Monday, February 20, 2012

Raising the Bar

Innovation Drives @properties' Growth

FEBRUARY 2012

We're successful when you're successful. @properties looks back on a very successful 2011 and looks forward to an even better 2012.

Gaining Market Share
@properties finished 2011 as the #1 brokerage firm in Chicago for the third straight year, with a 13.6% share of the city market. Our Lincoln Park and Bucktown offices were #1 and #2 in the city respectively for total sales volume. On the North Shore, @properties nearly doubled its sales volume from 2010 (+82%) and has become the second largest North Shore brokerage firm just two years after entering the market. With over $256 million in sales, our Winnetka branch had the highest sales volume of any single North Shore real estate office.

Outperforming the Market
@properties' innovative sales, marketing and technology initiatives also helped our clients sell their homes faster and for a higher percentage of asking price than the competition. Among the city's largest brokerage firms, @properties ranked first in two key efficiency measures: average days on market (166) and percentage of selling price to original listing price (92%). Meanwhile on the North Shore, @properties sold homes 43 days faster than the market average (144 days vs. 187 days), and our selling-price-to-original-listing-price ratio of 89% was also #1 among any firm with at least $150 million in annual sales.

Always Improving
With over 20 seasoned agents in place, @properties opened the doors to its Lake Forest office on Feb. 3. This spring, we will continue our North Shore expansion with a new, state-of-the-art office in downtown Highland Park. But now more than ever, real estate business is also conducted from the car, the coffee shop and the sidewalk. That's why @properties has introduced new mobile technology to make shopping for a home more convenient than ever before. Meanwhile, our new Seller Reports will keep home sellers apprised of key information, including web activity and market conditions, relating to their property.

As the real estate market improves, @properties will continue to enhance our industry-leading Internet, print and grassroots programs to serve you better. Your success is our success, and we are working extremely hard every day to help you realize your real estate goals. With utmost gratitude for your business and referrals, here's to a successful 2012.