Steve Engel looks for recruit leads like his agents look for clients. He works the phones, emails and texts.

“I did what my agents do for almost 27 years and did it pretty well,” says Engel, designated managing broker of Baird & Warner in Plainfield, which serves the entire Chicago area. “So, when I give them some advice, it comes from experience and not just something I read.”

Engel has 35 years of experience in the industry. He got his start in 1988, after walking into a Century 21 office and meeting with the owner broker. “I got pretty excited,” he recalls. “It was not the best time or market to get into real estate, but I thought to myself, ‘If you don’t try, you may regret that decision for the rest of your life.’” With that in mind, he took a class the next week, passed his state exams and immediately started working as a Realtor.

“They say if you enjoy or love what you do, you will never work a day in your life,” Engel says. “Well, I can tell you two things:  I love what I do and truly enjoy coming to work in the office every day. However, I can also tell you without hesitation that it takes work. Thank the good Lord that I enjoy that work.”

Engel coaches agents on the Baird & Warner Tech Stack, to make sure they use the tools that make the most sense for their business. To stay on top of market trends, he attends seminars, summits and classes, as well as networking events with local managing brokers.

He holds Short Sale Foreclosure Resource, Real Estate Negotiating Expert and Accredited Commercial Practitioner designations. A recent career highlight was speaking at the “Leading Real Estate Companies of the World Managing Broker’s Summit” about how negotiations have changed in today’s market.