Noel Christopher

Director, Major Accounts
Century 21 Affiliated – Chicago

During the economic downturn, many stressed the need to become a jack-of-all-trades. Noel Christopher instead decided to focus on the investment buyer market with an emphasis on neighborhood revitalization.

“Some look at the institutional REO-to-rental as a one-time trade, but I look at it as a business,” Christopher says. “We are on the cutting edge of a major shift in residential real estate. I’m focused on serving private equity and institutional investors, as well as partnering with community-minded, socially-conscious developers.”

Christopher and his team were responsible for acquiring more than 700 homes in 2013, and were ranked No. 7 in the country by Century 21 by volume for teams. They are a true one- stop shop when working with clients, as they source, underwrite and manage contracts/transactions, which includes managing the rehab, leasing and property management process.

“My desk is in the same room as my team, which goes a long way,” Christopher says. “They hear every pitch I make, every fire I put out, every way I go above and beyond. With an open office, everyone, including our interns, gets to be involved in and motivated toward the same goal.”

Throughout his 13 years in the industry, Christopher has capitalized on his background in professional sports, using the skills he honed to help him connect with clients and motivate team members. Those skills have also helped him become recognized as part of the top 1 percent of agents and ranked No. 3 in the nation by Century 21 in terms of units sold.

“I was a professional ski racer for many years, and I’ve also played rugby since I was 16, and still play,” he says. “Both sports gave me a strong mental focus and have created some amazing networking opportunities, for which I am very grateful.”

At the end of the day, Christopher is really just trying to make a difference and take advantage of every moment in life.

“My underlying focus is to help revitalize blighted neighborhoods,” he says. “As the market changes with institutional investors, there will be more opportunities to realize that goal, and I’m ready to seize them.”