The real estate industry has undergone a lot of change in recent years. One of the most notable shifts is how agents are implementing technology into their businesses. The National Association of Realtors is reporting that 97% of homebuyers use the internet in their home search. It is more important than ever before for agents to have a strong online presence.

Real People was one of the first companies in the industry to integrate technology into the home buying process. The firm has continued to be on the forefront of technology and marketing throughout its entire history. Real People Realty prides themselves on being ahead of the changing times to ensure a seamless transaction for their agents and clients. Offering the latest tools, systems, and technology has led to incredible results for their agents. Many having seen huge increases in production and more efficient prospecting.

Right now, Real People Realty agents have the capability to generate large quantities of high-quality leads more efficiently than ever before. Managing leads is easier too. The agents have access to powerful systems that ensure every client gets the attention they deserve from their agent. 

Marketing is only one of the hats the firm wears. Real People Realty pairs their offerings with some of the best sales training in the industry. The outcome is clear. Real People Realty agents are able to provide exceptional service and create lifelong relationships with their clients.

The firm credits their independent business model as one of the major reasons they are able to provide the best technology. “We are constantly evaluating emerging technologies. If we feel that something can be of benefit to our agents or their clients, we quickly implement it at no additional cost. We’re not locked in to certain platforms due to being a franchise, so we’re able to pick the best of the best and put it into one beautiful suite of products for our agents” said Chief Operating Officer and Co-Owner Evan Johnson. “I feel like we’ve done an exceptional job of taking complex technology and making it incredibly simple, so that anyone can use it. The key is having everything set up and providing great training so anyone, regardless of experience level can use it. We have brokers that are 19 years old and grew up with technology all the way up to folks who are almost 80 years old who spent most of their real estate career offline. Virtually all of them are able to excel with technology now due to our simple training and their eagerness to succeed.”

It’s clear that the technology making its way into the real estate landscape is here to stay. Real People Realty will continue to work tirelessly to make sure their agents not only receive the best tools, but the training to go along with them.

The holiday season is in full swing and the offices at Real People Realty are fully immersed in giving. The firm has always believed in “paying it forward”. Since 2001, Real People Realty has offered a 100% commission plan to their agents. Instead of paying a massive commission split of 30% or 40%, the agents pay an average of $495 per deal. This philosophy has lead to agents having more money to grow their business, save for retirement, and/or donate to local causes that their passionate about.

This holiday season, Real People Realty has raised awareness for men’s health issues through Movember and held a huge volunteer event with Feed My Starving Children. Now they have their eyes set on a new goal: making sure every child receives a gift this Christmas. Real People Realty will be collecting donations through Toys for Tots at all 5 of their locations on December 15th. Anyone is welcome to donate.

Vice President of Development, Reid Scott, had this to say, “It’s been such a great holiday season. We’re very passionate about putting people first. Last week we heard Evan Johnson (Chief Operating Officer & one of the owners) talk about this firm’s longstanding history of taking care of people. Every year we find a way to take that to the next level around the holiday time.”

Reid said he is expecting a big turn out at the Toys for Tots event after seeing so many agents get involved at Feed My Starving Children. He says that giving back to the community is the Real People Realty way.

“When you have over 900 people within an organization who truly believe in the leadership and company values, you see some incredible things happen. All of our local efforts in the community wouldn’t be possible without having, in my opinion, the best people in the industry working here. That creates an environment like no other. Agents are happy they’re being put first, in turn they put their clients, family, and communities first. It’s a surreal full circle moment. It truly makes you want to pay it forward.”

If you would like to participate in the Toys for Tots charity event, please bring a donation to one the Real People Realty office locations on December 15th. Complementary food and drinks will be provided. The offices are located in Mokena, Naperville, Arlington Heights, Oak Park, and Jefferson Park.

Real People Realty is a residential real estate brokerage based in Chicago, IL. We provide our agents with all the tools, training, technology, and support they need to run their real estate business. Our number one priority is our agents and their success. For these reasons and more, Real People Realty has been awarded a Top Workplaces honor by The Chicago Tribune Top Workplaces. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage, LLC. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization: including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.

Real People Realty is a Top Workplace, 7 Years Running!

Real People Realty has been among the fastest growing brokerages for many years. Having been ranked in the top 0.5% of all brokerages nationwide (according to RealTrends 500 in 2021) a spotlight has been shined on their model. In this interview, Evan Johnson, one of the owners (and Chief Operating Officer) takes the time to reflect on the firm and its agents’ achievements this year. Mr. Johnson said the firm has always had a long history of striving to put the agent first and helping them succeed.

“We’ve always been extremely focused on putting the agent first in every avenue. Our philosophy is that if agents feel happy and taken care of, they are going to be in the best position possible to provide exceptional service to their clients. That is really what our model is about. Taking care of people.”

The Johnson family and the rest of the support staff have created a model where agents can keep 100% of their commission while receiving white glove support and innovative technology. He says the key to this mindset is allowing agents to keep the majority of their commission, while providing a support staff that is always evaluating the best technology. This makes it significantly easier for each agent to hit their respective goals. The more satisfied the agents are, the better service they are able to provide to their clients and in turn everyone wins.

“It can be very difficult for realtors if they have to pay out massive commission splits. I never want folks to be in a position where they have to choose between providing for their family or reinvesting back into their business. That is a very stressful situation. I want people to feel like they have more than enough money to provide for their family and they’re able to reinvest back into their business how they see fit. When that happens, that’s when you see a lot of incredible success stories. This is why I’m excited to come into work each day.”

The firm has grown significantly with this philosophy. They have opened 3 additional, full-service offices in the last year. Mr. Johnson said the decision to open new locations was easy after looking at the growth they have experienced in agent count. He said that over 525 agents have joined in the last year and a half.

Join us Thursday, May 19 (4pm to 7pm), as we celebrate our Arlington Heights location’s grand opening. Enjoy free food, beverages, headshots*, and a chance to network with some of our top agents and brokers.

* must have a ticket for headshots

Update May 19, 2022

Thanks for celebrating with us!

Real People Realty Ranks as One of The Nation’s Top-Producing Brokerage Firms in RISMedia’s 2022 Power Broker Report

Real People Realty, headquartered in Mokena, IL, recently announced its ranking as one of the top 500 real estate firm in the United States in sales volume, according to RISMedia’s 34th Annual Power Broker Report. The Power Broker ranking for Real People Realty is the result of reporting $615,479,648 in total sales volume for 2021, which was generated by their agents closing 2,443 total real estate transactions across both buyers and sellers.

RISMedia President and CEO John Featherston praised Real People Realty for its placement in this year’s Power Broker Report. “Congratulations to all the leaders and their respective management teams and sales associates who have contributed to the collective success represented in the 34th Annual Power Broker Report,” says Featherston. “2021 was a historical year with unprecedented benchmarks, and those who rank on our Power Broker list represent the tremendous success that’s occurred in residential real estate over the past year. Looking forward, I am confident that this group will continue to forge ahead toward another successful year.”

The Top 1,000 2022 Power Brokers collectively earned more than $2.4 trillion in sales volume and engaged in more than 5 million transactions in 2021, through the commitment of 645,843 agents in nearly 12,000 offices.

Celebrating its 34th year, the Power Broker Report has long honored the incredible business feats of remarkable real estate leaders—and brokerage firms—who continue to shape our industry. Each April, RISMedia’s Real Estate magazine highlights the Top 500 Power Broker firms according to sales volume, and the online directory version of the Power Broker Top 1,000 ranks firms according to sales volume and transactions.

View The Rankings 

About RISMedia’s 34th Annual Power Broker Report & Survey
RISMedia’s 34th Annual Power Broker Report & Survey is based on an online survey of residential real estate brokerages in the U.S., conducted by RISMedia January – February, 2022. The survey ranks brokerages by closed sales volume and transaction sides in 2021. Brokerages must have a majority ownership interest, inclusive of subsidiaries, to complete the survey, and have had their submissions verified by the associated broker and accountant, CFO or other party who can validate the accuracy of the data submitted. There is no cost or obligation to participate in the Annual Power Broker Report & Survey.

About RISMedia 
RISMedia was founded in 1980 by CEO and Publisher John E. Featherston as the residential real estate industry’s definitive source for news and information for real estate’s most profitable and productive professionals. For over 40 years, RISMedia has provided the industry with news, strategies and trends, and premier educational and networking events, including RISMedia’s CEO & Leadership Exchange; the Real Estate Newsmaker Reception & Dinner; the Power Broker Forum, Reception & Dinner; and Real Estate’s Rocking in the New Year.

For more information, please visit www.rismedia.com.

REALTRENDS 500 REPORT RANKS REAL PEOPLE REALTY ONE OF THE NATION’S LARGEST REAL ESTATE FIRMS

Irving, Texas — On March 25, 2022, RealTrends released its 2022 RealTrends 500, an independently verified compilation of the nation’s leading residential real estate companies. RealTrends, the trusted source for news and research about the real estate brokerage industry, has been ranking brokerages for more than 34 years and is the most-trusted brokerage ranking report in the industry.

Included in the RealTrends 500 is Real People Realty headquartered in Mokena, IL. Real People Realty ranked number 450 in the RealTrends 500 with 2,443 residential transaction sides closed last year.

This year’s survey represents the most comprehensive collection of data assembled on the leaders of the residential brokerage industry. Numbers are documented by outside accounting firms and/or MLS reports. 

Over 1,700 firms qualified for this year’s RealTrends 500. According to a research report produced by RealTrends, the 500 largest residential real estate brokerage firms in the nation closed over 5.7 million residential sales transactions in 2021, an increase of 1.8 million sales transactions from 2020. These transactions were valued at over $2.7 trillion and represented over one-third of all new and resale transactions completed by brokers during the year, yet  the RealTrends 500 represented less than 0.5 percent of all brokerage firms. 

View The Rankings 

About RealTrends: RealTrends has been The Trusted Source for news, analysis and information about the residential real estate industry since 1987. Acquired by HW Media LLC in 2020, RT remain a privately-held publishing, communications, and events company in Castle Rock, Colorado. Residential real estate leaders find timely and trusted information and analysis through our yearly event—Gathering of Eagles—our newsletters and daily news published on www.RealTrends.com.

Real People Realty is opening its fifth office to serve agents, located on North Aurora Road, minutes away from the Route 59 Metra Station in Naperville (BNSF).

Serving over 800 agents and counting, Real People Realty is proud to rapidly expand, to further accommodate. Like the other offices, the Naperville Location is conveniently located for Real People Realty agents to meet with their clients when needed. This new location, along with access to training, technology and resources from anywhere, all together strengthens the mission of helping real estate agents better compete.