Just three years after bursting onto the scene from its Chicago roots, the real estate firm known as @properties of Harbor Country has rocketed to become the No. 2 brokerage firm in Michigan's Great Southwest by sales volume. Soaring sales have led the way for the agency, including a 34-percent increase in the last year alone.
Chicago-based @properties closed annual sales of nearly $100-million dollars inn 2015 — $99.365-million to be exact — and that was a solid 34-percent hike from the previous year, surpassing companies that been doing business in the region for decades.
Michael Golden is co-founder of the dynamic real estate firm. He says, "We have successfully bridged the gap between the Chicago and Michigan markets faster than any other real estate firm in the area."
Established in 2000, @properties started as a four-person boutique brokerage firm in Chicago’s River North neighborhood and in under a decade became the largest residential broker in Chicago. In 2013, the company followed a number of its clients into the second-home market here in Southwest Michigan, and has grown exponentially ever since.
Thaddeus Wong is also a co-founder. He says, “As the housing market recovered, more and more of our clients were looking at vacation properties in Harbor Country. It was a natural progression for @properties.”
In January 2013, @properties opened its Harbor Country office in New Buffalo, and quickly established itself as one of the leading brokerage firms in the region. Demand from the local brokerage community grew, and the following year the company opened another regional office in St. Joseph.
So, what’s behind @properties’ rapid growth? According to Wong and Golden, it’s a combination of factors.
Golden says, “Having the No. 1 market share in the city and a large presence in the surrounding suburbs, we have access to a huge network of potential vacation home buyers.” He adds, “We can cross-market to our clients very efficiently, and as a result we’ve been able to drive a lot of buyers to Michigan.”
Wong added that cutting-edge marketing and tech resources have enabled the company to grow its market share in Southwest Michigan quickly. As he says, “We have very sophisticated marketing and technology, and brokers and clients in Michigan have responded to that.” He notes, "We continue to grow and have created more competition in the process.”
Since opening an office in Harbor Country, @properties has introduced a number of new technologies to brokers and clients through partnerships with local startups. One of those companies is Yapmo, a tech startup that developed an internal mobile application called the @gent app, which maximizes exposure by allowing properties to be marketed even before they are officially listed for sale.
Golden is proud that “Innovation and technology have been a huge piece of our success in every marketplace, and Michigan is no exception.” He adds, “We are constantly seeking out products and services that will provide added convenience for our clients and help our brokers build their business. That extra level of service has helped spur our growth.”
According to George Schultz, director of operations for @properties’ Michigan offices, the company looks to continue its expansion throughout the region. Schultz says, “Our growth has been very organic, and we expect that to continue as more brokers and prospective clients recognize the value of a local, independent company.”
For more information about @properties, click the link below:
Established in 2000, @properties is the No. 1 independent residential brokerage firm in Illinois and one of the top 11 residential brokers in the U.S. @properties has more than 1,900 licensed brokers in 21 offices throughout downtown Chicago, surrounding suburbs, southwest Michigan and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
