Real estate is more than a business to Fathi Hajhassan. Why? Because it’s more than a business to his clients.
Every transaction involves a client’s hopes and dreams, which is why Hajhassan goes out of his way to always stay accessible, communicate throughout the process and make sure his clients know he’s there for them well beyond the closing.
“For me, real estate has always been about relationships first,” he explains. “Whether someone is buying their first home, selling a longtime family home or investing, I try to treat their decision as if it were my own.”
That care and concern about the outcomes for his clients is how he’s managed to build a loyal following of repeat business and referrals. Because everyone wants to know their agent is in their corner when they’re making one of the biggest decisions of their lives.
“Understanding the local market and negotiating are obviously important, but earning someone’s trust and maintaining it is what ultimately creates long-term success,” he says.
John Mendez, of Realty One Group Heartland and the John Mendez Team, joked about having an advantage in the reader polls.
Voting occurs around Mendez's birthday.
“I don’t know if it’s fair for everyone,” he chuckled.
Mendez, who has offices in Mokena and Homer Glen, has been selling real estate mostly in the area since he became licensed in 2004. It’s the family trade, as both of his parents are brokers.
The secret, he said, is focusing on people and being aware that, as a real estate agent, one is taking part in someone else’s story.
“For anything you do in life, if you nurture your relationships, you’ll have good results,” said Mendez. “More than anything, I think it’s focusing on what matters most to our clients.”
Realty One Group Heartland / John Mendez Team also was voted Best Real Estate Team.
Drawing on nearly three decades of experience across the real estate spectrum — including residential, new construction and commercial — Mike McCatty says the goal for every property he takes on is pretty much the same.
“Whether it’s a home, land, an investment property or a commercial building, real estate is ultimately about people and providing great service,” he says. “What I enjoy most is helping people accomplish their goals.”
That’s why despite the deep understanding of the many technical sides of real estate he brings into every transaction, he believes true success always comes down to two basic factors.
“No matter what type of real estate I’m working on, it will always come back to people and service,” he explains. “Real estate is constantly changing, but that part always stays the same.”
Brian Wille has been building custom homes in the Southwest Suburbs for more than 30 years, with the quality of his company’s work garnering returning clients and numerous referrals. Working closely with homeowners, Wille has built a wide variety of homes in developments including Karen Springs and Oak Creek of Lockport, the Bridges of Mokena and currently in Prairie Ridge Estates of New Lenox, a community that will feature a mix of luxury ranch villas and single-family homes.
“I think what truly makes our company stand out is that we provide direct access and support to homebuyers throughout the entire construction process,” says Wille. “I am at the homesite while the building is going on, and my wife, Sherry, handles all the exterior and interior designs for the model homes. We also have a great team behind us that has been with us for years, and we take immense pride in building homes where families can create lasting memories.”
A lot of people may see real estate as just another business transaction. But for Samantha Laba, it’s much more than that.
“I’ve never looked at real estate as simply selling homes,” she says. “I’m building a name, a reputation and relationships that I want to carry with me for the rest of my career. And I want every client I work with to feel seen, heard, protected and confident that I’m going to show up for them at the highest level.”
In just two years of working hard, keeping the faith and living by that philosophy, Laba has not only managed to make a name for herself in a highly competitive market, she’s also gotten to experience again and again the part of the job that she loves the most.
“The best thing about this job is having the opportunity to walk alongside someone through one of the biggest chapters of their life.”
Basing his approach to real estate on solid business acumen, great communication skills and a firm understanding of compliance, Adam Mendez remains at the top of his game.
And despite how quickly and how much the real estate market can change, Mendez says nothing has changed in his attitude toward the work.
He knows that keeping clients happy and keeping his team motivated will continue to lead to success for Realty One Group Heartland.
Online reviews for Perri say he communicates well and treats customers like family while his team makes buying a home not stressful.
Regional sales manager at Novus Home Mortgage, Perri has more than two decades of experience in the real estate and financial world, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He has held numerous roles in the mortgage world throughout his career, from file opener to closing specialist.
“I like real estate law because it is generally not contentious or adversarial,” said Russ Kadza. “Success comes from parties on opposite sides of a transaction working together toward a common goal, as opposed to working against each other.”
About 14 years ago — right after passing the Illinois Bar Exam — Kazda opened KadzaLaw, which practices real estate and business law and estate planning from offices in Frankfort, Orland Park and Tinley Park.
Unshakable legal representation is as important to Kazda as communicating with clients and making things such as real estate law stress-free and smooth.
“We understand that, although we do this every day, most people do not, so bridging the gap between our expertise and the needs of each client is of crucial importance,” Kazda said.
