Tired of the grind of corporate sales and a longing to “be his own boss,” Terry Kraus brought his abilities to the real estate industry nine years ago, where he began in Chicago’s downtown market and has since expanded to include the surrounding suburbs. After cutting his teeth as a luxury leasing agent, then moving on to a top-producing real estate team and leading his own Terry Kraus Group, he has now partnered with fellow agent Shelly Gubser to create the K&G Collective under COMPASS.

Recognizing that agents who work on a team also strive to achieve individual success, Kraus describes the newly formed collective as a group of like-minded agents that want to be able to build their own brands and still have the support of a team. “We all provide input and work together,” he explains.

His client base is primarily referrals, a testament to Kraus’s casual, “good vibes only” approach. “I like to laugh but I know when to get to business; it doesn’t have to be so stuffy. And when my clients want something, I do whatever I can to make it happen,” Kraus says. He uses tools such as his “first-time buyers’ TED talk,” which he crafted to break down the buying process in easily digestible terms for clients to understand.

The 20-year Chicago resident believes that with the recent changes in how the real estate business will operate going forward, having experience is more important than ever to set oneself apart from other agents. He also credits his success to his ability to connect with others. “I am just myself. I think people like and respect that,” he says.

Kraus unwinds by getting out of the city with his dogs. He is currently taking flight lessons, loves international travel and is training to trek to Mt. Everest base camp. “I don’t want to look back one day and say, ‘I wish I would have learned to fly’ or ‘I wish I would have traveled more,’” he says.