Keeping It Real Podcast • Secrets Of Top 1% REALTORS ® • Interviews With Real Estate Brokers & Agents

Hasani Steele dropped by to discuss how he morphed from traditional real estate broker into niche renovator and investor with his company Steele Consulting Group. Hasani attributes part of his success to the disciplined he installed by playing college football for Northwestern University. The Chicago Association of REALTORS® has recently named Hasani “Renovator of the Year” and you’ll learn why he absolutely deserves this title by listening to this incredible interview! Hasani Steele can be reached at 877.724.0070 or via his website.  

Luminita Ispas is originally from Romania and her initial real estate goal was to construct the tallest building in Europe. While that’s still a future goal, for now she’s become one of Chicago’s most successful brokers! She believes educating her clients in achieving financial freedom through real estate investing. She has been teaching these seminars for 15 years and still does to this day! Lumi is also finishing up a book about this very topic coming out next year! Luminita Ispas can be reached at 773.392.2906 and luminita.ispas@century21.com To attend one of Lumi’s seminars… Date: Last Saturday of every month Location: 1161 W Madison, Chicago, IL 60607

Karen Ranquist has been not only a top producer for the past twenty years, but an involved top producer! In addition to earning a spot in the Berkshire Hathaway Hall of Fame, she’s also served on many boards and helped shape the Chicago broker market. We’re honored she took an hour out of her schedule to talk about how she got into the business, what advice she has for brokers looking to increase production, and the importance of giving back to the community. Karen Ranquist can be reached at 312.475.4542 and kranquist@KoenigRubloff.com

Robin Phelps Hanson of The Phelps-Hanson Group has crossed over 20 million in annual production this year. However, she feels she could have done it much faster! We discuss her rise to being a top producer, challenges she faced, and what she wished she would have known back when she started. This is a perfect episode to check out if you’re interested in what a rising superstar in the real estate industry does on a daily basis to keep moving forward! Robin Hanson can be reached at robinphelps@atproperties.com or 773.469.5423.

Top 1% producer Mike Opyd has a bone to pick with traditional real estate firms. He feels brokers are paying WAY too much for the value they receive. At REMAX Next (the firm Mike co-founded) brokers choose their own commission structure and create their own branding. He believes in “disrupting” the established relationship of a broker to their firm, and compensating them higher at the same time. Mike is also a big believer in coaching and mentoring, and talks about how he maintains his own successful individual practice. Mike Opyd can be reached at 312.929.8910 and mike@remaxnext.com

Welcome to the December edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick! In this episode Carrie talks about how attached inventory is up almost 20% from last year and how “boomerang buyers” are poised to make 2019 a huge sales year. She also helps a listener convert more open-house leads into customers. I provide a marketing tip around door-to-door lead generation! Carrie can be reached at carrie@atproperties.com or by phone at 312.961.4612.

Mike McElroy is a top producer that attributes much of his efficiency to systems. He believes in empowering his brokers with these processes to help them grow their own practices. In our conversation, Mike deep dives into his favorite systems, tools, and technology that drive his business. We discuss the importance of mentorship, coaching and how his firm, Center Coast Realty, stresses culture to create an environment for his brokers to thrive. Mike McElroy can be reached at mike@centercoastrealty.com and 312-561-4095

Top 1% producers Grace Goro and Julia Brenner have been best friends since 6th grade. In this episode they get specific on how they started their real estate business, why personal notes and pop-byes have been paramount to their success, and why professionalism helps differentiate them from the other 35k real estate brokers in Chicago. Grace Goro can be reached at Grace@GoroBrennerGroup.com and 312.720.7589 Julia Brenner can be reached at Julia@GoroBrennerGroup.com and 312.720.7589

Kati Spaniak has a goal for each of her Spaniak Team members – to help them become a top 1% producer like her. In our in-depth conversation, Kati discusses the importance of specializing geographically and how starting a Northbrook roundtable meetup group helped supercharge her practice. Kati also talks about how building a team took her business to the next level and freed up time for friends and family! Kati can be reached at kati@spaniakteam.com or 847-379-8813.

Nick Libert wants every broker to ask themselves this question – “What is my brokerage doing for me?” Nick coaches and mentors every agent in their Exit Realty office to help them exceed their sales goals. He also believes in the importance of giving back and currently serves on multiple real estate boards. Over the years Nick has grown his office into the third most successful Exit firm in the country. In addition to all of this, Nick is also a Top 1% Chicago broker! Nick Libert can be reached at 312.493.0920 and nick@nicklibert.com.  

Top 1% producer Amy Diamond of the Deal With Diamond Group understands the importance of specialization. Her team focuses in the north and northwest suburbs and are real estate experts in those areas. In this episode Amy discusses branding, teamwork, and how she built a Facebook group (not about real estate) to over 1800 members. Oh, and she’s in the top 1% of brokers in Chicago and also at NRT – the largest real estate firm in the United States! Amy Diamond can be reached at 847.867.6997 and amy@dealwithdiamond.com.

Top 1% producer Eric Workman of Green Street Homes has built a successful business working with investors. In our conversation Eric shares how he finds opportunities for his team, why every broker should be investing, and how building a property management business has led to even more brokerage transactions. If you’ve ever considered becoming a real estate investor or learning what it takes to work with them, this is the episode for you! Eric Workman can be reached at 630-408-5582 and eric@greenstreethomes.com.

Superstar Rachel Hausman and The Hausman Team close over 100 million in gross production every year. In our conversation Rachel talks about how she built her business from the ground up – in the first year she closed 18 transactions. Now, she closes 150 deals a year! Her mom, Andee, was the inspiration for starting in the business, and she learned the importance of going the extra mile for her clients, which has resulted in repeat clients and rave reviews. On average she sells a home every three days! Contact Rachel at 847-217-3019 and rachel@thehausmanteam.com.

Top producer Erin Mandel considers herself a “vessel of communication” for her clients. Aside from being a top producer at the largest real estate firm in Chicago, she has served on many boards including YPN, CAR, IAR, and WCR. Listen to our conversation and learn why almost 100% of Erin’s business is repeat clients, and why developers choose her exclusively to sell their highest priced properties. Erin can be reached at 312.399.0848 and erin@atproperties.com.

Welcome to the November edition of Monday Market Minute with Carrie McCormick! In this episode Carrie talks about how inventory is slightly down from last year, but homes are selling almost 20 days faster! Carrie also answers the common seller question, “Should I wait until after the holidays to list?” I provide a marketing tip around professional photography – floor plans! Congratulations to Carrie for winning Best Dressed in the Chicago Agent Magazine 2017 Agents’ Choice Awards. Carrie can be reached at carrie@atproperties.com or by phone at 312.961.4612.