The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) recently honored two local agents as part of their annual 30 Under 30 class: Brandon Blankenship and Melanie Miller. Blankenship is an agent with Keller Williams Premiere Properties in Glen Elyn, and Miller is agent in the city with Keller Williams ONE Chicago.
The recognition from NAR notes young agents who are achieving “extraordinary things” amid a challenging market, and this year marks the program’s 25th. Roughly 300 agents under age 30 applied for a spot in the 2024 class; from there, a panel of judges narrowed the group down to the final 30. Among them, Miller and Blankenship.
Miller first came to real estate when she was just 24 years old, as a landlord, and became a licensed Realtor two years later, in 2020. Quickly, she’s gained a reputation as one Chicago’s most fashionable agents and, last year, opened up about her unique style with Chicago Agent. “I pride myself on looking put-together no matter if I am showing a million-dollar home or an apartment rental,” Miller said at the time.
Blankenship, meanwhile, has been a Realtor since 2019, beginning his career in California before transitioning back to his home state of Illinois in 2021. Now serving the western suburbs, he ranks in the top 2% of agents, based on sales volume, within the Mainstreet Organization of REALTORS®.