Jim Hankes’ roots run deep.

For over 100 years, the Hankes family has lived in the McKinley Park and the Bridgeport areas. He serves Chicago’s neighborhoods as well as the western and southern suburbs. Single-family homes, multi-unit investment buildings and vacant land listings are his specialties. During his four years in the industry, he’s become adept at helping seniors sell their homes, working with estate trustees and finding amicable solutions to complex family situations. Because he’s aware of the huge impact of online advertising, most of his listings sell in less than a week, at or over listing price.

By the end of May 2022, Hankes will have exceeded his 2021 sales and achieved his best year to date. He’s a member of the Chicago Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors. In addition, Hankes is a real estate negotiating expert and an accredited buyer representative. “I anticipate the buyer agent’s questions and have solid answers,” he says.

There are reasons clients call Hankes “the real deal.” When working with clients, he believes in open dialogue. “I’ll present the options and my professional opinion,” he says. “We won’t always agree on everything, but I’ll listen to their opinion, and they’ll listen to mine. Above all, we’ll respect each other and hopefully have some big fun along the way.” Clients praise Hankes for his compassion, professionalism and in-depth knowledge of the industry. His ability to remain calm under pressure is also valued. While striving to make transactions stress-free, he tells it like it is and is always ready for curveballs. “People tell me that I ask way more questions and my questions are much deeper than others,” he says. “I try to prepare for every possible outcome.” That’s what makes him different from other agents. That’s also why 100 percent of his clients are referrals from family, friends or satisfied former clients.