Choosing a path

Chad Gilbert was new to real estate when he and his wife Sarah bought RE/MAX Suburban in 2015. He had served in several executive roles with companies such as Stericycle, Inc., and she had been an executive with Walgreens. They were looking for a company and a brand that would align with their experience and unique set of skills.

“We were lucky enough to find RE/MAX Suburban, which has been family-owned and operated for 39 years,” Gilbert says. “In the last two years, we’ve taken the company from $980 million to $1.2 billion through one strategic acquisition: attracting and retaining top talent. We’ve completed another small acquisition in Buffalo Grove and continued to recruit as well. The results so far have been excellent.”

The Gilberts’ franchise encompasses eight branches in Glen Ellyn, Mount Prospect, Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Wheaton, Schaumburg, Libertyville and Barrington. They have approximately 230 agents and put an emphasis on giving them the support and tools they need to grow. The franchise recently acquired Precision Title for their agents and agents’ attorneys to use when closing deals.

“It’s our job to bring tools or develop tools and technology to the agents,” Gilbert says. “You want to continually learn and grow your knowledge base within the industry, while having a vision of where you want to head as a company as you try to grow the company. Ultimately, you need to be disciplined enough to make the calls every day, go out and see your agents every day, and continually push the ball forward and watch the financial part of the business, because real estate is made up of thin margins.”