I’ve returned from my short — but not long enough — vacation, caffeinated and recharged. While you all were driving from one house showing to the next, rushing to beat city traffic and quickly stuffing your face with that breakfast bagel on the way, I, on the other hand, did nothing but sip fancy drinks, bask in the sun and post envy-inducing beach shots.
Meanwhile, my inbox eventually exploded with emails I definitely didn’t miss. Like the one from a seller who thinks their home is worth a million bucks because it has “character.” But fear not: I’ve returned to gently educate them on market realities and restore order to the real estate universe.
And the reality of the market is that big things are happening. Baird & Warner recently acquired Dreamtown, which is a huge move in the industry. I give props where props are due, and I must congratulate my good friends Steve B and Yuval, as well as the rest of their teams, on this exciting new chapter.
It’s hard to believe 2025 is halfway through, but that just means we’re one step closer to the Who’s Who special issue which publishes Aug. 25. It’s going to be a fantastic issue as we highlight once again the agents making their mark in the Chicago real estate industry.
The Chicago market may be playing it cool for now, but that’s not stopping our top agents from making waves in their own way. Sometimes the real hustle is steady persistence —and that’s exactly what you’ll see in this year’s Who’s Who.
Speaking of shaking things up, Joel Schaub from Rate and his wife (and business director), Christine — now 37 weeks pregnant — hosted their annual rooftop bingo with a delightful twist: Baby Bingo! It celebrated their soon-to-arrive daughter, of course, with bingo cards in one hand and baby onesies in the other. To keep the energy high (and appetites satisfied), they brought in a taco truck — because nothing says “real estate royalty” like tacos and bingo cards under the sun. Welcome to the world, Baby Rate! You’re already inheriting top-tier marketing skills, bingo prowess and an appetite for tacos.
I must also extend my congratulations to Sara O’Connor (A 2024 Who’s Who agent) on her engagement. May your foundation be strong and your love appreciate in value.
And if tacos aren’t exciting enough, July brings even more summer foods, with burgers and brats on the grill as we celebrate America’s birthday. And thankfully, we’ve been given 24 other reasons to party this month as we celebrate some stellar agents’ birthdays. Topping the list on July 4, we’ve got both Terry Anderson and Frank Montro, followed by Tracy Flanagan on the 5th. Sherri Southall joins the fun on the 7th, with Heather Gustafson following on the 8th. July 11 celebrates Ken Dooley and Julie Busby, and on the 12th is Janet Belieff. Jim LaHa takes the spotlight on the 13th, while Debora McKay shines on the 14th. July 15 brings a duo — Matt Farrell and Grace Sergio — and Andrew Perkins marks his day on the 16th. July continues strong with Erik Stegemann on the 18th, Joe McBreen and Bruce Beddard on the 19th, and Gail Spreen on the 21st. Connie Antoniou and John Federici both celebrate on the 22nd, with Mike Cuevas on the 23rd. Rounding out the month: Marj Carpenter on the 25th; Fran Broude, Ryan Holden and Paul Dincin on the 26th; and last but not least, Gordon Munden on July 31. Cheers to a July bursting with ruby-red birthdays and all the celebratory sparkle that comes with them.
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