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Independent brokerage Baird & Warner is looking to bolster its newly established strength in the Chicagoland housing market. The firm is launching The City Collective, which it describes as an initiative aimed at uniting the firm’s 800 Chicago-based brokers with innovative technology and AI tools.
Baird & Warner announced the launch of The City Collective last Thursday at an event for the brokerage’s top-producing agents in Chicago.
Since merging with fellow Chicagoland independent Dream Town in June, Baird & Warner said it has become the No. 2 brokerage in the metro area by units sold and No. 3 by sales volume.
“Baird & Warner’s legacy and reach in the suburban market has always been revered, so now that we have almost doubled our agent base in the city – resulting in an increase in experience, idea generation and best practices – we’ve never been in a better position to further expand the company’s footprint and influence in the Chicago market,” David Bailey, the senior vice president and general sales manager at Baird & Warner, said in a statement.
“This is a real game-changing moment for our agents. It’s about learning from one another, uniting our Chicago offices and embracing new tools, marketing capabilities and renewed energy.”
As Baird & Warner looks to take over the No. 1 spot in the metro area, Bailey said the firm is looking to set itself apart from Chicagoland’s other largest player, @properties Christie’s International Real Estate, which is owned by Compass, through its support of the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Clear Cooperation Policy.
“We’ve always believed that more exposure for a listing leads to more showings, more offers and ultimately a higher price,” Bailey said. “As agents, our fiduciary responsibility is to our clients. Sellers deserve maximum exposure for their properties, and buyers deserve to see everything that’s available on the market. We’re in a moment when our largest competitor, Compass, is consolidating through aggressive acquisitions – not to better serve consumers or its brokers, but in service of its quarterly earnings calls.”
In order to support increased cooperation and transparency across its Chicagoland offices, Baird & Warner said it is introducing a series of internal communications tools, marketing initiatives and tech tools. Additionally, the firm said The City Collective will also provide agents and brokers with updates on local regulations, neighborhood trends and opportunities for agents to collaborate. The City Collective will also host standing citywide meetings across all Chicago offices and an awards program for local agents.
“With all these positive changes underway, I’ve never felt more excited about the future for our agents,” Bailey said. “Baird & Warner is the clear independent alternative to Wall Street-run brokerages, where our clients come first. That’s what makes the City Collective so compelling: it’s the combination of our people, local expertise, technology, company culture and a commitment to market transparency and to doing the right thing for consumers and agents.”
