www.OwnACondo.com
9Apr/09Off

Chicago Real Estate Jobs and Careers

There are a number of Chicago real estate jobs that can provide you with a solid career that you will enjoy. You can find a number of different positions that are available in real estate. With the proper training and licensing you can become a residential or commercial real estate broker, a real estate salesperson, a property manager, or work as a real estate appraiser. There are also advertising Chicago real estate jobs available.

The most common position in real estate is as a residential or commercial broker. As a broker you may choose to specialize in selling residential or commercial properties or a combination of both. Brokers enjoy flexibility in their schedule and it is a great career in real estate if you have great people skills and a drive to succeed. Real estate brokers must pass a series of courses and a licensing exam in order to begin their career.

Real estate sales people also have to be licensed professionals that work for a specific developer or builder and represent their sales department. There are a number of Chicago buildings that are under development and employ a sales person to deal with prospective buyers and lessees. This is typically more of a nine to five type of real estate job.

Property managers are responsible for operating a real estate property. It may be a small apartment complex or a thousand unit condo. Property managers are often charged with collecting and depositing rent checks, finding or evicting tenants, and coordinating other general tasks such as repairs, cleaning, garden maintenance, landscaping and snow removal. While there is some flexibility in this job, it often encompasses odd hours in order to deal with complaints and emergencies.

Appraisers are licensed and trained to develop an opinion of the value of real property and to calculate its market value. Appraisers also have a lot of job and scheduling flexibility.

Realtors rely upon their advertising team to produce all advertising material and to assist them with placing their ads in other media sources. Advertising assistants produce brochures, fliers, and other printed materials in order to assist in the sale of properties. Advertising assistants also maintain real estate web-sites and update them daily in order to reflect the most current information.

These Chicago real estate jobs are great opportunities to begin a lucrative career in real estate depending upon your talents, time constraints and skill set. Real estate can be a great career for outgoing and enthusiastic job seekers.

23Mar/09Off

Condominium Specialist

You have found the condo of your dreams and are ready to buy but hold on.  You need to do some homework before you buy and find the perfect condominium specialist.  Not every real estate agent is a condominium specialist, in fact there are not that many.  Your condominium specialist can help you in many ways from showing you the properties in which you are interested all the way to getting the offer accepted and closing on that place you always wanted.  But hold on, there are a lot of things to think about.

Buying a condo is different from most single family homes because they have an association which can mean living in a pleasant environment or that nightmare you often hear about but your condominium specialist can help you make the right decision.  In regards to the condo association most people don't think about the association board meetings.  This is where you can find out about all about what the owners may be complaining about from the plumbing to the gardener's absence.  By getting a copy of the minutes of the association board meeting you will be able to tell what gripes the owners have and if the complex is having management difficulties.  Even if there are no complaints the minutes can tell you the types of projects that are under way or on tap that the owner may have neglected to tell you.  The minutes will also tell you the delinquency rates of the present owners which can be a sign of discontent or an indication the association might be underfunded.

When you are buying a single family home many people can do without an attorney but there is so much more involved when buying a condo.  Contact a local real estate lawyer who is familiar with condo associations and have them look over the by-laws.  Simple areas to investigate are if the association by-laws are consistent with state laws and do they coincide with the style of condo complex.  Your lawyer can also screen the association at the local courthouse to see if any owners may have filed a lawsuit against it.

Finding the right condominium specialist can be easy.  Go online and find the real estate company in your area who specializes in listing and selling condos.  Their website should have a plethora of information regarding all the ins and outs of buying or selling your condo.

19Mar/09Off

Hiring Chicago Real Estate Agents

Hiring Chicago Real Estate AgentsWhen the real estate market is booming hiring Chicago real estate agents is easy because there are literally thousands in which to choose.  Everyone wanted to be a real estate agent because they saw properties being sold in hours not days, agents making more money than ever before, a seemingly unending supply of buyers who wanted to cash in on easy credit and sellers eager to realize the equity they had in their homes or condos.  Everyone wanted the American dream of owning their own home.  But what about when the market is like it is today, fewer buyers, difficulty in getting credit, uncertainty of home values and a glut in the inventory of homes available for sale.  It is even more important today to hire the best real estate agent available with all the challenges facing buyers and sellers alike but where do you find them and how can you tell if they are the right person for the job. 

A good real estate agent can make or break your deal!  You will need to find the best real estate agency and agent to make certain you specific needs are being taken care of.  Many people think they do not need a real estate agent or they can do everything themselves.  Translation - they don't trust real estate agents because they have heard stories or don't really know what a real estate agent brings to the table that they can't do themselves.  Obviously, some buyers and sellers manage on their own quite well but that can depend on the market.  Hot seller markets are conducive to almost anyone putting their home on the market by putting a sign in the yard and waiting for all the buyers to come falling all over themselves to buy your home.  By today's standards we are not in a hot sellers market so what value can hiring a Chicago real estate agent bring to the transaction.  Probably the most important value a real estate agent can bring to you today is a qualified buyer.  That might sound very simple but with the tightening of credit a qualified buyer is not so easy to find.  Your experienced real estate agent knows the questions to ask and information to gather so when the contract is written you can be assured the buyer can fulfill their part of the bargain.   

Hiring a Chicago real estate agent can be easy with a few simple rules.  Research not only the agent but the real estate agency.  How long have they been in business?  How many transactions and what type have they closed in the past year?  Ask for letters of recommendation from past customers and clients.  A successful real estate agent and agency should be able to provide all of this information quickly and easily.

18Mar/09Off

Chicago Real Estate Jobs

Real estate agents are licensed professionals requiring completion of initial educational requirements and to maintain their license are required throughout their career to take continuing education courses.  It is not an easy task to become a licensed realtor and to succeed requires time, energy, creativity and money.  Most real estate agents are independent contractors which means they pay their own expenses no matter if the market is booming or bust.  As with most parts of the country Chicago real estate jobs are currently plentiful but opportunities are there for the taking if you have that entrepreneur spirit that most successful real estate agents possess. 

Most people think real estate agents do nothing all day but drive around in their big cars, show a few homes, go to the country club and pick up a big check every few weeks.  Nothing is further from the truth.  The true job description of a successful real estate agent is longer than most CEO's of major corporations.  Agents are small or big depending on their success, independent business owners who must be counselors, financial experts, expert negotiators, educators, marketing specialists, public relations experts, and more often than not a chauffeur.  When it comes to buying or selling real estate there is little a real estate agent does not do for their customer or client.

Chicago Real Estate JobsReal estate jobs in major metropolitan areas offer their own set of challenges and Chicago real estate jobs are no different.  Chicago is approximately 228 square miles covering over 77 different neighborhoods.  As an agent how do you choose what areas in which to work?  Obviously you would like to work close to home but that is not always possible or the best choice.  Agents many times travel long distances and work long hours to service their customers and clients.  Real estate agents derive most of their business from friends, family, and the referrals they generate which means they will list or show property over the entire metro area as well as surrounding suburbs and counties. 

The real estate business can be a rewarding career but not for the faint of heart.  The market offers many challenges and opportunities for those who possess that entrepreneurial spirit and are willing to put in the time and effort required to be successful.  For those of us who have made real estate a lifelong career there is no other job or career that can compare.

16Mar/09Off

Hiring a Chicago Realtor

Hiring a Chicago Realtor

You live in the Chicago area and you are thinking about selling your home or condo or maybe you are looking to purchase.  Hiring a Chicago Realtor can make the difference in how smoothly the transaction takes place.  You know there are thousands of Realtors in the city and suburbs but how do you know who is right for you.  Most real estate agents will want to come to your home, see the property, and discuss what marketing plans they use.  They will provide you with information about types of listings, price ranges, and comparables in the area in which your home or condo will be in competition with.  One of the first things you may want to do before they get there is do some research to see comparable prices in your area and who is selling properties in your area.  That way you will have some idea of what prices proposed by the agent are realistic and what might be overly optimistic.  Remember your goal is to sell your home at the highest possible value.  Hiring a Chicago realtor will accomplish this and make your life easier in the process.

Here are a few questions that will help you make the best decision.

  1.  How long have you been a licensed realtor?
  2. Do you live in the area and what areas do you cover?
  3. What services do you provide that other realtors may not?
  4. Do you offer additional services to assist in preparing my home to sell?
  5. How many homes have you sold in the past year and how long did it take to sell those homes?
  6. What do you estimate the average number of showings per week for my home?
  7. How long do you expect my home to be on the market and why?
  8. Do you use incentives if my home stays on the market for a long period of time?
  9.  Will my home be on the Multiple Listing Service and how quickly will I see it.
  10. Tell me why I should hire you over another agent?

  Hiring a Chicago Realtor that you trust to sell your home is of utmost importance.  The home you are selling was most likely the biggest financial investment you have made in your life as well as it has been your home, where you raised your family and have many fond memories.  It is never something to be taken lightly and your agent should be someone you trust with one of your most prized possessions.

15Mar/090

Chicago Real Estate Jobs

condosOwnACondo.com, a real estate firm out of the Chicago area has openings for Chicago real estate jobs.  We need real estate agents for full-time and part-time positions.  OwnACondo.com is a real estate brand that focuses on “condos only”.  By doing that, they’ve become the best in the condo business.  Through massive advertising, they generate over 50 leads per day.  They take these leads of people wanting to either buy or sell a Chicago condo, Miami condo, New York condo or Los Angeles condo and put them into the hands of our Real estate agents. 

Chicago real estate jobs are typically a managing broker of an office, followed by a few secretaries, a contract admin along with a bookkeeper an internet team.  These people typically do not sell real estate, but help service the salespeople who are commissioned based.

OwnACondo.com does not sell houses, apartment buildings, office complexes or vacant land.  They sell condos.  And lots and lots of them.  Since inception in 2000, OwnACondo.com has closed well over 4,000 condominiums in the Chicago area. In 2009, OwnACondo.com is on pace for closing over 1,000 condos in Chicago.  We need help.  We’re opening up a Chicago River North office in the second quarter of 2009.  We need salespeople to help not only with the leads coming in today, but for the amount of business we’ll be getting from the expansion.

If you are not a licensed realtor in the state of Illinois, the process for getting one is really not that difficult.  You’ll need to go to an approved real estate licensing school.  There are three ways you can take the 45 hours of classroom time.  You can do a class with a teacher in a classroom setting, do a self-study course on you can do an inline course.  This should take you no more than a week to accomplish.  Once you’ve passed the class, you’re on your way.  The next step, and the hardest step, is now you have to pass the state exam.  Though it is less than 200 questions, do not take the test lightly.  I’ve seen many intelligent people fail this.  Study hard and you’ll be fine.

Chicago real estate jobs are all over the area.  Companies are constantly looking to recruit great talent.  If you have a license, or soon to be, and would like to talk to OwnACondo.com about selling real estate, call 877.627.5543 and we’ll go over all the info that will help you get started.

10Mar/090

Hiring Chicago Realtors

OwnACondo.com is hiring Chicago Realtors for our Chicago office.  We are looking for real estate agents full and part time to become the fastest growing condo real estate brokerage in the United States.  We will opening a Chicago River North office over the next month and need to fill positions for the amount of servicing we’re expecting to have.

In April and May of 2009, we will have PR announcements all over the area of our arrival and expect to be inundated with leads of people needing help in either buying or selling a Chicago condo.  We will need to hire Chicago Realtors immediately.  If you are a licensed real estate agent and would like to get more information on this position, please call us at 877.627.5543.  We’ll be able to do a quick phone interview laying out all the OwnACondo.com information you need.  If it seems like an initial fit, we’ll schedule a full one hour interview so you can see our facilities and our plans for the future.

We’ve been in business as a brokerage since 1997, but only represented our own personal developments. In 2006, OwnACondo.com broke through and decided to become a full service condo brokerage representing everyone that wanted to either buy or sell a condo.  Today we have over 80 real estate agents on our team and expect to grow to 200 by the end of 2009.  We except full and part time realtors into OwnACondo.com.  We understand that many real estate agents need a helping hand to get started in this business.  The agents that have to work this business part-time usually want to be fulltime realtors if they were able to make enough of money to quit their first job.  That’s where we come in.  Our extensive training is second to none and will have you up and running very fast.  We also provide a ton of leads from having all the advertising on the streets of Chicago as we do.  Today we have more than 400 outdoor impressions up all over Chicago.  This brings in at least 50 leads every single day in to the doors of OwnACondo.com.  We need realtors to help us with these leads.  We not only give them to you in real time, but train you weekly so that you’ll get better and better on your closing skill sets. 

OwnACondo.com is located in Oak Brook, Illinois and is open seven days a week.  If you would like to schedule an interview about becoming a real estate agent for OwnACondo.com, please call us at 877.627.5543.

4Mar/090

Chicago Real Estate Jobs

OwnACondo.com can be found under the classifieds “Chicago Real Estate jobs” due to an immediate need for hiring real estate agents.  OwnACondo.com is located in Oak Brook, Illinois and currently has a total of eighty real estate agents.  They are looking to open an office in the River North area in the second quarter of 2009 to continue their expansion plans.  If you’re interested in learning more about selling real estate in Chicago, please contact us at 877.627.5543 to go through the details about becoming an OwnACondo.com real estate agent.

OwnACondo.com has been in business over ten years now, but back in 1997, when it started, it was known as Brookshire Investments, a commercial real estate firm that helped to service the conversion of apartments to condos.  As time went on, a new name was needed for the website domain.  OwnACondo.com was chosen for the ease of memory.  The year was 2000. Since then, the OwnACondo.com domain was used to put on buildings that were being converted to condos throughout the years 2000 through 2007.  In 2006 it branched off and became a full-service “condo brokerage” that serviced everyone opposed to just the condos its affiliate company would buy.  It started by putting its name on the right field wall of the White Sox, billboards on expressways, radio, print media and much more.  Not long after that, the word started spreading about OwnACondo.com as being “the best place to buy and sell condos”, which eventually turned into their tag line.

Today, when people are looking for Chicago real estate jobs, a company to take a serious look at is OwnACondo.com.  The difference is really in the culture.  At OwnACondo.com, it’s all about condos.  The real estate agents learn more about condos than in any other company. Thus, they become specialists, all-stars.  They do nothing but eat, drink and sleep Chicago condominiums.  They continue to market, just as they did out of the gate in 2006 by focusing on branding and marketing.  As of this writing, they have more than 400 outdoor impressions bringing in over 50 registered leads that either want to buy or sell a condominium every single day.  As the company takes on more projects, more agents and more leads, they will eventually begin the process of building the brand nationally.  OwnACondo.com will be opening offices in Miami, Los Angeles and New York over the next eighteen months.

Most of the real estate agents that come to OwnACondo.com rave about the training over anything else in the company.  Maureen Nesbitt, an agent for OwnACondo.com for over ten years puts it, “OwnACondo.com will give you plenty of leads form all of its marketing, but they care more about closing deals than anything else.  They close more condos than anyone because they train their realtors better than anyone.”