Nathan Binkley and John Vossoughi
Brokers
@properties
Ask John Vossoughi and Nathan Binkley what most inspires them about Chicago and the answer is simple: Chicago. “I love this city, its architecture and its people,” Vossoughi expresses, and partner Binkley echoes his sentiments. “I wanted to work in real estate the minute I moved to Chicago because its buzz, architecture, views and ever-changing market mean there’s never a dull moment.” Their passion and enthusiasm for The Windy City are as genuine as the service they deliver to their clients, which stellar statistics make clear. In the past two years, the team, now known as The Boss Group (a combination of Binkley and Vossoughi), has boasted a 3 percent difference in list-to-sale price and $58 million in sales, making them the top producers at the @properties River North Office since 2013.
Vossoughi, who has a degree in economics, and Binkley, who has a degree in finance, are numbers people. Their keen understanding of concepts like supply and demand and property valuation gives them a competitive edge when writing bids for buyers and negotiating offers for sellers. “This year, I’ve been a part of deals where I’ve negotiated $350,000 off the list price for a client even as I’ve had clients pay over the asking price in a multi-bid situation,” explains Vossoughi. “In those over-bid instances, my goal is to secure the property for the least amount over asking as possible, and knowing how to gauge value means knowing how to predict what other people are willing to pay for a certain type of home. An inexperienced agent will have a lot of difficulty pinpointing how to do that.”
Binkley adds that this understanding of market conditions also informs real estate strategy and drives the team’s marketing approach. “If I’m selling your home, then I’ll actively recruit buyers through direct mailings to renters and outreach to other brokers who might have buyers,” he says. “And if I’m finding you a home to purchase, then I’ll create a marketing campaign that’s customized to what you need and want.”
In fact, Vossoughi confidently puts his money where his mouth is when he guarantees outstanding results thanks to his industry knowledge. This was no more evident than when he assumed negotiations for his parents’ property purchase in the western suburbs, promising an exact closing date to assuage the seller’s nerves and backing it with a cash offer for each day beyond that date. “I didn’t do this because the buyers were my parents, but because I was certain the deal would close on time,” The Boss Group founder remembers. “The issues that had come up weren’t insurmountable, so I stepped in, got the transaction closed on time and everyone was a winner.”
Crediting their families, exemplars like @properties founders Mike Golden and Thad Wong, and of course, the city itself for their success, the pair anticipates even greater accomplishments because of a deep commitment to professionalism and people. “We take a great deal of pride in being experts in the market we work in,” Binkley says, “and the people we work with make this the best job in the world.” Vossoughi wholeheartedly agrees. “Witnessing the process of buying and selling firsthand and helping people through such a monumental life experience is a really cool thing to be part of.”