As a former high school football coach, Laki Hatzelis knows what it means to work hard toward a specific goal. Though Hatzelis’ sports coaching days are over, he still enjoys leading a team, whether it be in the office, through social media or in the field of marketing.

Hatzelis considered both coaching and teaching as possible career paths, but his desire to run his own business ultimately led him to explore the real estate industry. He is now a broker and owner at RE/MAX 10, which has six locations throughout Chicagoland. Hatzelis works with a variety of clients, but referrals, family and friends make up the majority of his personal transactions. In fact, Hatzelis enjoys working with family on a daily basis. “My mother is my business partner and the Pippen to my Jordan, so to speak,” he says. “I have a great support staff at work that includes my father and brother.”

The team’s biggest accomplishment within the past year has been the opening of its sixth office. In the past, Hatzelis had usually purchased existing offices, which provided a strong foundation to start with. This time, he looks forward to opening the doors himself and growing from there. “We already hold top market share and have agents doing lots of business there,” he says. “So recruiting to the office will be fun and exciting — agents won’t want to miss out!” In the next year, Hatzelis says their goal is to expand to 10 offices and 1,000 agents across the company.

In 2018, Hatzelis and his team earned the RE/MAX Eagle Award for recruiting the most agents in the region. In 2017, RE/MAX gave Hatzelis its Trendsetter Award, and in 2016, his team received the RE/MAX Excellence in Technology Award for developing a backend system in its region. Furthermore, RE/MAX also recognized Hatzelis as its broker-owner of the year in 2014.

Each of the team’s six offices is partnered with the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, and Hatzelis loves helping with the cause. He also enjoys going to Bears games, watching movies and working out.