Ericka Rios, Founder and Director of Leasing
Kati Baker, CEO
As a women-owned-and-led boutique brokerage, Downtown Apartment Company has a strong brand identity with a white-glove service that sets it apart from others in the industry. Ericka Rios, founder and director of leasing, and CEO Kati Baker have worked together for almost 15 years and continue to complement each other well. Both find great importance in providing unlimited coaching and support to their strong team culture of agents who have worked together for years. They are like family.
Rios, a real estate veteran, focuses on developing new agents and supporting the company’s experienced team members. She also manages the leadership team and fosters relationships with property management partners. Prior to becoming CEO, Baker was in charge of building the team, hand- picking many of their top agents. Now introducing new ideas to the company, she is responsible for business development, daily operations and strategies. “Such a fast-paced market requires a lot of knowledge and coaching, which we provide to our tight-knit, professional team,” the duo shares. “Our team members work together and support each other, which helps our entire company succeed.”
Downtown Apartment Company belongs to Chicagoland Apartment Association, and Baker serves on the board of the Chicago Loop Alliance. With a retail-style office in the gallery district of River North, they focus on residential leasing in the downtown luxury high-rise market including Gold Coast, River North, Streeterville, Loop, South Loop, West Loop and Fulton Market. “We bring a lot of professionalism to the real estate leasing industry,” the team says. “We know how to effectively qualify our clients and stay on top of the market, allowing us to provide an efficient service that the industry lacked.”
Rios and Baker agree that integrity is most instrumental to their success. “Our agents have the client’s best interest at heart. They take the time to get to know them, in order to help them find their perfect home,” they say. “This level of care keeps our clients coming back and referring us to their friends and family.”
