ILLINOIS 5-9-22

ILLINOIS EDITION

BY THE NUMBERS:

Understanding the True Value of Square Footage

Uncommon Contact: Connecting With Clientele Through Social Media

FEATURED AGENTS

BRENDA BILL JILL ESKO DAWN HINKLE KRISTIN KESSLER ROBIN MARSHALL GRAHAM McDONALD LUCY MULLARKEY & JENN HENRY

INCORPORATING CHARITABLE GIVING IN YOUR REAL ESTATE PRACTICE

MARTIN A. UTHE COVER STORY

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com

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3 Mental Tricks That Will Take Your Business to the Next Level It’s no secret that running a successful business requires careful planning and a tireless work ethic. Beyond those obvious ideals, it also takes the right mindset in order to capitalize on professional opportunity. In the world of real estate and mortgage lending, mental fortitude is a major component to reaching the next 4

level and achieving longevity in a sector that requires so much self-discipline. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a few key mental tricks you can employ to reinvigorate your working philosophy. Incorporate these techniques into your daily mindfulness routine and your business will surely benefit.

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Visualization helps you work efficiently and keep your cool.

This may sound like one of the oldest tricks in the book, but there’s a reason why Olympic athletes and those serving in first-responder positions use visualization as a time-honored mental technique. Not only does visualizing your daily tasks help you organize your mind, but it amps up your ability to focus on what’s important. Visualization also helps reduce stress in the moment, since you’ve already created a mental expectation of the task ahead. Whether you’re preparing for a negotiation or a pitch to new a client—visualization primes your brain and affords you an extra sense of control as you tackle your day.

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Distill concepts into their simplest terms for ultimate understanding.

As an agent or loan officer, you’re likely juggling numerous clients and commitments on any given day. That’s why it helps to distill your responsibilities in clear, definitive terms. Let’s say you have a meeting set with a client to outline a marketing approach for their property. You may understand the broad strokes, but beforehand, try verbalizing the exact takeaways you’d like to impart to your client.

This may seem obvious, but one of the best ways to clarify your communication and ensure your com-

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plete understanding of a subject is to explain it aloud in its simplest terms. This crystallizes your main point and can come in handy if you drift off-topic or need to double-down on your message.

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Accept that mistakes will be made.

While it’s natural to fear failure, sometimes the dread of making an error can overwhelm your ability to perform. As the saying goes: don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.

If you accept in advance that set-backs will occur, challenges will come, and things won’t always go accordingly to plan—you’ll be less confounded when hurdles do arise. What matters is keeping an even keel as you sort through unexpected delays or mishaps. Accepting that mistakes will happen allows you to shift your focus towards a solution or contingency plan. In other words, don’t spend your energy trying to achieve perfection. Aim high and work hard, but be in touch with reality: upsets are bound to occur. Accept this and you’ll be ready when they do.

The path to lasting success is ongoing, and there are bound to be challenges along the way. It takes mental fortitude to make it to the top, so keep these tricks in mind as you continue to grow as a person and a professional. Seeing situations in a new light can make all the difference as you adapt, evolve, and take your business to the next level.

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Incorporating Charitable Giving in Your Real Estate Practice

As real estate professionals, taking part in the community and serving others is central to a long-lasting practice. After all, agents are in the business of homeownership, building a financial future, and helping their clients begin new and fruitful chapters. With that in 6

mind, how might an agent deliver that spirit of service in a broader sphere?

The truth is, charitable giving offers nothing but upsides. Contributing to a worthy cause is a noble and meaningful endeavor, but it

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Contributing to a worthy cause is a noble and meaningful endeavor, but it also presents positive byproducts for the giver: tax write-offs, name recognition in the community, and the ability to expand your network.

also presents positive byproducts for the giver: tax write-offs, name recognition in the community, and the ability to expand your network. If charitable giving is an idea you’ve toyed with, or a practice you’ve engaged in only now and again, here are a few ways to make it a foundational element of your business and a win-win for all.

Find causes that speak to you.

Donating funds or resources can feel anonymous if you’re divorced from the organization you’re working with. While national and international charitable organizations are certainly effective and worthwhile, you might consider partnering with local chapters of those organizations, or identifying hyper-local organizations that address need in your state, county, town, or even your own neighborhood. The first step to establishing a charitable relationship is to find a cause that you genuinely care about. For many, animal rescue is a tangible cause where resources and volunteership are always welcome. For others, children’s health and advocacy is a calling. Regardless Top Agent Magazine

of your personal passion, participation can be big or small. From sponsoring a local youth sports league to partnering with an area animal shelter for their annual spay-athon event—there are all sorts of ways to make a difference.

Unite your team for the common good.

One way to make charitable giving a staple is to do it in arm and arm with others. Supporting a local cause is a great way to bring your team together in a unifying capacity. Hosting coat drives in winter, blanket drives for local animal shelters, or backpack drives for needy students at the start of the new school year— all are straightforward and highly useful, direct ways to give to your community as a team. It’s also important to set collective goals as a way of keeping people motivated and accountable over time. Offices are productive, but often hectic spaces.

Injecting a collective goal with a positive, tangible result can create an ambiance of goodwill and generosity—both of which are worthwhile attributes to cultivate as

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the leader of your team. Lastly, consider timely giving as a way of connecting your team to their community. Natural disasters, local fundraising drives, and improvement funds are all direct ways your team can contribute, while they themselves reap the benefit in the community.

Include clients in the process.

You’ve likely heard of charitable donations made in the name of your client as an alternative to the classic closing gift, but there are a few ways you might update this method of giving. For starters, consider including your clients in the selection process. Do they have a special cause that’s close to their hearts? Likewise, you might

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consider making regular, consistent giving a part of your routine post-closing. Instead of following up with your yearly poinsettia plant or pumpkin, you might find a cause in their neighborhood or township that you can support in their name. It’s wise to choose something apolitical, but a cause that’s hyperlocal to their area demonstrates unique thoughtfulness.

There are plenty of ways in which society as a whole can benefit from charitable causes that build goodwill in the world, support those less fortunate, and bolster a positive future. Incorporating charitable giving in your business model is a generous way to make this mentality a central tenet of your team and a defining characteristic for your clients to remember.

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MARTIN A. UTHE Top Agent Magazine

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Top Agent Martin A. Uthe works solo with @Properties serving buyers and sellers in and around Evanston, Illionois.

Martin A. Uthe loves Evanston, Illinois.

But not because he graduated in 1980 from Northwestern University – one of the top schools in the storied Big Ten Conference; heck, one of the top academic schools in the country – but because he made it his home. He didn’t just love the university, he loved the town. Still does.

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“I came to Evanston to go to school and stayed there, getting married and raising my family here. We’re the first suburb north of Chicago and part of our charm is being a destination place for parents who want better schools and more a neighborhood to raise their children,” Martin said.

“It’s probably less than 30 minutes to Top Agent Magazine

downtown Chicago so it’s a great commuter’s town. People who live here are very aware of what’s going on with the community.”

And as a REALTOR®, Martin is right in the middle of it all. Martin had worked in Top Agent Magazine

the restaurant business for a number of years and appreciated the customer service aspect. He began doing real estate on a part-time basis in 1998 and began fulltime with Coldwell Banker in 2003 before switching over to his current agency, @ Properties, now the eighth-biggest firm in 11 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

After all these years, Martin said he still loves every aspect of doing what he does best, from matching clients to the right house to playing psychologist through the process, if need be. the country. After all these years, Martin said he still loves every aspect of doing what he does best, from matching clients to the right house to playing psychologist through the process, if need be. A solo Copyright Top Agent Magazine 12

agent, Martin has a 90 percent repeat and referral rate.

“I think it’s been a combination of several things for me. I think part of it is my Top Agent Magazine

personality. I’m not pushy but I think I give good advice. I sit down with my clients, and I go over everything. I go over the whole contract so when they’re ready to buy, they know exactly what’s Top Agent Magazine

coming,” said Martin. He uses Adwerx, social media, targeted postcards and stays connected with clients with little things like sending pie servers for Thanksgiving, sending handwritten notes and taking Copyright Top Agent Magazine 13

clients out for lunch or coffee. Martin has been continually active in his community, serving on the board of the local Amigos de las Americas board, a service organization shaping young minds to be global leaders.

“I would like to definitely expand in terms of listings,” he said. “I also like working with other agents. Evanston agents are very collaborative and our office, especially.” As for next steps, Martin just wants to keep growing.

Martin A. Uthe can be reached either by phone at 847-322-5207 or via email at martinuthe@atproperties.com

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Uncommon Contact:

Connecting with Clientele Through Social Media Social media is one of the newest and most powerful tools in an agent or mortgage professional’s arsenal. With just a few keystrokes, you can stay top-of-mind with buyers, sellers, and borrowers near and far, past and present. The key is knowing how to use these mediums to your advantage, working smarter instead of harder to keep the thread of professional relationships intact. With that in mind, here are a few ways you can maximize the pull and power of social media by shifting just a few of your ideas and practices for the better.

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Not everything has to be about business.

While your relationship with a client or fellow vendor began over the course of business, your relationship going forward doesn’t have to be limited. One of the great things about social media is that’s it’s social. Not every comment, post, or communication has to revolve around your business, its metrics, or turning a sale. In fact, you should do your best to branch out and curate a brand and online identity that’s about who you are and

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the lifestyle you’re authentically interested in living. In that vein, consider interacting with clients in an organically-driven way, encouraging them during life’s milestones, reaching out with a local event, restaurant, or news item that’s relevant to their interests or neighborhood. The goal is to be a persistent presence in their lives without feeling like a talking head. Engage as you would like to be engaged with, as a human being with interests and needs and boundaries. Keep that personal thread in mind and your dynamic will shift from past business contact to present resource.

Expand your medium.

Many Realtors are comfortable on Facebook as an interactive meeting to connect with clients, but there are several other mediums where you can connect with clients both past and present, as well as future. Particularly when courting Millennial clientele, the fastest-growing segment of the buying market, a presence on Instagram and Snapchat are key to finding new faces, demonstrating hot properties, and creating an interactive brand as an agent. Not only does this help when you’re listing a property and seeking potential buyers, but it also serves as a perusable portfolio of your work and real estate prowess. You can also use these mediums to interact with clients on an outlet they might feel most comfortable in. Liking pictures, commenting, streaming Instagram Live home tours and Stories are all ways you can build engagement by simply spreading your social media presence around. Likewise, 16

these photo and video driven mediums are popular for home design ideas, and before and after renovation pictures. When you expand from Facebook into these new platforms, you’ll already have plenty of visual content ready to be transferred and consumed by an expanded audience.

Don’t just react.

Create your own content.

It’s easy enough to post a link to a new listing, or retweet a helpful article on real estate news. Creating your own organic content is a different story, but worth its weight in gold when it comes to luring engagement, ranking higher in search fields, and overall crafting an interactive presence for yourself and your business online—which is where more than 90% of homebuyers and sellers begin their process. Creating your own content can seem risky, or else like no one is listening in a digital world already crowded with information. However, original content is sure to boost personal engagement with your social media pages, guaranteed.

Instead of recycling content, consider posting a video with a Q+A theme for first-time homebuyers, or perhaps posting a live tour of a new listing will perk up your clientele surfing at home.

No matter how you decide to expand your social media presence when it comes to interacting with clients, consistency is key.

Find the ways that work best for you and stick to them, and you’ll watch your audience and business grow in tandem.

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BRENDA BILL Brenda Bill is a professional Stager and Real Estate Broker with @properties in Naperville, IL. Brenda’s background is in management and prior to joining real estate, she held a variety of corporate titles. After taking some time off to start a family, Brenda began a home staging and redesign business in 2015.

She developed an affinity towards real estate and decided to get licensed so that she could sell as well. Now, Brenda feels incredibly blessed to work with amazing clients who have become her friends and a strong part of her network.

Currently a solo agent; Brenda’s home office is located in Naperville, IL and she serves the Western suburbs surrounding Naperville.

Brenda enjoys shopping and supporting local and family owned businesses in Naperville. Her favorite is a family owned and operated ice cream shop, La Michoacana Deluxe Ice Cream, that she loves to frequent with her family. Brenda has built her business around excellent customer service and handles every transaction as if it were her own. Treating her clients like family; she walks them through every step of the process and is openly communicative throughout.

Referrals are huge for Brenda. Last year she closed on 14 transactions and $8M* in sales volume. “All of my business is referral based so wherever my friends, family or neighbors need me; I go.” For buyers, Brenda is very receptive to their needs and will look high and low for the right home for them. For sellers, she is willing to help with updates and offers a professional staging consultation to get things going. Aside from staging, Brenda also provides marketing services and before meeting with customers, she provides them with a digital listing presentation. This gives customers a chance to get to know Brenda, @properties, the current market and pricing. “Being with @properties, everything is done with the highest level of professionalism and that is important to me to set a good image and brand.” *Closed and pending transactions Top Agent Magazine

She also likes to send note cards, text messages and Facebook messages to past clients to maintain a good flow of communication.

As a mother, Brenda is very active in her childrens’ school and in her community. She is part of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce and gives charitable donations to Illinois C.O.P.S. She is also part of a community organization based in Aurora, IL called Mutual Ground that functions as a women’s shelter for domestic violence. “I enjoy giving back however I possibly can.”

What Brenda enjoys most about real estate is being able to work with people and guide them through the biggest investment of their lives. “I love the excitement that they have when we get to the closing table.” When not working Brenda enjoys spending time with her Husband and children. She also loves creating crafts with her daughter and sharing her love for home design with her. In the future, Brenda plans on having a team with an assistant. For now, she wants to continue to add more sales to her notch and build her personal brand. “It’s all about loving what you do and the love I have to help others find happiness.” With a love for homes, decorating and making people happy; Brenda has found her true calling when it comes to real estate.

To learn more about Brenda Bill call (815) 955-4798, visit brendabill.com or email brendabill@atproperties.com www.

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JILL ESKO Moving from clothing to closing was the right move for Jill. She was the owner of a contemporary high end boutique shop for over thirty years. She saw things changing within the clothing industry and realized it was no longer the right place to be. With the client service background, interacting with the right clientele base and a persistent interest in real estate, she contacted a friend on Facebook about becoming an assistant at a broker’s office. That broker instead encouraged Jill to go out and get her own license.

That was four years ago, and now she’s the proud and happy owner of The Jill Esko Group. It’s been a pretty good transition, which isn’t surprising to Jill. She’s a good fit with a solid and growing customer base in Lincolnshire, Illinois.

Two administrative assistants help Jill with branding help as well as getting transactions prepared and ready to go. While her clothing business was nestled in Lincolnshire and it remains a central base for her real estate activities, she won’t hesitate travelling throughout the city and the southern or western suburbs. Jill and her team are happy to serve from Glencoe and Buffalo Grove through all of the surrounding Chicago suburbs. She’s not locked in to a single area and will go wherever the business takes her. Her first referral took her right into the city to work with the family of a very satisfied client. She knows the area surrounding Chicago well, happy to deal with local businesses like Irv’s Luggage, a specialty shop that’s been in the Lincolnshire / Vernon Hills area for over 75 years now.

Jill is honest and takes care of her clients the best she can, taking whatever steps are needed to get a property up to speed. There’s a confidence in her dealings that makes anyone involved in transactions with her 18

feel safe. She’s tenacious without being pushy, getting all of the right information to every interested party regardless of the size of the deal, and doing it in a straightforward way that makes everyone’s lives easier. This is a difficult market for buyers. Jill builds a rapport with other agents to make sure they know who she is, and she hasn’t had a lot of trouble finding the right properties.

Twice a year, Jill gets involved with Humble Design Chicago’s charity venture, Stuff The Truck. It’s a collection of small furnishings and furniture to give to the underprivileged who have difficulty furnishing their homes. Last round, instead of distributing one truck filled with home goods, they managed to gather seven trucks of needed items. They’ve even seen a Christmas tree show up in the collection when requested. Jill will continue on with similar activities, getting involved in as many charities as possible, while expanding her business with vision and accountability boards with her boards team and seeing just where she can take her company’s growth.

For more information about Jill Esko, please call 847-710-7770 and email jillesko@atproperties.com

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How to Throw a Networking Event

that Can Put Your Business on the Map It’s hard to argue with the benefits of attending networking events—you make new connections, enjoy industry skill-building conversation, and expand your reach in the local business community. However, have you ever considered the benefits of hosting a networking event?

Instead of attending as a guest, you’ll be the wizard behind it all. Throwing a networking event can position you as a local business leader, and you’ll be able to curate the experience to your tastes and goals. This idea may be tempting, but how do you pull it off? Review some Top Agent Magazine

of our tips and tricks below and you’ll be more than ready to throw a networking event that’ll put you on the map.

MAKE IT EASY FOR YOUR GUESTS TO SAY YES. From the outset, try to keep things as simple as possible for your guests. This means that e-invites should be structured, yet conversational.

Include a link to register online so that arriving to your event is seamless and requires no signup sheets or stuffy check-in procedures. Select a venue that’s relatively well-known and central

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Throwing a networking event can position you as a local business leader, and you’ll be able to curate the experience to your tastes and goals. to your area. It should also have easy-to-access parking so that attendance is streamlined and hassle-free. Also consider sending an automated event reminder the day before and the day of the event—that way you’ll set guests up for easy attendance that they don’t have to debate.

CREATE A THEME. Capitalizing on a holiday or local event is a great way to drive attendance to your networking function. While getting to know area professionals is a worthy reason to meet up, you’re likely to engender a livelier ambiance if you incorporate a holiday or theme. This will inspire comradery among your guests, in addition to giving your event a natural focus. Major sporting events, a Thanksgiving themed pie bakeoff, or a spring cleaning themed community volunteer day can generate more interest than your average mixer.

GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR GUEST LIST. While you may be trying to keep your invite list industry-specific, you may benefit from casting a wider net. Invite area entrepreneurs, young professionals, collegiate professional organizations, and even friends and family. You never know what sort of connections will be made, and high attendance is key to keeping the energy of your networking event at a high tier. Don’t worry about only collecting info from realtors or brokers or mortgage pros. Instead, create a 20

sense of community so that opportunities flow naturally and conversation remains diverse.

BE THE BOSS. As host, it’ll be your job to play matchmaker and drive conversation at your networking event. This means that you’ll get to know more people, but it also means you’ll be able to create connections between different professionals and businesses. You can maximize your matchmaking abilities by planting a few socially-minded friends around to drive additional conversations. Your goal is to keep people talking and to be outgoing. It should also be your goal to follow-up once the event is complete. Use this as an opportunity to continue to connect different people you met, or to follow-up with coffee or lunch with someone you found interesting. Try sending out a group thank-you e-mail to your guests after the fact, telling them to keep an eye out for your next event, or to get in touch with you for any questions or contact information of fellow attendees.

While it may feel like a risk to throw a networking event, it’s a risk worth taking. By positioning yourself as the host of your event, you’ll drive awareness to your business and brand, and build up the local professional community in a way that’s sure to draw good will your way.

Keep these ideas in mind as you go about planning a memorable networking event of your own, and above all—have a good time and others will follow suit.

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DAWN HINKLE A lifelong resident of the Northwest Suburbs, Dawn Hinkle has always been drawn to real estate. She would begin her career as a teacher, which spoke to the outstanding communication skills and compassionate personality she would later need to excel as an agent.

After taking some time off to raise her children, she decided the time was right to pursue her real estate license—and the rest is history.

Today, Dawn is a REALTOR® with Keller Williams Success Realty, where she assists clients throughout Barrington, McHenry County, and the surrounding communities of Northern Illinois. Drawing from her deep roots in the area, she has found quick success as an agent, possessing the openness, integrity, and tireless work ethic needed to meet the demands of any transaction.

When listing a property, Dawn prefers a comprehensive strategy. After helping her clients fully prepare their home for the market, she amplifies it via a targeted blend of digital and social media campaigns, as well as time-tested resources like postcards to the surrounding neighborhoods. She also utilizes the Virtual Roundtable at Keller Williams and an extensive list of networking groups to further share her listings to a pool of agents spanning the Midwest, giving each client an added advantage.

Elsewhere, Dawn is just as attentive when assisting her buyers, leveraging her in-depth knowledge of the region to uncover the right investment for their best interests. In fact, she continues to stand as their home advocate long after the deals are done, keeping in touch through regular check-ins, and connecting them with her extensive list of contractors, plumbers, electricians,

and home improvement specialists. But more than anything, Dawn enjoys seeing clients thrive in her Huntley community—from its highly ranked school system to its numerous local outreach organizations.

Since delving into real estate, Dawn has earned a fantastic reputation in Illinois, as evidenced by her rapidly growing rate of referrals. Through it all, she remains committed to the leading standard of service that brought her to the business in the first place. “I believe in going above and beyond,” she says. “My clients know I’m here for them, whenever I’m needed. Rather than simply focusing on their transaction, my heart is with them, each step of the way.”

Outside of real estate, Dawn is tremendously active in her community. On top of being a member of her Chamber of Commerce, she is the Social Committee Chairman for her subdivision of more than 1,600 homes.

Meanwhile, she volunteers with her local schools and church, along with making frequent contributions to foundations like the March of Dimes, with plans to launch her own charity in the near future. “Real estate isn’t just about helping my clients find their dream homes,” she says. “At the end of the day, it’s also an opportunity to add more value to my community.”

When she’s not with clients or giving back, Dawn can be found spending quality time at home with her family. But going forward, she also has strong plans for her business. As her volume maintains its steady growth, she intends on scaling her thoughtful approach throughout the region. In the meantime, though, she is more than excited for the new clients and opportunities that await in her hometown.

To learn more about Dawn Hinkle, email dawnhinkle@kw.com, visit dawnhinkle.kw.com or call (773) 425-9636 http://

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KRISTIN KESSLER After a successful teaching career, Kristin Kessler spent several years as a stay-at-home mom, while also running a daycare business for people in her community. Then came Covid. “Suddenly nobody needed daycare because everyone else was working from home too,” Kristin recalls. “So I decided to take the opportunity to make a career out of one of my passions. I’d always loved house hunting and interior decorating, so real estate felt like the perfect challenge at the right time.”

Today Kristin is a Broker with Coldwell Banker, delivering exceptional, personalized service to clients all over Illinois’s Lake and McHenry counties.

She’s already built a reputation as an energetic, easyto-talk-to advocate for her clients, someone who will listen to their needs and then do whatever it takes to meet them. One happy couple expressed their gratitude for her service like this: “Kristin is simply put a wonderful human and fantastic real estate agent. She truly cared about our passion for school district, listened to the little things that we were realizing we had to have in our ideal home. She made sure to stay informed throughout the process, and kept us up-to-date on every detail. Whether it was 7:00 AM or 9:00 PM at night, she was responsive and giving excellent advice that we desperately needed as first time homebuyers.”

Her sellers have plenty of reason to be happy too. All of her listings get professional, magazine grade photos that capture each home’s most lovely and unique features. Kristin takes advantage of Coldwell Banker’s extraordinary marketing capabilities—which include just-listed postcards, a custom website for the home, a virtual tour, as well as features in the real estate magazine View and on Chicago’s CW Television Network.

Moreover, Kristin also markets across a variety of social media platforms, where she has a large following. “My standing goal is to get the maximum amount 22

of exposure for my seller’s homes, which leads to top-dollar on their investment.”

Kristin adds value to her community in other ways too. She has volunteered in her children’s schools and served on various committees to help organize neighborhood events. One of her upcoming projects is the Lakemoor Community Garage Sale, which she will sponsor and invite local business owners to offer coupons to shoppers. Kristin is always looking for opportunities to support her community and its small businesses.

That service is also a big part of Kristin’s aim as she moves forward with her own business. “Giving back to the community completes a circle for me,” she explains. “I want to grow my business and serve my clients in a way that makes the experience exciting and fun, but I don’t want my life to just be about sales. I want to be known as a community expert and advocate in all regards. I want the relationships I build to run deep, and to last a lifetime.”

If you would like Kristin’s help buying or selling a home, or just want to seek her advice, contact her at 847-338-3919 or kristin.kessler@cbrealty.com Top Agent Agent Magazine Magazine Copyright Top

By the Numbers:

Understanding the True Value of Square Footage Measuring the square footage of a property may seem like an objective and straightforward task, but you’d be surprised at how many agents and homebuyers misunderstand this pivotal figure.

True square footage provides homebuyers a concrete understanding of their prospective domain, but here’s the problem: the rules to determine a home’s square footage are not always uniform across the board. What’s more, much of Top Agent Magazine

a home’s value is determined by its size, so accuracy is certainly important. While many real estate agents have their own systems for determining or confirming a home’s true square footage, it doesn’t hurt to update your practices and become an expert on the subject. After all, you may learn a few techniques that could add value to a listing, or better prepare you in guiding house-hunters on the lookout.

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1. Do your due diligence Most towns and cities have a local records department where floorplans and blueprints are kept on file. It’s worth noting that these records don’t typically include any subsequent additions or remodels on a property, but they still give archive hunters a legal baseline when outlining a property’s square footage. Oftentimes, a straightforward online search of a city or county’s records office can pull the information necessary, or else agents can poke around in person to uncover informative blueprints at the records office. Either way, access to original blueprints or floorplans is a great tool for determining livable square footage. As a bonus,

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original blueprints and floorplans—especially in historic properties—can be intriguing visual aids for prospective buyers, as well.

2. Know the rules While there aren’t universal standards when it comes to measuring square footage, there are general guidelines that can help determine square footage in an authentic way. Per the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), here are the official recommendations for measuring a home’s real square footage: n

Called “below grade spaces,” basements and sunrooms beyond a home’s typical

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living quarters do not count toward a home’s true square footage. According to ANSI, even big draws like finished basements don’t count toward a property’s Gross Living Area. Of course, even below grade spaces have their own desirable value and should be outlined as such on listings. n

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Did you know the space inside closets and on stairways counts toward a home’s square footage? Even if these areas are relatively small, they still add to a property’s calculable square footage.

When recording square footage, ANSI actually suggests performing measurements from a property’s exterior—though this method does not account for the

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thickness of exterior walls, which could skew square footage numbers. n

Just like below grade spaces, a garage, a pool house, or even a guest house should not be included in a property’s Gross Living Area. The rationale at work here is this: if you must go outside to access additional living areas, then they are beyond the square footage scope of the primary dwelling and should not be included in a home’s Gross Living Area.

3. Double-check by doing the dirty work Buyers and sellers have or will make a sizable investment in a property, so isn’t it fair to double-check all the relevant facts and figures

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when it comes to true square footage? If you want to take on the endeavor yourself, here are a few helpful steps to take. n

First, you’ll need a few things to get started, including a tape measure that can measure at least 100 ft., graph paper, and a pencil.

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Next, choose a room to start measuring wall-by-wall. Measure Wall 1, then proceed to assign each square on the gridded paper a corresponding measurement, rounding to the nearest tenth of a foot for the sake of clarity.

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From there, draw out the wall you measured and measure the remaining walls in the

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room. Once you’ve completed the room’s measurements, multiply the room’s length and width to determine its square footage. n

As you go measure throughout the home, using your own system to scale, you will construct a failsafe floorplan.

Mastering your craft is everything, and the real estate industry is no different. Every now and again, it’s worthwhile to update your well of information, take matters into your own hands, and continue to innovate with the industry. While square footage may not seem like the juiciest starting off point for such a venture, never forget: mastery of technical knowledge is a sure sign of expertise.

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ROBIN MARSHALL Robin Marshall has enjoyed an illustrious seven year career with @properties. Her first year as an agent, she was awarded the Rising Star award, and every year since, she has been top producer. In 2021 alone, Robin saw $11 million in production, and capped the year off as a celebrated winner of their agency’s Road to Rolex competition.

Robin’s command of the real estate industry in Lake County, Illinois, had humble beginnings: “I was a stay at home mom for many years, and I had always had an entrepreneurial spirit, but lost myself during those years. I quit my corporate job when I had children, and then this opportunity presented itself, and I grabbed onto it and simply soared.” Her clients benefit from her insider knowledge of Gurnee, where her children went through school; and the neighboring towns Libertyville, which is her husband’s hometown, and Grayslake.

The maternal touch that guided her two children through the worlds of clinical psychology and law has proven invaluable in Robin’s career as a REALTOR ®, especially as a solo agent. Her attention to detail, combined with constant support and communication, set her apart from the competition: “I don’t have a team.

It’s just me. When they email, call, or text me, they get me. And I think that’s probably what separates me: I’m not passing them off when they hire me.” Robin also leverages her passion for interior design by helping her clients stage their homes. She starts with a hand tailored to-do list to achieve a market ready home, tackles tiling, accessories, furniture, the works; and finishes with a contact list for contractors and handymen. “As everybody knows, first impressions are everything. Even in a seller’s market, you still need to present your house in the best possible light to the highest number of buyers.”

Robin’s familial influence spans beyond her clients, manifesting most prominently in nearby Buffalo Grove (her hometown), where she has been director of the Top Agent Magazine

Buffalo Grove Community Pageant for the past four years. This particular pageant has nothing to do with beauty, but aims to “inspire young girls from the age of six, all the way up to twenty-one. We teach them how to be active, participate and volunteer within their community.

Our overall mission is to encourage activism, public speaking and confidence in who they are as individuals while exploring how powerful as a united front they can make a difference.”

Going forward, Robin plans to stay the course, and hopes to maintain the stellar trajectory she’s had for the past seven years: “I hope to continue to provide integrity, do my job with passion, and assist my clients through the entire process, from beginning to end.” She has already seen tangible evidence of her success with former clients, citing her “second generation” customers as proof of a job well done. “Now I’m getting repeat business. I’m getting people’s children that want to buy, people’s extended families that want to buy or list their house with me. I think that’s directly indicative of the experience they’ve had with me, and that’s an unbelievable feeling.”

To learn more about Robin Marshall, please call 847-528-4757 email rmarshall@atproperties.com

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GRAHAM McDONALD Graham McDonald is a REALTOR® on the move. He is the agent tying up loose ends in the background so customers can feel like a home deal comes together magically.”What it comes down to is making sure that I have all my ducks in a row so that my clients can be a little scattered,” he says. No matter how busy he is dealing with lenders, attorneys and the like, he is available around the clock for a client. “My role is to answer texts within five minutes, a phone call within 15 minutes and an email within 30 minutes. And that’s if I don’t see them right away,” Graham says. “My number one priority is making sure that my client’s concerns and questions are always heard and answered.”

That is not to say Graham always has the answer. What he has built, though, is a network of professionals and specialists for every concern a buyer may have. “I’ve taken a lot of time and interviewed a lot of people to create a network that allows my clients to have never purchased a home before and have all of the necessary support that they could need,” he says. If a client needs an attorney, he keeps a vetted group of referrals on hand. Same goes for inspection companies, lenders and other related trades. “Above and beyond that, I try to be as available as possible. But when I’m not available, the beauty of being on a team is that my team can help me out. That translates over to a better customer experience for my buyers and sellers.”

The team came together organically. A serial entrepreneur, Graham’s real estate interest was piqued as a child while watching his parents invest in properties. He also lived down the street from team leader Tracey Larsen. Conversations with Tracey led to real estate classes even while Graham pursued a degree in evangelism and discipleship. At just under a year in business, the agent has booked more than $15 million in deals.

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The team of four serves the Fox Valley area at the western edge of metropolitan Chicago. The region is home to eclectic dining from quaint to fine, including Graceful Ordinary in downtown St. Charles. “It’s exactly what St. Charles and the Fox Valley needed for a really, really long time,” Graham says.

The farm-to-table restaurant is among the local businesses he recommends.

He also supports food causes such as Food for Greater Elgin, a food bank that launched an initiative to provide culturally appropriate food for the community.

The effort complements Graham’s contributions to local groups that promote sustainability.

Graham already has a handle on connecting clients and vendors. He would like to extend his reach by managing more customers. “I would say my five year plan is to be able to fully support every client, every connection that I have, that I come in contact with, and give them the absolute best experience possible, whether that be me working with five clients or me working with 50 clients at one time,” Making the best of the team approach, Graham will “grow our team and find good people to to add on to the team so that we can just continue to help people in the Fox Valley area find the perfect home.”

For more about Graham McDonald, please call 847.269.6409 or email graham@traceylarsenteam.com Top Agent Agent Magazine Magazine Copyright Top

Creative Meditation

for the Real Estate Professional The real estate world can be an industry of intense emotional and psychological pressure. Deadlines, meetings, employee needs, client needs and a hundred other items on which one needs to focus on a daily basis can create an environment that is not only not conducive to mental well-being, but can be outright detrimental.

Learning to quiet the mind has been the focus of meditation for millennia. While those not familiar with the concept of meditation may instinctively think of yoga mats, incense, and chanting when the word “meditation” arises, there are in fact, many forms of meditation that can integrate quite Top Agent Magazine

easily into the daily hustle & bustle world of the busy real estate agent.

First, think about when you are alone each day. Here are some possible times to practice mediation during the work day: • When driving to the office in the morning • When driving to a showing or to meet a client • Before your open house begins • After the open house • Driving home in the evening 29

Repeating a mantra can be very calming, particularly when you are trying to rid yourself of negative, self-defeating thoughts.

These are just five examples of times when you can take advantage of meditation techniques to quiet your mind and, by extension, increase productivity. A calm mind is a more thoughtful, better tuned instrument.

Here are some examples of meditations you can try:

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For when you’re driving, download and listen to any number of audio Guided Meditations available on the internet. YouTube has a generous selection of these, many of which are geared towards success in business.

2 Repeating a mantra can be very calm-

ing, particularly when you are trying to rid yourself of negative, self-defeating thoughts. It doesn’t matter what words you choose, as long as you feel good about your choice. “I am a success” or “I will approach all of my clients with love today” are two examples. Whatever works for you and gets you into the desired mindset.

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3 Something as simple as listening to pleasant music in your car can be considered meditation, provided it brings you to a place of comfort as opposed to one of spiritual discordance.

4 The most important thing, however, is to take time to find gratitude in everything you do. Count your blessings, be grateful the exciting career in real estate you have built for yourself.

Once you’ve mastered some of these techniques at quieting your mind, you can attempt to find some that work even better for you. Walking, plain silence, or even exercise can have meditative qualities and benefits if practiced on a regular basis.

When you’re truly feeling calm, your clients can sense this. And with this comes the feeling that you can be relied upon to stay focused and calm in any unforeseen circumstances. And in the world of real estate, that’s a highly prized commodity.

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LUCY MULLARKEY & JENN HENRY Throughout her life, Lucy Mullarkey has always possessed an entrepreneurial spirit. After getting her start in the IT sales industry, she began seeking a new opportunity that better spoke to her passion for helping others and afforded her flexibility to be there for her daughter. At last, she decided to pursue her real estate license and launch her career as an agent.

Meanwhile, Jenn Henry has long been interested in real estate, taking inspiration from her sister-in-law, a prominent agent in Washington State.

Individually, Lucy and Jenn would emerge as top performers at their brokerage, establishing a network of satisfied clients that spans Illinois. In early 2022, though, they decided the time was right to team up and take their work to the next level—and the rest is history. Today, they lead the Henry & Mullarkey Group, powered by RE/MAX All Pro, where they assist clients throughout the Western Suburbs of Chicago. There, they have combined their proven business acumen and penchant for client service to meet the needs of any buyer or seller.

When listing a property, Lucy and Jenn take a dynamic approach. After helping their clients prepare for the market and providing a suite of professional staging and photography services, they share their listings via a highly targeted blend of digital and social media campaigns. They also leverage trusted resources like video walkthroughs, open houses, print advertising, and email marketing—all to give their clients an added advantage.

But Lucy and Jenn are just as attentive when assisting their buyers, drawing from their acute knowledge of the region to uncover the right investment for each client’s best interests. In fact, the two keep in touch long

after the deals are done through regular check-ins, handwritten cards, and even personal touches like girl scout cookies in the spring or the occasional gift. “We are always client focused,” Jenn says. “When Lucy and I work with our buyers and sellers, we treat them like family. On top of that, we pride ourselves on knowing the current legal standards and educating our clients so they can make well-informed decisions on their future.”

Having completed 84 transactions and $28 million in volume in 2021 alone, Lucy and Jenn remain committed to the core values that brought them to real estate in the first place. “Not only do I love cultivating friendships with our clients, but I also appreciate the business I’ve been able to build over the past ten years,” Lucy says.

“Real estate has allowed me to set a strong example for my daughter, showing her that you can do whatever you set your mind to.”

Outside their career, Lucy and Jenn are committed to their community, volunteering for local outreach organizations like The Forgotten Initiative and Support Over Stigma. When she’s not with clients or giving back, Lucy enjoys golfing with friends or spending quality time with her daughter and their German Shepherd; meanwhile, Jenn can be found relaxing at home with family or traveling.

Lucy and Jenn also have strong plans for their business. As their volume maintains its steady growth, they intend on expanding their sizable social media presence, with an eye toward building a team in the future.

In the meantime, though, they look forward to all the new connections that await in the Western Suburbs.

For more about Lucy Mullarkey, email mullarkeyrealtor@gmail.com, visit lucymullarkey.com or call (331) 202-9098. To learn more about Jenn Henry, email jennhenry01@gmail.com, visit jennhenryrealtor.com or call (630) 313-0103.

Find them on Instagram at instagram.com/henrymullarkeyrealtors www.

Henry & Mullarkey Group

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