Real estate was something I always wanted to work in. Growing up, my grandfather owned apartment buildings, and when I was in the army, I realized I wanted to own properties and work in real estate. I graduated with a degree in finance and urban economics and started right out of school. I worked in commercial real estate until 2004, and then I founded Charles Rutenberg Realty.

The challenge was, and continues to be, informing agents of opportunities with Charles Rutenberg. Recruiting is the lifeblood of any company, and as managing broker, my job is to continue to present our message to agents and why we make sense over another company. Over the years, 1,800 agents have joined us, and more than 700 agents are actively with us. I am always sure to have our resources in place, and maintain our policy that we have the best agents and provide support for those agents to run their business.

We’ve been named to Chicago Tribune’s list of top 100 places to work two years in a row. That’s amazing, because it’s not something you can purchase; it’s a third-party survey. Last year, we were ranked fourth on the list; I was impressed and proud.

RAY ZABIELSKI, MANAGING BROKER, CHARLES RUTENBERG REALTY, NAPERVILLE