Compass
Jason Rowland enjoys the journey of a transaction, and likes to think that feeling resonates with his clients in Chicagoland. “I have had first-time homebuyers, in time, turn into investors of multiple properties,” says Rowland, a broker with Compass. “So you never know who or where a deal can take your book of business.”
His biggest, most recent “win” was from a random mailer he nursed via email and phone calls for two years, prior to finally locking in a meeting with the prospective client. “The meeting led to a series of tours for a 2/3 flat that eventually led to a deal and now has become a second transaction,” he says. “Persistence absolutely provided the victory on this one.”
Every morning, Rowland wakes up excited about the “hunt” of finding a new client or buttoning up a current deal and touring or showing a property. “It’s what keeps me and my team focused and hungry,” he says, noting he doubled his team to six brokers this year. “This industry provides no safety nets and no weekly paycheck for hours worked, so it’s critical to keep the short-, mid- and long-term pipeline growing.”
A Chicago Associations of Realtors (CAR) Top Producer every year since 2014, Rowland also placed in CAR’s Top 1 Percent of brokers in 2015, an honor that gained him access to the Top Agent Network. “Any way you can get an edge up on the market and provide an option not readily available on the public-facing websites is a huge advantage,” he says. Also, his relationships with other brokers have led to deals that might otherwise not have come together.
After 13 years in the industry, Rowland knows that whether it’s a commercial or residential transaction, the rule “time kills deals” holds very true.
He started in commercial real estate as a director of technology and marketing for ONCOR International, now part of Realogy. “I was fortunate enough to meet many high-level brokers around the country,” he says. “I learned a variety of skills from these brokers that have translated to today’s residential real estate model.”
An avid archery enthusiast, he enjoys shooting first thing in the morning at the lakefront archery range, with the city skyline as a backdrop.
