Ron Ruby
Broker/Owner
Weichert, Realtors - First Chicago
Live each day like it is your last
L to R: Phil Burnstine, Tara Furnari, Chloe Glass, Allison Nichols, Jamie Bernhardt, Ron Ruby, Elise Wiss, Yu-Ling (CoCo) Hou and Jerry Houlihan
The Facts
How many years have you been a managing broker? 11
How many years have you been in real estate? 21
How many full time agents are in your office? 28 full-time agents, 12 part-time
The Details
What kind of marketing assistance do you provide? We have an in-house marketing department, top-of-the-line color printer and a vast array of excellent marketing materials developed by Weichert corporate. We provide our agents with a full complement of marketing, including direct mail, e-blasts, signs, newsletters, PR releases, web support, print and online advertising and custom design services.
How are you approaching the challenges of the current market? We continue to concentrate on the fundamentals: training, marketing, and excellent customer service. In addition, we have revamped our website and are heavily investing in providing leads and lead management tools to our agents. We have also expand ed our REO and short sale business.
What kind of training do you provide? New agents enter “Fast Track,” an intensive four-week training program designed to teach skills necessary to close deals quickly. This is coupled with the Weichert mentoring program and weekly I-call sessions, which provide one-on-one, hands-on transactional guidance. For experienced agents, we offer an intensive two-day overview “Fast Track” program. Weichert University is an online portal available to all of our agents, and Weichert conducts numerous webinars and has frequent local and national events with the top speakers in the industry.
What support does your executive leadership provide?
Joining Weichert is the best business decision I’ve ever made. Everyone, from the top leadership on down, is genuinely committed to providing us with the tools and systems needed for us and our agents to succeed. While still locally rooted in the Chicago community, we have all the benefits of being part of the largest privately owned real estate company in the U.S. with annual revenue of over $70 billion. Weichert provides quality, scrubbed leads through its multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art call center and also through Weichert Relocation, the nation’s third largest relocation company. Weichert provides training and marketing as mentioned above. Additionally, we have our own business development consultant and regional service manager to help ensure the continued, solid growth of our company.
About You — Ron Ruby
What makes you different than any other managing broker? I have a broad knowledge of all areas of real estate including development, commercial, residential, sales and leasing. I also have a strong desire and passion to mentor others and I am always available for my agents.
What do you like most about the neighborhood where you work? River North and Streeterville are two of the most vibrant and exhilarating neighborhoods in Chicago. Everything is within walking distance- restaurants, shops, theaters, public transportation, Lake Michigan and the Mag Mile.
What is your favorite part about being a managing broker? I enjoy training and mentoring agents, helping them set goals and sharing in their excitement whenever they succeed.