Phil Byers

Realtor, Agent Coach and Trainer
Keller Williams

“Know what you do and more importantly, know what you don’t do.” That credo speaks volumes about Phil Byers’ philosophy on buying and selling real estate. After all, he is quite clear that he and his team focus exclusively on listing and moving condominiums, single-family homes and 2-4 flat apartment buildings on Chicago’s North Side. “When you focus on a specific area and property type, then you’re going to get really good at it, and that’s what’s happened for us,” he explains. Ten years after entering the industry, Byers’ track record attests to the accuracy of his guiding belief. His business surged from $12 million to $17 million in annual volume during the recent economic recession despite the fact the market was at a 50-year low.

Selling 33 homes in his first year as a full-time agent, Byers believes his previous corporate experience provided excellent training for his present career. “You learn about business etiquette, follow-through and commitment in a corporate setting,” he says, “and good or bad, you learn to work with lots of different people and personalities.”

Although his background strengthened his skills and know-how, real estate has since allowed him to chart his own future. “I have my own business; I make my own destiny and it’s liberating,” says Byers. “When I was a new agent it was mind-blowing to me that I could devise a unique client experience and I didn’t have to ask permission! I can be as creative as I want — and that makes it really fun.” He adds a critical aspect of his work is ensuring candid communication so buyers and sellers have all of the facts thanks to his team’s knowledge of the Chicagoland market. “We focus on being experts more than anything else,” he explains. “Any agent can list a home, but our goal is to understand the market very clearly and then help our clients understand it so that they can make informed decisions.”

Byers is excited about the new role he will soon assume as a coach for other agents through Keller Williams’ MAPS Coaching organization. He has already trained thousands of Realtors over the past decade as well as mentored dozens one-on-one, so this opportunity will further build on his passion to help colleagues enhance their real estate skills to achieve a win-win for their clients and themselves. “Seeing my fellow Realtors enjoy success is very inspiring to me,” Byers comments. “Selling homes is one thing; teaching others to build a business is something else.”