Option Realty Group
Helping people find happiness through real estate is Cory Tanzer’s favorite part of the job. Tanzer, owner/broker of Option Realty Group, will look back on 2017 as a milestone year. He reached the top 1 percent of Chicagoland real estate agents — completing more than 70 transactions including sales and rentals totaling upwards of $10 million. A trained negotiator, he found two clients off-market deals, no small feat in this highly competitive environment. “I sent letters, called and knocked on doors,” he says. “They were so happy when I was able to get them the homes of their dreams before others were able to see them.”
Clients say he is “super detailed” in explaining the homebuying process. They also appreciate his follow-up and the way he makes them feel like he is looking out for them, like only a member of the family would. “My clients often become friends after the transaction closes,” he says. “I am so lucky to have been invited to various baby showers, birthday parties and weddings for my clients.”
Option serves downtown Chicago and the western suburbs. Tanzer’s team of 11 agents and administrators accounted for more than 50 percent of the company’s sales. Tanzer has managed to double his office’s size each year. “I am proud to have helped new agents grow their business and really proud of growing my personal team.”
Tanzer formerly served as a district manager at Target Corporation, overseeing 11 stores with sales exceeding $1 billion and a budget of over $2.5 million to spend on his team and the stores. He was also responsible for 5,000 employees in the company’s downtown Chicago locations, experience he puts to use in real estate. When he trains other agents on customer service, it’s based on the models he learned at Target.
His passion for helping out in the community is evident in the time and financial support he contributes to Corazon Community Services, University Village Neighborhood associations and University of Illinois at Chicago Athletics. “Where I live, I organize monthly volunteer events that bring the community together,” he says. “I had more than 250 student athletes come out and clean up my community. This really made a positive impact on where I live and call home.”
