Ray Zabielski

Managing Broker
Charles Rutenberg Realty

When Ray Zabielski, a 40-year industry veteran and managing broker of Charles Rutenberg Realty, puts his mind to something, he makes it happen. In his career with Charles Rutenberg Realty, he has grown the company, and his agents, over the last nine years. The brokerage ranked 14th in overall production among all member firms of MRED in 2012. His new goal? To move the company up those ranks so it is within the top five in the next five years.

No goal is too lofty for Zabielski. His dedication to achieving goals is further expressed in how he helps his agents grow – he makes sure to respond to their questions and challenges quickly, share in their excitement when they achieve their own goals and works to make sure they have access to the latest technologies to help their businesses. For example, Zabielski reviews and approves every entry added to his company’s private website, AgentsShare.com, where more than 700 CRR agents can research more than 11,400 questions and answers about different scenarios that come up on the job. Zabielski is proud that AgentsShare.com, in existence since 2005, brings a depth of experience to his agents that is unavailable at any other firm.

Charles Rutenberg Realty’s business model also differs from other companies where agents retain their full commission. Charles Rutenberg Realty has been named to the Chicago Tribune’s yearly Top 100 Workplaces list two years in a row, and Zabielski suspects his business model plays a part.

“With our business model, I truly enjoy the excitement agents experience when they are able to retain the full commission, less the small company transaction fee,” he says. “I have been able to make real estate fun again for hundreds of Chicago-area agents.”