2014 saw a lot of change and growth and collaboration at Be Realty. The year has come to a close and what could have been a better way to end the year on a high note but with Be Realty’s 3rd annual holiday party! Be welcomed clients, friends, family, business partners, vendors and even Cousin Eddie from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. This event is not only a way to celebrate the holidays, but a way to thank everyone who contributed to our success in person. This year our guests enjoyed delicious Pizano’s catering, festive cocktails as well as Be branded desserts of cupcakes and M&Ms. Each year this event gets bigger and better and we are so thankful for all those that were able to attend and help us celebrate. Here’s to an even better 2015!
We are pleased as punch with all of the strides we took. Below are some of the highlights.
The Firm
As is typical with any real estate company, we added some very outstanding talent and also saw some other quality individuals go on to pursue other opportunities. These three individuals were added and we expect that they will contribute to the success of Be Realty for many years to come. Joe Sutton comes to us as man of many talents who will contribute his wealth of business experience as part of the management team and who will help his close friends and family be where they want to be in 2015. Allen Rosales, a former owner of a real estate company, brings his experience back to the industry and will work in a part time capacity to help his previous client base who is also re-entering the market as it improves. Rachael Foster joins us in both an administrative assistant capacity and also as a budding young broker who will be an integral part of our sales team. And finally, Kelene Michalsen joined Be Realty just recently and will spearhead our marketing efforts and join our sales team as well.
We are excited to be talking to many bright and successful professionals who we hope will be listed in this section of our 2015 State of the Brokerage. Regardless, Be Realty is up to 10 agents and primed to grab more market share in the near future.
The Market
If this year were described by a book title, the Dickens classic, Tale of Two Cities, would be appropriate as this year was definitely two very distinct markets creating two distinct cities as seen through the eyes of the real estate community. With the exception of March through June, the market has remained more of a buyers market, though prices have been increasing throughout most of the city. During that exception period, the market was as hot as we have seen in a very long time. All types of homes were selling with multiple offers typically above asking and this drove prices even higher. Now, I wish I were a prognosticator so I could tell you exactly what will happen next year, but unfortunately I am not a groundhog and therefore cannot predict the market based on the appearance or lack thereof of my shadow.
The Neighborhood
Change has been the modus operandi of this neighborhood lately. Mostly due to the changes at Wrigley and the closing of IO (Improv Olympic) and Goose Island. Those two long time establishments have made way for a 100+ unit apartment building that has cleared some hurdles and should start to be constructed sometime in the future.
2015 and beyond
Be Realty has been hard at work these last two and a half years building all of the things that make the Be Realty experience unique for both our brokers and our clients, streamlined and special. These things are ready to unveil, utilize and profit from. We are proud of the hard work that has gone into that development. So, what are these things? While I can’t relay everything being done in our office, I will unveil that our Be Ready Guides for clients and the Ways to Be for brokers will make the home buying or selling process much easier and more predictable. This will benefit both our brokers and their clients. So please, give you Be Realty representative a call and ask them how they can help you with your real estate needs.