and up and moved to a new office the very next day. True story, guys! I also heard a rumor last year about an office that was so paranoid about agents leaving that they gave out cars to all their agents a la Oprah Winfrey. Okay, that one may not actually be true, but it’s a fun story to tell around a campfire.
All of those numbers are fine and dandy, but if you’re looking for the real truth about agents, well, then you’ve come to the right place. As the sovereign of all Chicagoland real estate gossip, I know who is doing what at every twist and turn. Sure, this survey gives you an overview of their business practices, but I know what you really want is the deep, down and dirty information behind the scenes. And that, my friends, is what I’m here for.
Remember a while back I told you that Dennis Rodkin, the former “Deal Estate”/Chicago magazine writer, was ditching the city and heading out to Cali? Well, he’s moving back next month. Rather than returning to real estate, he may seek out a different kind of career, but can’t discuss details until everything is finalized. Denny-kins, it is 13 degrees today in Chicago, and it’s in the high 60s/low 70s in Monterey. I’m telling you this because I just want to make sure you understand what you’re doing.
Lots of promotions going on at Baird & Warner, so if you’re looking to make a change, maybe that’s the place to go. Tripti Kasal just joined Baird & Warner last year, and now she will sit up at the top as the new vice president of sales. Sarah Pelton was the managing broker at the Glen Ellyn office, and now the company has gone ahead and created a whole new department for her to head up. Sarah has been named the new director of professional development, and will be in charge of training a whole slew of new agents. That shiny promotion left a hole in the Glen Ellyn office, which is being filled by Bill White (no relation to Walter) who was anointed as the new managing broker at the office. Congrats to all!
Do NOT watch the Coldwell Banker Oscars ad without sitting next to a box of tissues. I tried watching without any, and it was a big mistake. They’ve launched a new campaign called “Home’s Best Friend” that features 16 dogs who found a home through Adopt-a-Pet.com. They’re also launching a “Home for Dogs Project” to find homes for 20,000 dogs in 2015. Even cat people are going to blubber over this one.
Gary Keller managed to give a 157-minute presentation on the economy, the housing market and the state of the real estate industry. Google it and you can watch a much more easily-digestible nine-minute portion. You can also just play the sound while you’re on the treadmill at the gym, because that’s what I did, and it really got me motivated to run that extra two miles.
My favorite part of my job: the parties! On Feb. 18, I joined WCR at the Godfrey Hotel and listened to some experts talking about decluttering and redesigning. The event was advertised as starting at 5:50, but I’m always fashionably late so I opted to arrive at 6:13.
The Chicago Association of Realtors Young Professionals Network (YPN) hosted a mixer at Parliament Chicago on Feb. 19. The cocktails and hors d’oeuvres were tasty and I rode that glass elevator as many times as possible. Luckily, the definition of “young” is pretty loose.
Not as many birthdays in the second half of February. Too much competition with Valentine’s Day is my assumption. David Kasprisin and Jill Hare can talk about having a joint birthday party on Feb. 23, just as long as they invite me, and Bill Diehl will deal with his birthday on Feb. 25th.