Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
As we approach the end of 2012, it’s that time of year when annual honors and awards are handed out to various real estate brokerages and companies around the country. One honorary list I always like to follow at the end of each year is the Inc. 5000. This year 67 real estate companies made the Inc. 5000 list with Validation Management Group taking home the top honor among real estate businesses at #29.
Living in Chicago however, there are two companies on the 2012 list that immediately caught my attention: Chicago Apartment Finders and @Properties. Chicago Apartment Finders is primarily an apartment finding service in the city that focuses on finding students, young professionals, and just about anyone else searching for a Chicago rental anything from quaint studio apartments to larger detached single-family homes for rent.
While Chicago Apartment Finders has only been in business since 2002, this top Chicago apartment locater has actually made the Inc. 5000 list every year since 2007, with its highest ranking being that same year at #1,032. Since it’s beginning, Chicago Apartment Finders has grown from 2 agents in a small, one-room office to 4 offices, more than 150 team members, and a branded fleet of cars agents are able use to transport clients from apartment listing to apartment listing.
@Properties is also a fairly young real estate company in Chicago, yet still considered to be of city’s top brokerages. Investing millions of dollars in state-of-the-art technology and cutting-edge marketing services, it’s no wonder why @Properties is also one of the city’s most recognizable real estate companies with signage seemingly all over the downtown area. In addition, @Properties also prides itself on holding each and every agent within the company to a higher standard of customer service and professionalism.
And with previous Inc. 5000 honors for @Properties coming in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, there’s no doubt this effort and hard work has continued to pay off. Since 2008, @Properties’ revenue has climbed from $45.6 million to $60 million in 2011--a 32% growth—and there’s certainly no sign of slowing down. Along with the company’s core residential real estate business, @Properties is also an industry leader in commercial real estate, while also working to expand into property management with the recent acquisition of Venterra Sales and Management.
So congratulations to not only Chicago Apartment Finders and @Properties in Chicago, but all the 2012 Inc. 5,000 recipients and here’s to hoping 2013 brings even more success!
Joe Heath is a graduate of Indiana University and also holds a Graduate Certificate in Real Estate Development from Drexel University. After working as a Market Research Associate and writing published Market Snapshots for Hanley Wood Market Intelligence in Chicago, Joe now works as a Web Marketing Specialist and is a managing partner at Real Estate Web Creation, LLC.
