Twenty years ago, Jeff Lowe graced the first cover of Chicago Agent magazine.
A fairly new broker at the time — Lowe started selling real estate around 2001 — he found fast success in the industry, leveraging his network of contacts from college first as a leasing agent, then as a broker. As Lowe transitioned into selling homes, he was his friends’ first call when they were eventually ready to buy condos, then starter homes — then larger homes. Now, he’s one of the city’s top producers.
This past October, Lowe and his COMPASS team, The Lowe Group, surpassed $4 billion total in residential sales. More recently, Lowe ranked as the No. 3 individual agent in Chicagoland based on total volume, according to MRED’s 2023 numbers. He consistently makes its quarterly and annual lists.
Lowe recently sat down with Chicago Agent to discuss how he has maintained his place as a top producer. Reflecting on his history, Lowe said it’s all about continuing relationships with previous clients. “You can’t wait for them to call you,” Lowe said. “I’m not really an email blaster. I try to do it on a more personal level.”
Those personal relationships are especially important in years like 2023, Lowe said, when a lot fewer people were buying and selling houses. “You want to make sure when previous clients do sell, they remember you’re the one that helped them buy it. You can’t let them forget you.”
Lowe also markets through neighborhood outreach. Selling mainly in Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Bucktown and the Gold Coast, The Lowe Group regularly donates to local causes in those areas. “When you have a lot of signs in certain neighborhoods, you get calls asking to donate,” Lowe said. “I try to give back a lot to the neighborhoods where I’m busiest.”
His team sponsors the Bucktown Community Organization, the Bucktown Garden Walk and Circus in the Park; he also donates to any public school that asks, citing Blaine and Burley Elementary as examples. “My kids don’t go there, but they’re in the communities where I work … You need to do that in our business … You need to be there.”
Lately, Lowe tries to be there on social media, too. He said he and his team fully embraced social media outreach in 2023 and will continue doing so in 2024. “I’m tiptoeing into being myself in videos. A lot of the consistent top producers do that,” Lowe said, acknowledging his initial discomfort with marketing himself online. “I want to highlight the listings,” Lowe said. He wants to appear organic even while self-promoting.
That’s important to him. “Be humble in our business” is his overall advice to others working in real estate. “We all go through ups and downs … Nothing drives me crazier than a broker having a good year and running around and telling everyone about it.” And to remain humble, Lowe emphasized the importance of respecting everyone in the business, from teammates and support staff to competing agents to other adjacent professionals.
“If [another agent] calls me and asks for old pictures of a house I sold, I say yes. If appraisers call, I call them back even though I don’t get paid for it. Same with home inspectors and attorneys,” Lowe said. “We must be collaborative within the whole industry … We all want the best deal for buyers and the highest price for sellers. So, treat everyone the way you want to be treated.”