Realtors Open Their Little Black Books to Chicago Agent

Agents highlight the affiliates that help make them a success

The real estate industry has a variety of facets, and all of the different professionals must work together to get deals done. Realtors are the ones in the spotlight, but behind the scenes helping out are landscape artists, stagers and handymen – not to mention the more prominent fixtures such as lenders, inspectors and title companies. Buying and selling real estate takes a whole army of professionals, and each one serves a special and important function.

For Chicago Agent’s recent issue, the focus was on taking a look inside agents’ “Little Black Book.” CA approached a number of top Realtors throughout the Chicagoland area to reveal which affiliates they are unable to live without. In an industry where referrals mean everything, it was important to the Realtors to give a shout out of appreciation to the affiliates that have served them well over the years. Additionally, the guide is invaluable to new agents and veterans alike who often find themselves in need of that go-to person to help get deals done.

“I have many referral partners, but it's great to see who other Realtors partner with to keep their business running smoothly and clients happy,” says Kimberly Adams with Dreamtown Realty. “The Little Black Book is a very useful guide because in a pinch it adds more go-to-guys to my cache when clients need an answer or problem fixed right away.” Other agents have remarked on the issue enhancing their ability to find affiliate contacts in neighborhoods they’re not as familiar with, adding to their ever-changing arsenal of knowledge and contacts.

The 10 Realtors selected for the cover story were each given a list of go-to affiliate positions and asked to name their favorite in each. Some chose to concentrate on a specific few, while others highlighted a number of favorites in each category. Affiliate positions included attorney, lender, photographer, insurance, inspector and landscaper. At the end, each was asked to include one more affiliate they couldn’t live without, and the responses were varied. Merry Juell with @properties on the North Shore often utilizes the Wilmette Chamber of Commerce, while Pat Brown-Wyrick of RE/MAX Team 2000 in Orland Park relies on Rite-a-way chimney sweep.

To complement the cover story, the rest of the issue focuses on stories that will help Realtors choose the right people to make their buying and selling team complete, such as a story on picking the right stager. Also, rather than highlight a Realtor in the popular Agent Snapshot feature, CA features inspector James Clark of True Blue Home Inspections, Inc., who revealed that his greatest accomplishment is that his play, “Visiting the Lincolns,” has been running for 15 years.

The Little Black Book issue arrived in offices on Monday, June 21.