I say this every month, but this time I actually mean it: This is my favorite issue! We get to celebrate all those hardworking agents out there pounding the pavement and doing their thing to rise to the tippy, tippy top of the industry. I also love this issue because it is basically about yours truly. You can’t have a top producers issue without giving a shoutout to the very, very, very best. So, I’m going to take a moment to give myself a much-needed pat on the back, even if my actual name may or may not be in the cover story. You should do the same. Doesn’t that feel nice? Now that we’ve tooted our own horns, let’s toot some gossip.
February just started, and I’m already feeling SAD (seasonal affective disorder, that is). When my sun lamp stops making me smile, I know it’s time to try something else. Maybe Ryan Casper of Keller Williams ONEChicago will take me snowboarding to beat the winter blues? If you’d like to know more about his obsession, check out his Facebook video where he explains it all in great detail.
Mike Del Preto of Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation is a better person than any of us. He and his team recently volunteered their time sorting food at the Chicago Food Depository. I guess if you were also there helping out, then you’re a good person, too.
My dear friend and CA cover model Lawrence Yun was a featured economist at CAR’s Market Outlook Event, sponsored by MRED, in January, along with Rhea Stephen, CoStar’s senior director of market analytics for Chicago. Attendees enjoyed a presentation on important market features and a broker panel on building trust with clients using data. Held at the Marriott Marquis in Chicago, it taught me a lot of new stuff about data and the economy that I can now use to wow my friends at social events. Oh, and I will also use this new knowledge to rise to the highest point on the pile of top producers.
Danny Lewis of Dream Town hosted a birthday pub crawl! I will fully admit that I wasn’t invited, and I only heard about it through others, and it sounded like a really good time, and so Danny, if you are reading this, give me a call.
Speaking of birthdays, here are some other folks that may want to consider inviting me to a pub crawl this month. Emily Santos celebrates on lucky number 7, while Art Schalk, Kelly Wong and Hamza Ishaq follow closely behind on Feb. 8, 9 and 10, respectively. Happiest of days to Laura Gaan on Feb. 12, and Debra Kaden and Alice Chin will raise their champagne flutes on Feb. 18. Lewis Jones will party down on Feb. 19. Kevin Kelly will be the man of the hour on Feb. 22, while Graham Allen, David Kasprisin and Jill Hare all share their big day on Feb. 23. We can toast Donna Crane on Feb. 24, while leap year babies Linda Ryan and Joe Thouvenell will have to settle for a birthday wish on Feb. 28 or wait until next year for their actual Feb. 29 birthdays. Then we’re already to March, which means spring is on the way, right? Beth Repta will start us off right in March with her bday on the 3rd, followed by Elana Spector on the 5th.