Entrepreneur and Chicago-area native Paul Frischer doesn’t look at the bottom line to determine his success — instead, he reads his client testimonials. “Every single one of those relationships — past, present or future — is my obsession,” he admits.
Though Frischer obtained his license only three years ago, he’s worked with the real estate industry for nearly 35 years doing renovations, rehabs and commercial and residential property management. Before earning his degree in psychology and urban planning from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, he spent time in Los Angeles working with the head purchasing agent for an international general contracting firm.
Real estate isn’t Frischer’s first taste of entrepreneurship — after founding The Discover Cafe in Lincoln Park in 1991, he opened a home advisory company called Universal Services. In the years after, he expanded his commercial real estate presence with ventures like the Music Reclyclery chain and Market Fresh Books, a unique bookstore concept in downtown Evanston, before jumping into real estate full time in 2019. “I’m built to identify opportunities and maximize them through negotiation,” he says.
Since then, Frischer has been enjoying the responsibility of representing every client with the utmost attention and care. “I decided to use my experience with contracts, real estate, construction, finance, management, education and people skills to work for others,” he explains.
Whether Frischer is representing the buyer or seller, he is laser-focused on attaining the best outcome, often above and beyond the obvious goals. For example, last year Frischer found a diamond-in-the-rough opportunity for clients who were investors, successfully closed it, and subsequently relisted and sold the multiunit property at 32% above the purchase price in just four months.
“I can’t explain how good it makes me feel to work with a wide range of clients to set up these opportunities,” notes Frischer.
Despite his short tenure as an agent, Frischer ranks among the top 2% of agents at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago and was honored to receive Berkshire Hathaway’s Chairman’s Circle Gold award in 2022.
