Northern Illinois Launches dotloop™ Digital Transaction Solution for Its 2,200 Brokers; New Platform to Wow Clients with Maximum Efficiency and Mobility RE/MAX Northern Illinois, a privately held RE/MAX region and Chicagoland’s real estate leader since 1989, has introduced dotloop™ to its network of 102 independently owned and operated offices with 2,200 brokers in the northern Illinois area. This online collaboration platform allows RE/MAX Northern Illinois affiliates to provide clients with the most comprehensive and modern paperless transaction solution on the market today. With a central userfriendly online portal, agents and clients are able to securely collaborate in real time and with maximum mobility, across a broad range of devices, including an iOS app. RE/MAX Northern Illinois real estate offices are now able to provide clients with a start-to-finish collaborative experience via dotloop. Documents can be collaboratively prepared and seamlessly shared with relevant parties for secure and verifiable electronic signatures. The platform also provides a digital forum for all parties in a real estate transaction to negotiate offers. Relevant parties, such as attorneys, tax advisors and mortgage and title companies, are all able to be included in a “loop.” The real-time availability of each document gives the client and the broker the freedom to negotiate, edit and review transactions instantly and wherever they are. dotloop provides RE/MAX Northern Illinois Broker/Owners the features they need to organize, track and collaborate with agents about the status of every real estate deal filed in their offices. RE/MAX Northern Illinois is working closely with the dotloop team to train brokers and affiliates on how they can best set up workflow templates to track the required documents and tasks. These templates include a real-time dashboard and social messaging, which communicate the status of documents. Long-
term storage, including client access to documents, delivers a comprehensive platform for broker compliance. Casey Reagan, RE/MAX Northern Illinois Chief Technology Officer and a member of the dotloop advisory council on paperless solutions, says the new digital transaction platform’s key benefits are the mobility and efficiency it delivers for both agent and client. “We are excited to work with dotloop on our digital transaction platform, which will make real estate transactions quicker and more efficient than ever before. This solution is a valuable piece in our initiative to provide integrated technology to our offices so they can continue to provide their clients with best-of-class service. We will leverage our experienced, technical resources to integrate this offering into our current client-facing and backoffice systems. Combined with local support and training, our affiliates will get a powerful package that will ‘wow’ clients with superior efficiency to meet today’s demanding market,” Reagan said. Austin Allison, CEO of dotloop adds, “Real estate is a peoplefirst business, and dotloop was created for that very reason, to put the focus back where it belongs – on people not paper. We’re proud to work with RE/MAX Northern Illinois for many reasons, but most notably because of their leadership and history of putting people first by offering top technology solutions to their agents and offices. Together, dotloop will empower RE/MAX agents to save up to 10 hours per transaction, deliver more efficient consumer experiences and close deals 40 percent faster.” The RE/MAX Northern Illinois paperless solution is currently being offered to RE/MAX affiliates in the northern Illinois region as part of its technology program.
NEWS in Northern Illinois
November/December 2014
Northern Illinois Brokers Take Leadership Positions at Local and State Boards for 2015 The following RE/MAX Northern Illinois Real Estate brokers hold leadership positions at Realtor Associations at both the local and state level. ®
Illinois Association of Realtors® Director Tom Krettler, RE/MAX Unlimited Northwest, Palatine
Oak Park Area Association President Jane McClelland, RE/MAX in the Village, Realtors®, Oak Park
Director Christopher Tenggren, RE/MAX Great American North, St. Charles
Director Marion Digre, RE/MAX in the Village, Realtors®, Oak Park
Hometown Association of Realtors® President Ed Cox, RE/MAX Sauk Valley, Sterling
Quad City Area Realtor® Association President Tyler Fuhr, RE/MAX Blackhawk Valley, Andalusia
President-Elect Rorry Heide, RE/MAX Experience, Sycamore Director Brian Corwell, RE/MAX Sauk Valley, Sterling
Realtor® Association of the Fox Valley President Bobbie Gerbrecht-Grayson, RE/MAX Great American North, St. Charles
Mainstreet Organization of Realtors® President Pradeep Shukla, RE/MAX Renaissance, Des Plaines
Past President Dave Richert, RE/MAX Town and Country, Aurora
Director
Karen Irace, RE/MAX Synergy, Orland Park
North Shore – Barrington Association President Elect Keith Hancock, RE/MAX Villager, Glenview Director Michelle Shoemaker, RE/MAX Villager, Glenview Director
Don Gelfund, RE/MAX Villager, Glenview
Director Christopher Tenggren, RE/MAX Great American North, St. Charles Director
Hank Erwin, RE/MAX Excels, Geneva
Named a Leading Global Franchise
Entrepreneur Magazine Ratings Focus on International Size, Growth For the second consecutive year, RE/MAX, LLC has received the highest global ranking among real estate franchises by Entrepreneur magazine. Appearing in the October edition, Entrepreneur’s annual global rankings of U.S.-based franchises placed RE/MAX highest among real estate brokerage franchises for 2014, and 39th overall. 7-Eleven and Pizza Hut headed up the list. To be considered for the global rating, franchises had to be ranked among Entrepreneur’s 2014 Franchise 500, based on “quantifiable criteria such as system size, growth and financial strength and stability,” according to the magazine’s methodology. The global rankings were derived from adjusting the Franchise 500 scores “to give extra weight to international size and growth.” Earlier this year, RE/MAX was the highest-ranked real estate brokerage in the Franchise 500 and was later rated highest among real estate franchises on both Entrepreneur’s fastest-growing list and its low-cost list.
Ranks as #1 Real Estate Franchise
Recognized as Leading Franchise for 6th Consecutive Year For the sixth consecutive year, RE/MAX, LLC ranked as the leading real estate franchise in the 2014 Franchise Times Top 200. The exhaustive annual survey is based upon 2013 worldwide sales and growth and includes franchisors from a wide variety of business sectors. In the 2014 Franchise Times Top 200:
Realtor Association of Northwestern Illinois Immediate Past Patti Kloepping, RE/MAX Town Lake and President Country, Lake Carroll
• RE/MAX ranked #12 overall. The closest real estate franchises were ranked #28 and #45.
Director Patti Kloepping, RE/MAX Town Lake and Country, Lake Carroll
• RE/MAX also ranked #2 in the “Top 10 Sales Growth” category.
®
Three Rivers Association Director James Ludes, RE/MAX Top Properties, Morris
• RE/MAX gained two places over its standing in 2013.
• Overall, four of the top five spots in the rankings were claimed by fast food franchises, including No. 1 McDonald’s, No. 3 KFC, No. 4 SUBWAY and No. 5 Burger King.
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November/December 2014
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Named Top 50 Franchise for Minorities
The Only Real Estate Franchise Honored for 7 Consecutive Years
RE/MAX, LLC is one of the “50 Top Franchises for Minorities” according to the eighth annual survey compiled by the World Franchising Network and featured on Oct. 24 in USA Today. The 2014 survey is the seventh consecutive year RE/MAX has been included on the list and each year it has been the only real estate franchise included among the Top 50. The World Franchising Network recognizes franchisors’ commitment to the recruitment and advancement of minorities, and aims to show progress that minorities have made in the franchising industry. Of the hundreds of survey responses, RE/MAX was in great company among finalists of respected brands, including AlphaGraphics, McDonald’s and Pak Mail.
Magazine Wins 2 Industry Awards
ABOVE Recognized for Best Employee-Based Publication, Excellence in Custom-Published Magazines ABOVE, the RE/MAX network magazine, has been recognized by two prominent organizations for its creative custom content and superior writing. The quarterly publication highlights the accomplishments and civic contributions of successful RE/MAX Affiliates. ABOVE was recognized with the silver award for Best Employee-Based Publication in the Content Marketing Awards (CMA), beating out Porsche’s Carerra Magazine, which received an honorable mention. The team that produces ABOVE also received recognition from APEX Awards for Publication Excellence (APEX) in the Custom-Published Magazines, Journals and Tabloids category for the second time.
Northern Illinois Save the Dates! Holiday Bash*
Thursday, December 11, 2014 Abbington Distinctive Banquets, Glen Ellyn *Brought to you by the RE/MAX Northern Illinois Sales Advisory Council
38th Annual Awards Ceremony Friday, February 20, 2015 Hyatt Regency Chicago 151 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601 Additional details to come...
Always innovating, ABOVE debuted in print in 2011 and quickly expanded to a digital version. An ABOVE website was launched in 2012, along with online-exclusive ABOVE Extra features. Seventy-five thousand print copies are delivered quarterly to RE/MAX offices in the U.S. and Canada and the digital edition can be accessed by agents in more than 6,500 RE/MAX offices around the world. CMA is respected as a leading awards program that recognizes communication professionals and their impact within an organization. This year alone, it received more than 1,100 entries. Among the winners were many well-known organizations, including Allstate, GEICO, Sherwin-Williams, United Airlines and Walmart. The APEX awards recognize professionals who write, edit and manage business communications and strategies. From social campaigns and websites to printed magazines and newsletters, more than 122 categories are available.
Broker Associate Hasani Steele, RE/MAX Premier Properties, Chicago, was featured on the cover of ABOVE in the summer 2014 issue.
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Northern Illinois Network Launches Redesigned Illinoisproperty.com Website INRX Drive Time™ and Tablet Friendly Search Are Key Features The RE/MAX Northern Illinois network recently introduced an extensive redesign of its popular website, www.illinoisproperty.com. The site has a new look and feel, with millions of high resolution photos that dominate the site, a tablet friendly search and INRX Drive Time™, a search tool that allows consumers the ability to search properties for sale by desired drive time. The website provides access to all northern Illinois multiple listing services (MLSs) so users can search the most accurate and current inventory of properties for sale and for rent. Users can also retrieve detailed information on sold and rented properties, plus those under contract.
The newly redesigned website provides a host of new features and enhanced functionality that is intuitive and easy to use, making the real estate search process enjoyable and efficient. Much of the existing information on the website has been streamlined so users can access more comprehensive information immediately. Some of the newest features on www. illinoisproperty.com were built specifically to meet the needs of buyers, sellers, investors and renters in today’s market. The home page provides extensive search tools for finding rentals or luxury, foreclosed and commercial properties for sale. Consumers can also download the new RE/MAX Northern Illinois Real Estate App, which allows users to enjoy an integrated search experience and take the in-depth search options, user friendliness and photo quality of the illinoisproperty.com website with them wherever they go. “Illinoisproperty.com is an attractive, yet functional website that is rich in photos and content. It delivers exactly what consumers need to navigate today’s real INRX Drive Time, is a new feature on www.illinoisproperty.com that allows estate market,” said Casey Reagan, Chief users to search for homes based on desired drive times. Technology Officer for the RE/MAX Northern Illinois network. “The site will grow and evolve as we continue to provide search platforms and features that are relevant and meaningful to the demands of our customers in any given real estate market. This is the first phase of enhancements designed to meet the ever increasing demand for a mobile-centric design, one that can easily scale from a desktop search to a tablet or smartphone search.”
The extensive redesign of www.illinoisproperty.com reflects its new look, which includes millions of high resolution photos that dominate the site, a tablet friendly search and quick-search options.
The www.illinoisproperty.com website has long been one of Chicagoland’s and northern Illinois’ most accessed real estate websites and has received industry awards for its popularity based on technological innovation and ease-of-use.
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RE/MAX United Celebrates the Opening of its Round Lake Beach Office, Its Second to Serve the Metro Chicago Real Estate Market “RE/MAX United has been quite active in the Round Lake area over the last seven years, and during that time we noticed a growing need for there to be a local multi-lingual real estate office. Since a number of our agents who work out of our Wheeling location live in Round Lake, it made perfect sense to open an office here. Our agents are fluent in English, Spanish and a variety of Eastern European languages,” said Luigui Corral, co-broker/owner of RE/MAX United.
RE/MAX United marked the opening of its new office in Round Lake Beach, Ill., with a grand opening celebration on Sept. 25. The new office, located at 1616 N. Cedar Lake Road, is the second RE/MAX United office in the northern suburbs to serve the metropolitan Chicago real estate market. More than 100 guests attended the private open house event, which was highlighted by a ribbon cutting ceremony that included Richard Hill, mayor of Round Lake Beach, and the trustees of the Round Lake Beach Chamber of Commerce.
The new office is a 2,200-square-foot facility that incorporates a wide range of energy efficient green features, a reception area, conference room, work area for visiting agents, four private offices and 18 cubicles. Currently, seven agents are working from this office, and Corral expects that headcount to expand notably over the next 12 to 15 months. “The timing for opening this office proved to be excellent as far as the local real estate market is concerned,” said Corral. “For a few years, distressed sales dominated the Round Lake market area, but that has been changing. We’re seeing many more traditional sales, which mean property values are stabilizing and should be moving toward higher ground.”
Festivities Mark Grand Opening at RE/MAX Elite Homes in Moline RE/MAX Elite Homes held an exuberant grand opening celebration on Oct. 10 at its newly opened office, located at 1485 41st St., Moline, Ill. Broker/owner Rich Bassford and his team welcomed nearly 200 guests, including representatives of the city of Moline and the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce. The festivities were multifaceted and included a ceremonial ribbon cutting. Also on the program were games and a bounce house for the younger set, while adults enjoyed entertainment by the Funktastic Five, hors d’oeuvres and a selection of local brews from Bent River Brewery, along with hourly prize drawings. The famous RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon was also on hand, offering tethered balloon rides to the guests. “It was a wonderful party and a great way to mark our arrival in Moline,” said Bassford, an experienced and highly successful Quad Cities real estate professional who had long dreamt of opening his own brokerage. RE/MAX Elite Homes welcomed guests to its all-new 2,500 square-foot facility that includes seven private offices, five work cubicles, a reception area and a café room that includes meeting space, large screen TVs and computers. It will serve as a multipurpose area where brokers can work and meet with clients. “This is an existing building that we effectively put through a gut remodeling,” Bassford explained. “Our goal was to create an office space that reflects our name – RE/MAX Elite Homes. So we’ve crafted an elegant interior, using top-level finishes, such as granite countertops and solid cherry woodwork throughout.” An artistic highlight of the office is the 9-by-8-foot copper waterfall with the company name that Bassford built by
hand. Another special feature is a window created by a local craftsperson that spells out RE/MAX Elite Homes. The new office is now home to four brokers and a three-person support staff, and Bassford expects the number of brokers affiliated with RE/MAX Elite Homes to grow rapidly. “Our timing is excellent in terms of the local housing market,” he noted. “We’re seeing solid employment growth in the Quad Cities area, which is the key to a thriving residential real estate market. Both home prices and home sales activity have been on the upswing, and the increase in home values has been especially notable. “What has impressed me,” Bassford added, “is that 2014 has personally been my best year ever in terms of sales activity, with more than 100 sales closed so far, even while handling all the work involved with opening this new office. That says a lot about the strength of the market.”
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RE/MAX Suburban Welcomes 8 New Brokers to Offices in Glen Ellyn, Libertyville, Mt. Prospect and Schaumburg RE/MAX Suburban, the largest RE/MAX brokerage franchise in Illinois, with seven offices serving the metropolitan Chicago real estate market, has welcomed eight new broker agents to its ranks. The new arrivals push the total number of brokers affiliated with RE/MAX Suburban to the 200 mark. Joining the Glen Ellyn office, 441 Taft Ave., is Michele Evangelista. New to the Libertyville office, 1244 S. Milwaukee Ave., are Jeff Esser, Joel Gilbert and Brittany Stineman. The Mt. Prospect office, 220 E. Northwest Hwy., welcomes Carol Walker, and new at 2311 W. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg are Brian Gentzle, Christina Novak and Laura Parker. Glen Ellyn Michele Evangelista served as an administrator within the RE/MAX Suburban Glen Ellyn office before earning her broker’s license. Prior to joining RE/MAX, Evangelista worked in the fast-paced and competitive import/ export and fashion industry for more than 20 years. With a flair for decorating Michele Evangelista and design, she started a home staging business, The Art of Interiors, in 2012. A life-long Glen Ellyn resident, Evangelista brings a unique perspective to properties in and around Glen Ellyn and the western suburbs.
Libertyville Jeff Esser earned a degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology from Carthage College, and prior to entering the field of real estate, he spent eight years with an employee benefits agency. He brings an innovative and energetic approach to real estate. According to Esser, his goal is to put buyers, sellers and investors in a Jeff Esser position to make strong decisions about purchasing or selling real estate with complete confidence. “My focus is on building lasting relationships with my clients,” said Esser. He believes the best way to do that is listening carefully to his clients so he knows how to best help them achieve their real estate goals. Joel Gilbert was raised in a “real estate family,” in Buffalo Grove, and has been a Lake County resident for the last 28 years. He earned a degree in hospitality management from the International Art Institute, and worked as a manager in the hospitality industry before earning his real estate license in 2014 and specializing in the sale of foreclosed properties. Now his focus has broadened, and he relishes working with a wide range of clients on the full range of residential properties. Also new to the office is Brittany Stineman, who joins the team of Leslie McDonnell as a buyer’s agent. McDonnell consistently ranks among the top three teams in the RE/MAX Northern Illinois network.
“I’m pretty passionate about this community. For me, it’s the perfect place, and I enjoy helping families discover the place that is equally ideal for them,” Evangelista said.
Mt. Prospect
Carol Walker
Carol Walker, once a member of the Screen Actors Guild, joined RE/MAX Suburban two years ago as a receptionist after working for a real estate attorney for many years. A resident of Des Plaines, Walker is Immediate Past President of the Des Plaines Kiwanis. She also volunteers as a job coach for students with special needs at Niles North High School.
“I decided it was time to make a lifelong dream come true by getting my license as a real estate broker. My background in real estate law combined with the fact that I personally purchased five homes and sold four of them gives me a strong foundation on which to deliver top flight service to my clients,” she said. Schaumburg Brian Gentzle brings six years of real estate brokerage experience to RE/MAX Suburban. A graduate of Southern Illinois University who always wanted a real estate career, Gentzle earned his license and started that career in 2008, just as the housing market was heading into one of its most difficult periods. The Brian Gentzle result, according to Gentzle, is that he learned a tremendous amount in a short time about what it takes to effectively market a home. He also developed substantial expertise in dealing with short sales and foreclosures.
Schaumburg (continued) Christina Novak is a newly licensed broker but not new to the real estate industry. She has grown up in the business working with her mother, Maria Novak, a successful agent since 1977. Now the two will be working together as brokers. Christina grew up in the Schaumburg area, graduated from Bradley University and Christina Novak presently resides in Elgin. “We know the northwest suburbs thoroughly, and we are multilingual in Spanish, Portuguese and Russian, which is a great asset for our business,” Christina noted. Laura Parker recently joined the team of Sarah Leonard at RE/MAX Suburban. Leonard is ranked among the leading RE/MAX teams in Illinois, having listed and sold over 150 homes in the past year. Parker's primary focus is as a buyer’s agent, and she takes pride in her knowledge of the various communities Laura Parker and all they have to offer. Her attention to detail, strong work ethic, availability and prompt follow-up are what Laura's clients appreciate most. In addition to being a lifelong resident of the Chicagoland area, Parker has a strong background in property management, a valuable perspective when dealing with all types of real estate.
“The changing market required hard work, patience, and constant communication with all parties involved in a home sale,” Gentzle recalled. “This is the motto that I held closely and will always continue to practice.”
Brittany Stineman
NEWS in Northern Illinois
November/December 2014
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Leading Hinsdale Brokerage Leaves ERA to Join Network A prominent real estate brokerage in affluent Hinsdale has joined the RE/MAX Northern Illinois real estate network and parted ways with ERA. Now known as RE/MAX Signature Homes and located at 22 N. Lincoln St., the brokerage, formerly ERA Team Feinstein, was the most successful ERA Linda Feinstein office, not only in the Hinsdale market, but in the metropolitan Chicago area. It has a staff of approximately 54 affiliated brokers, a support staff of five and 2013 closed sales volume of $217 million. Broker/owner Linda Feinstein said that her decision to join RE/MAX was based on the organization’s progressive approach to all facets of the real estate business. “I was especially impressed with the technology that RE/MAX provides,” said Feinstein. “It is light-years ahead of the competition. I see this as an opportunity to grow my own business, but more importantly as a way to grow the business of every broker in our office.” Feinstein began working in real estate 27 years ago and has been among the top brokers in Hinsdale for much of that time. Moreover, she ranks among the nation’s top 120 brokers in terms of annual sales. Feinstein and her husband, who is a physician, raised their seven children in Hinsdale, and two of their daughters now work at the brokerage. “I decided to get my real estate license when our sixth child entered preschool. It was just going to be a part-time thing,” Feinstein recalled. “But I loved it from the start and still do. I enjoy all the aspects of the business, including some that most brokers dislike, the pressure in closing sales and even the rejection that we all experience at times.“
After achieving success as an agent, where her clients over the years have included entertainment and sports celebrities and international clientele, as well as hundreds of more typical families, Feinstein opened her own office with a partner in 1999 as an ERA franchise, and she became the sole owner in 2009. “Linda has all the characteristics of a strong and successful RE/MAX Broker/Owner,” said Brian Reagan, president of RE/MAX Northern Illinois. “We had no doubt that the conversion would be most advantageous to her and her sales associates. Given the stability and longterm outlook for the continued success of RE/MAX in all regions across the globe, we saw the conversion as the ultimate vehicle for maximizing her business potential. We look forward to a long and productive partnership with her in the Hinsdale market.” Reagan’s personal involvement in the negotiations played a key role, according to Feinstein.
The RE/MAX Signature Homes office is located in a vintage home, giving it a distinctive look and feel highlighted by such features as a conference room fireplace. “The setting is traditional, but our approach is extremely contemporary,” noted Feinstein, who serves as managing broker and is ably supported by Gail Jensen, the administrative manager. “Modern wireless communications have revolutionized the real estate business over the last decade, radically changing the way brokers work, and our office is in tune with that change.” The office is also in tune with its community. On Oct. 23, RE/MAX Signature Homes held a pumpkin pickup at the office, with hundreds of pumpkins available free of charge, one per family.
Feinstein personally hosts a series of special fund raising events each year for different charities, such as the local animal shelter or food pantry, as well as causes with a broader scope, such as breast cancer awareness. “I encourage all our brokers to play an active role in their community,” Feinstein said. “For me, that meant playing an active role in the Hinsdale Chamber of Commerce for many years and making contributions elsewhere. We know that RE/MAX has long been a major supporter of Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, and we welcome the opportunity to be part of that effort.”
104 Northern Illinois Brokers Honored with 2014 Five Star Professional Award Five Star Professional conducts research to help consumers with the important decision of selecting a service professional. The Five Star award is presented to wealth managers, real estate agents, mortgage professionals, home/auto insurance professionals and dentists in more than 45 markets in the U.S. and Canada. The Five Star award recognizes service professionals who provide quality services to their clients. A complete list of the 104 RE/MAX Northern Illinois real estate Brokers who were recently recognized with this honor can be found at: http://bit.ly/10AyZYq
RE/MAX Signature Homes is located in a vintage home at 22 N. Lincoln St.
2014 Five Star Professionals were also published in the October issue of Chicago Magazine.
“Talking to Brian was inspiring in helping me make the decision to join RE/MAX. I could sense that they really have a vision for the future of our business,” she said.
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BOXSCORES 2 0 14 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Click HERE
BALLOON SIGHTINGS FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2014 Top Office (Closed Transactions)
RE/MAX Action, Lisle
Largest Commission Check
$76,000
Largest Referral Check
$12,163
Total Residential Transactions
3,266
Total Commercial Transactions
44
BOX SCORES
FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2014
RE/MAX NORTHERN ILLINOIS*
Top Office (Closed Transactions)
RE/MAX Synergy
Number of Offices
103
Largest Commission Check
$67,500
Number of Agents
2,208*
Largest Referral Check
$8,525
Closed Sales Volume (YTD)
6,555,624,103*
Total Residential Transactions
3,227
Total Commercial Transactions
72.5
RE/MAX, LLC Number of Offices
6,000+
Number of Agents
90,000+
Number of Countries
90+
*Through October 31, 2014
NEWS in Northern Illinois
Follow the RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon on Twitter@remaxballoonil! The RE/MAX hot air balloon, one of the most famous and memorable corporate symbols in history, has been flying the skies of northern Illinois all year long. For the most recent flights, see the flight log below or follow us on Twitter @remaxballoonil! The RE/MAX hot air balloon has flown nearly 140 times in northern Illinois during the first ten months of the year.
2014 BALLOON FLIGHTS FLOWN (September 2 - November 1, 2014) Date
Launch Site
Landing Site
Date
Launch Site
Landing Site
9/2/2014
Zenda
Richmond
9/26/2014
East Moline
Moline
9/3/2014
Cortland
Kingston
9/26/2014
Morris
Morris
9/6/2014
Crestwood
Peotone
9/27/2014
Colona
Colona
9/6/2014
Flossmoor
Tinley Park
9/27/2014
Manteno
Manteno
9/7/2014
Crete
Crete
9/28/2014
Colona
Colona
9/8/2014
Rockford
Roscoe
9/30/2014
Elgin
Lily Lake
9/8/2014
Huntley
Woodstock
10/9/2014
Midlothian
Orland Park
9/14/2014
Belvidere
Russellville
10/11/2014
Flossmoor
Tinley Park
9/16/2014
Alsip
Frankfort
10/19/2014
Huntley
Island Lake
9/17/2014
Hampshire
Huntley
10/22/2014
Round Lake Beach
Volo
9/18/2014
Lansing
Chicago Heights
10/25/2014
Galena
Hanover
9/22/2014
N. Aurora
Yorkville
10/26/2014
Sycamore
Sycamore
9/22/2014
Yorkville
Yorkville
11/1/2014
Chicago
University Park
9/24/2014
Prospect Heights
Round Lake Park
11/1/2014
Palos Park
Orland Park
9/24/2014
West Dundee
Lakewood
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BALLOONSIGHTINGS continued from previous page
The RE/MAX inflatable 26' was on display September 20 and the 35’ on Sunday the 21st at the Great Lakes Soccer Tournament in Plainfield. The balloons were requested by Jeff Stainer of RE/MAX Action in Lisle. The Great Lakes Soccer Tournament draws an audience of 15,000.
NEWS in Northern Illinois
RE/MAX hot air balloon glows were performed the evenings of Friday, September 26 and Saturday, September 27 at the Quad Cities Balloon Festival in East Moline, Illinois. Crowds were estimated at 2,000 for Friday night and 5,000 for Saturday night. The balloon also flew over Manteno’s October Fest Saturday night and took up a reporter from KWCQ (TV-6) of the Quad Cities Friday morning.
On October 12, the 35’ RE/MAX balloon could be seen along the Settler's Day Parade route in Marengo. The balloon’s presence was arranged by the RE/MAX Connections II office in Marengo.
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BALLOONSIGHTINGS continued from previous page
On October 5, the inflatable 15' RE/MAX balloon participated in Cruise the Creek, a community event in New Lenox. The balloon was requested by Pam Patterson of RE/MAX All Properties in New Lenox. An estimated 27,000 vehicles drove by the balloon that day.
The 35' RE/MAX balloon was on display at RE/MAX of Rock Valley’s office in Oregon for the Autumn on Parade community event on Saturday, October 4 and Sunday, October 5. The balloon was requested by Broker/Owner Carla Benesh. During the weekend, more than 23,000 vehicles passed by the balloon.
The RE/MAX hot air balloon participated in the Galena's 35th Annual Halloween Parade & Festival on Saturday, October 25. The balloon crew ignited the hot air balloon basket burners to the delight of the crowd while throwing out candy to the costumed spectators. Approximately 14,000 spectators were present. The morning before the event, the hot air balloon was tethered on Route 20 in Galena during evening rush hour. The 26’ inflatable RE/MAX balloon was on display at the Byron Chamber of Commerce Chili Cook Off on October 5. An estimated 10,000 cars passed the balloon during the event. The presence of the balloon was requested by Polly Zeibert of RE/MAX Professional Advantage in Byron.
The 26’ inflatable RE/MAX balloon along with the hot air balloon’s basket could be seen at the Bike Bald for a Cause Event in Naperville on October 18. The event supports childhood cancer research organizations. The balloon was requested by Joe Kucharski of RE/MAX of Naperville.
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NEWSMAKERS
The RE/MAX Northern Illinois Regional Staff celebrated Halloween in style at the Regional Office on October 31. Left to right, Scott Johnson, Franchise Sales Consultant; Amie Fair, Technical Trainer, Systems Quality Assurance Coordinator; Liz Gajewski, Regional Accounting & Reporting Administrator; Trevor Schulten, Network Administrator; Brenda Benson, Regional Assistant; Molly Eul, Membership & Meetings Administrator.
The Brokers at RE/MAX Destiny in Elk Grove participated in the 62nd annual Columbus Day Parade held in downtown Chicago on October 13. The Parade’s theme paid tribute to Italian heroes of the holocaust.
The RE/MAX Affiliates from RE/MAX ‘10’ in Oak Lawn, Chicago and Palos Park, showed up in style at the November 11 RE/MAX Experience. The RE/MAX Experience is held every other month at the headquarters of RE/MAX Northern Illinois in Elgin. The class is designed to give an overview of the features and benefits of being a part of the RE/MAX system. It should be attended by all new RE/MAX brokers as well as veterans annually in order to keep up with all programs the RE/MAX system has to offer.
Bryan Mercado
NEWS
Broker Associate Bryan Mercado, RE/MAX Properties Northwest, Park Ridge, received a lead off of www.illinoisproperty.com, the RE/MAX Northern Illinois website, which led to a $2 million purchase of a home in Inverness and a commission of nearly $50,000. Mark Batinick, RE/MAX Professionals Select, Naperville, won the State House seat for the 97th District.
Mark Batinick
In Memoriam Our heartfelt condolences go out to… • Cindy Eich, RE/MAX At Home, Rolling Meadows, on the loss of her mother. • Nancy Miller, RE/MAX Suburban, Schaumburg, on the loss of her granddaughter. • Debbie Rieke, RE/MAX Northern Illinois, on the loss of her mother. • The friends, family and colleagues of Tom Mitchell (husband of Joanne), RE/MAX of Barrington, Barrington who recently passed. • Linda Dore, RE/MAX Synergy, Orland Park, on the recent loss of her mother. • Rose Pagonis and Alex Pagonis, RE/MAX Professionals Select, Naperville, on the loss of Rose’s husband and Alex’s stepfather.
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