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Real Trends 500: Top Chicago Brokerage Firms

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For 29 years, Real Trends has been providing comprehensive lists of who’s doing what in residential real estate. Whereas the numbers qualifying firms across the country to even be considered have changed, the bragging rights have not.

In 2015, firms needed to closed a minimum of 1,702 transactions to for the 2016 list consideration. These are the top firms from Chicago.

No. 11: @properties

Total Volume in 2015: $7,349,190,055
Established in 2000, @properties is home to 2,000 agents in 20 offices in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Speaking to the success of @properties, Peter Olesker, who handles corporate communications for the firm, summarized its ideals in one closing sentence: “Our no. 1 clients are our brokers, and if they are taken care of, then they will take care of their clients.”

With year-to-date sales up 10 percent from 2015, Olesker has good reason to believe to that 2016’s numbers will surpass that of 2015.

No. 25: Baird and Warner

Total Volume in 2015: $4,742,549,233
Is there another real estate firm in Chicagoland that has had its own honorary day named after it? Well, Baird and Warner has, which speaks to the more than 150 years of service the firm has dedicated to residential real estate.

Still a family-operated business, president and CEO Stephen Baird leads more than 1,800 agents in 25 offices on the path to keep Chicago’s legacy of innovation intact. Baird and Warner have played an integral role in the development of Chicago.

No. 46: Coldwell Banker Honig-Bell/The Real Estate Group

Total Volume in 2015: $2,858,149,573
Coldwell Banker Honig-Bell/The Real Estate Group has a storied past filled with mergers and acquisitions, but it’s all for the betterment of Chicagoland. In 1997, when Coldwell Banker Bell merged with Honig-Realty, the 14 offices housing 400 agents grew to be the number one selling firm in the county.

But 20 years is a long time, and since then it has more than doubled its agent and office numbers, and earned the title of the number two Coldwell Banker franchise in the country.

No. 164: Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty

Total Volume in 2015: $1,181,645,885
Since CEO James Feurer and president Mike Sato joined the Jameson family in 2008, sales have grown over 400 percent. In 2011, Jameson joined the Sotheby’s International Realty family and are currently adding a fifth office on the Gold Coast to its brand.

Jameson’s 341 agents handle everything in the residential real estate world from luxury homes to condo rentals, as well as the commercial market.

No. 214: RE/MAX Suburban

Total Volume in 2015: $984,907,008

Re/Max Suburban covers some of Chicago’s western and northern suburbs, with offices in seven different locations including Schaumburg, Wheaton and Glen Ellyn.

Email Britt Chester