How I won Rookie of the Year!

Now in my third year of real estate here is what I know to be true: real estate is a wild ride! As you may recall, I launched my career in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic! While I was nervous in the beginning like everyone, 2021 actually turned out to be an incredible year for Busby Group, and me personally! In 2021 I saw a 300% increase in production, and won Compass Rookie of the Year - Bucktown! I was also nominated for the Chicago Agent Rookie of the Year - City, which was so fun and unexpected!

Needless to say, I learned a lot (you can read my four biggest takeaways from 2022 here)! I recently sat down and put my most recent learnings down on paper too. 

Availability is crucial: In Chicagoland, the spring market is a very real part of our real estate seasonality. Buyers and sellers alike are raring to go starting in early to mid-January, which means that from then until May/June, I work non-stop! If you ask my clients, they will tell you that I am always reachable. To stay competitive in our market, things have to happen quickly! From a volume perspective, things moved quickly for me too: by May 31 I had over $9M under contract, all of which closed by early August! 

Use time wisely: Since the real estate market is packed with activity during the first half  of the year, I like to think of ways to use the second, relatively quieter half to my clients’ advantage. For example, for several of my listings we took marketing photos last fall when the weather was still beautiful, but photographers, and home repair vendors were less in-demand. Now we are all set to list whenever the timing is right! We track market activity and as soon as we see an uptick we reach out to our clients to let them know it is probably a good time to begin to at least test the market!

Networks are everything: I very quickly learned that on and offline networks are how many transactions come together! I can’t tell you the amount of time I spent on Top Agent Network (only available to the top 10% of brokers in Chicago) and the Private Listing Network (PLN) looking for opportunities for my buyers. And, it paid off. Nearly all of my buyers bought properties before they even hit the market! For my sellers, I use TAN and PLN to test our price before we hit the market and then adjust accordingly. Busby Group also has an amazing network of brokers throughout Chicago and the country that we are in constant contact with regarding listings and opportunities.

Hands-on approach: While some brokers are strictly there for assistance with a real estate transaction, my approach is much more hands-on. For example, I had clients selling their home and they needed repairs made, spaces modified, walls painted and closets organized prior to listing. We quickly engaged a team to align and execute a plan within a very specific time-frame. Additionally, we brought in our landscaping crew to spruce up the outdoor space prior to our first open house.

When I look back at 2021, I think most about all of the amazing Chicagoans I was privileged to help buy or sell a home. It was truly a year I will never forget, and I can’t wait to see what this new year in real estate will bring. Thank you so much to all of my clients, friends and colleagues – nearly all of my business came from referrals and my personal network last year, which means the world to me!