Chicago’s top real estate producers do more than just sell. They think, plan and act differently, guiding clients, elevating teams and earning trust that lasts long after a deal closes.

We spoke with three of the city’s most successful agents to uncover the habits, mindsets and standards that separate the elite from the rest, offering lessons and inspiration for agents, brokers and industry partners alike.

While sales numbers and volume matter, leadership and consistency are just as critical in defining a top producer in today’s market.

For Carrie McCormick, volume is only part of the story. Year-over-year consistency, profitability, client trust and reputation, she noted, are what truly define a top producer.

  “When clients come back, refer others and rely on your judgment in complex situations, that’s true success,” she said. “Numbers may open doors, but credibility is what sustains a career.”

McCormick, a luxury real estate broker with @properties Christie’s International Real Estate, told Chicago Agent that credibility ultimately creates something even more valuable than impressive sales figures do.

Dawn Bremer, a real estate broker with the Bremer Team at Keller Williams Success Realty, views a top producer as a leader and a teacher who elevates not only their clients, but also their team, their co-workers and the community.

“A true top producer doesn’t just solve problems; they guide people through major life changes and build trust that lasts well beyond a single transaction,” she said.

It’s not just about being a leader and teacher, Bremer said. It’s driven by year-to-year consistency and community involvement, what you do to give back to the community you serve, and an approach and mindset that allow the business to generate organically.

Pattie Murray, leader of the Pattie Murray Team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago’s Glen Ellyn office, said true top producers demonstrate year-over-year consistency, measured by both volume and units sold. What matters, she noted, is sustained performance.

“Consistency proves that success wasn’t the result of a brief market surge, but the product of skill, discipline and resilience,” Murray said.

For Murray, numbers alone don’t define success. She said she doesn’t personally fixate on profitability.

“If you work hard, stay consistent and produce month after month, profitability follows,” Murray said. “What matters more to me is community impact. Agents who build trust locally, earn repeat and referral business, and establish themselves as true market specialists will always outlast the rest.”

For these three top producers, success is measured through indicators that can’t be captured by volume alone. They include long-standing client relationships, generational referrals and peer recognition rooted in trust and professionalism.

Bremer said she also measures success “by balance and impact, being present for my family, mentoring and lifting others up, and using the platform I’ve built to give back in meaningful ways,” she said. “Numbers matter, but they don’t last forever. The way you make people feel, the trust you earn and the impact you leave behind — that’s what truly lasts.”

For McCormick, success comes down to having choice. She said it’s the ability to be selective about clients, pricing and workload, while continuing to grow.

“When you can be selective and still scale, you’ve built a business that’s durable, not just productive,” she said.

Murray adds, “When people recognize you in your community, tell you they see your signs everywhere and trust you enough to refer their friends and family, you’ve built something meaningful.”

“Giving back is part of that responsibility,” she explained. “You truly know you’re a top producer when volume and units are no longer the sole drivers of your work, and success becomes a platform for service.”

The road to the top

The road to the top looked different for each of these three producers, but none of them got there overnight. Their success came from steady effort, patience and consistency, building something that lasts.

“It took years, not quarters,” McCormick said. “Five years to build stability. Ten years to become truly exceptional.”

McCormick said the real shift came when she began treating real estate as an advisory business built on long-term relationships. While early momentum can be misleading, she said, real progress came not from working harder, but from working with greater focus, stronger systems and more deliberate decision-making.

“Early traction can be deceiving,” McCormick said. “The real progress happened when I shifted from chasing transactions to building long-term relationships and treating real estate as an advisory business rather than a sales role.”

Market cycles and burnout were the toughest tests along the way. McCormick said she pushed through by simplifying her business, protecting her time and sharpening her focus on where she adds the most value.

Murray entered the business before modern technology existed, a reason she cites for why it took her three to four years to hit top-producer status. “Listings lived in bound books, photography required film and marketing meant print ads in newspapers and magazines,” she said. “Everything was manual, and nothing was instantaneous.”

Nearly six months in, she considered leaving real estate because she got off to a slow start. By the end of her first year, though, she began to build momentum and realized that if she stayed committed, better days were ahead.

Murray’s turning point came when she began outperforming her mentors and later became a go-to agent for corporate relocations in her area, exposure that led to strong relationships with top agents across her company — which, in turn, brought about partnerships that significantly accelerated her growth.

Uncertainty was her biggest challenge. Wondering where the next deal would come from, navigating market shifts and managing inconsistent income as a single parent required Murray to have constant mental strength.

“During the hardest moments, I learned to stay positive, persistent and adaptable. When self-doubt crept in, I’d remind myself, ‘I’ve got this,’” Murray said. “Belief in yourself is not optional in this business.”

Gaining real traction in this business takes time, consistency and patience, and becoming a top producer didn’t happen overnight, Bremer said. For her, it was a 10-year journey built on hard work, dedication and a willingness to think outside the box.

“More importantly, it required me to truly understand what I love to do and then fully focus on that,” she said. “Once I leaned into my strengths and passions, everything began to align — the growth, the consistency and the impact.”

The turning point that changed the trajectory of Bremer’s career was when she stopped trying to do everything herself and started focusing on what she did best. She made a conscious decision to lead with service, education and community, rather than chasing every opportunity or transaction. She also focused on building the right team to work alongside individuals who share her vision, values and love for community.

“When I trusted others, built systems and leaned into leadership and mentorship, my business became more sustainable and impactful,” Bremer said. “Choosing purpose over pressure and long-term trust over short-term wins truly changed everything.”

COVID was one of her most challenging periods, as the industry faced uncertainty and lacked clear answers. Instead of pulling back, she leaned into collaboration and leadership and created a “Mega Agent Mastermind” of top producers who met weekly over Zoom to share strategies and ideas for how best to support their clients and teams in real time, conversations she called “invaluable.”

Skills and traits that matter

Honesty has been the foundation of Murray’s success. “Trust follows honesty, and trust builds long-term relationships,” she said. Time management and discipline were also critical skills she honed while attending law school during the day and selling real estate at nights and on weekends.

Murray also emphasized the human side of the business: connecting with people from all walks of life. Honesty, integrity, resilience and strong communication skills, she said, are non-negotiable for long-term success.

McCormick credits her success to sound judgment, emotional discipline and consistent follow-up. “The ability to recognize patterns and stay steady under pressure separates professionals from performers,” she explained.

She also said agents can elevate their performance by treating their business like an investment portfolio, tracking where their most profitable, repeatable work comes from and focusing their energy there. “Not every deal is worth the same amount of your time,” she noted. Staying consistent, disciplined and intentional has allowed her to build trust with clients and navigate challenges while growing a durable business.

Bremer highlights consistency, adaptability and genuine care for people as the skills and traits that have mattered most in her success. Showing up every day, even when it’s hard or uncomfortable, builds trust, she said, and trust is everything in this business.

Equally important has been surrounding herself with the right team — people who share her values, challenge her and support the work she does. Listening more than she speaks allows her to understand clients’ true needs and guide them with clarity, while adaptability helps her navigate changing markets.

For Bremer, leadership and collaboration aren’t optional; they’re essential. “My success is a reflection of the incredible people around me and the shared commitment we have to doing business the right way,” she said.

Together, Murray, McCormick and Bremer show that success isn’t just about numbers. It’s about trust, focus, discipline and collaboration. For agents looking to level up, the lessons go beyond skills; they’re about mindset, priorities and the deliberate habits that turn good agents into truly top performers.

How to level up

Agents who want to level up need to focus on the clients and opportunities that matter most; build trust through consistent, authentic actions; and prioritize the habits and mindset that create long-term success.

McCormick said success isn’t about chasing more leads. It’s about positioning yourself where it counts. The lesson she wishes she learned earlier is simple: Focus on the deals and clients that matter most, rather than trying to be everywhere at once.

“Stop chasing deals and start shaping outcomes,” she said. “The best agents aren’t everywhere. They’re exactly where they should be.”

Bremer advises agents to focus on their strengths and build their business around them.

“Stop trying to be everything to everyone,” she said.

Bremer emphasized consistency and staying true to one’s strengths, noting that when agents stop trying to be everything to everyone, trust and stronger client connections follow.

Murray encourages agents to prioritize relationships over chasing every new trend.

“Those clients will become your greatest advocates,” she said.

Murray also emphasizes the power of a strong referral network, because when clients believe in you, you’ll never need to chase cold leads again.

“Prioritize your referral network from day one,” she said. “There is no better client than one who calls you because someone they trust recommended you.”

EXPERT SOURCES

Dawn Bremer, Broker and owner, the Bremer Team at Keller Williams Success Realty

Carrie McCormick, Luxury broker, @properties Christie’s International Real Estate

Pattie Murray, Leader, the Pattie Murray Team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago