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You've undoubtedly heard various business names, but @properties for a real estate company? There has to be a compelling story behind that name. Listen in and get the story behind the naming from my guests Thaddeus Wong and Michael Golden, the co-CEOs and co-Founders of @properties and co-CEO's of Christie's International Real Estate. in this episode of The Real Estate Sessions. Long story short, they believed that building something bigger than themselves was the key to success and named their company after this thought. Starting their firm after an opportunity from a client who offered them his business after they left their previous company where the duo worked, they have come so far as to make it run successfully for over 23 years now! And despite some challenges along the way, their business has only flourished.
The secret to their success? That's a lot of things, including dedication and hard work. But two of the most important ones, they will tell you, are culture and relationships. Thad and Mike have, for the longest time, focused on building a strong sense of community among their agents and offered support and guidance through financial education and marketing programs. They have helped their agents feel connected and not isolated, even during a difficult period in the market. Their core value of relationships has paid off, leading to their best growth during and after the downturn.
Their company also has a unique approach to technology adoption. They have a team of engineers who have been building their technology stack for the past 15 years, focusing on creating a fully integrated platform for real estate agents that saves time and offers convenience. They understand the needs of real estate agents as they were salespeople themselves for many years and continue to adapt their program to meet the changing needs of agents!
In addition to technology, @properties has integrated Christie's International Real Estate brand into its platform, providing a complete end-to-end transaction solution. The company believes that having local independent leaders as partners, rather than having a corporation own all brokerages, is the key to obtaining the best agents with an entrepreneurial spirit. They aim to provide value to the homeowner, eventually increasing referrals and repeat usage. Listen to the episode for more!
Success clues from today's episode:
● A strong sense of community and close relationships with coworkers is more important to many people than the pay they receive, leading to their leadership team not losing anyone of substance.
● @properties navigated a difficult market period by offering support and guidance to their agents through financial education and marketing programs and focusing heavily on building and maintaining relationships between agents.
● The duo's core business value is relationships, and this focus has paid off, leading to their best growth during and after the downturn.
● @properties has been careful about its technology investments and has created a complete end-to-end solution, setting it apart from competitors.
Meet The Guests!
Thaddeus Wong and Michael Golden are the Co-Founders & Co-CEOs of Properties.
Time Stamps
[00:00] Sneak peek
[00:40] Intro
[01:02] Meet Thad and Mike
[01:58] Mike's experience growing up in Boston and landing in Chicago
[02:49] How Thad got to Chicago
[03:29] life before real estate for Thad and Mike
[04:47] The duo's interest in sports when coming to Chicago
[06:32] Thad and Mike's admiration for Michael Jordan, Kareem, and LeBron
[09:53] Mike and Thad's impressions of each other before partnering for their business and how it's evolved over time
[11:58] How the duo decided to create a brokerage
[13:54] Why relationship-building and work culture are essential in real estate
[16:20] Is culture a buzzword today? Do people live it?
[17:37] The duo shares their darkest days in real estate and why it was an actual test of their leadership abilities
[20:05] Early adopters or the build-on-your-stack kind — which category does the duo fall lean towards?
[22:49] The duo talks about their real estate platform
[25:06] Thad and Mike's thoughts on business expansion
[26:33] The future of real estate tech
[29:27] One piece of advice for real estate agents just getting started in the industry
[30:46] Reach out to Thad and Mike
Connect with Thad and Mike:
Thad Wong
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thad.wong.54
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thaddeuswong/
Mike Golden
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mike.golden.7127
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/migolden/
