Welcome to the new blog for Matt Shrake and The Shrake Group.
Over the coming weeks and months, we’re going to be publishing nearly weekly blogs and a monthly newsletter to lay out many of the things that Matt believes make Chicago a great place to live, a great place to buy and sell real estate, and why the experience and dedication of Chicago Realtor Matt Shrake help him deliver great results for his clients.
(And yes, Matt hates making such a bold statement, but his trusted experts and clients tell him he has to take his talent for promoting his clients’ properties and extend them to self-promotion).
Mostly, that’s going to mean a lot of great content here about Chicago and Chicago Real Estate.
Principles
In nearly 30 years in the business of Chicago real estate, Matt has built a reputation trying to implement a dedicated strategy for every property, by going the extra mile to make deals happen, and by making sure to fully commit to his clients in every transaction.
In a series of articles to come, Matt plans to articulate some of the most important principles that continue to help him succeed for clients, including:
- Why Every Home Needs a Customized Marketing Strategy
- The Importance of a Realtor Who’s Active In The Community
- The Importance of a Patient Realtor
- The Importance of a Realtor Who Will Speak Plainly
- Why Matt Believes You Should Start Looking Early
- And much, much more to come.
Our hope is to help showcase some of the things that make an experienced and dedicated real estate agent so vital in the often too-complicated world of buying and selling Chicago property. And whether or not you choose to work with Matt (of course, we hope you do), you will at least walk into your next transaction a little wiser.
Issues
But real estate – especially in Chicago – is an industry of constant change. And so while anyone can articulate principles, nimbleness is also critical. And you don’t work as long or on as many diverse properties as Matt has without developing an important perspective on changes in the real estate market. In additional articles here and for newsletter subscribers, Matt will also tackle some of the important current and developing issues facing the Chicago real estate market including:
- Solving the Low Housing Inventory Problem
- The Impacts of Higher Interest Rates
- How Real Estate Development is Impacting Existing Home Sales
And more.
Tips
Chicago is a truly special (yet sometimes challenging) place when it comes to making a real estate deal happen. And anyone who’s bought and sold property in Chicago knows there are many unforeseen issues lurking around every corner. So let Matt be your guide, as he covers some of the many tips that he has learned for building and closing successful Chicago real estate transactions, including:
- Lifestyle Questions Most Home Buyers Fail to Consider
- Chicago-Specific Investment Real Estate Mistakes to Avoid
- How to Avoid Great Real Estate Deals Falling Apart
- What To Do – And Not To Do – in Staging Your Home
- How to Buy a Chicago Property From Out of Town
Neighborhoods
Matt got his start at the corner of Ashland and Diversey at the border of Lincoln Park and Lakeview. His office is now in the Gold Coast. And while he certainly knows those neighborhoods – and everywhere in between – inside and out, he’s worked just as much or more in many of Chicago’s other great neighborhoods.
Each month on the blog and in the newsletter we’ll spotlight one of Chicago’s great neighborhoods, and many others will be featured in the highlighted properties, tips, market updates, and insights, including Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Gold Coast, Avondale, Logan Square, Pilsen, River North, Bronzeville, Kenwood, Bucktown, Wicker Park, Ukrainian Village, Fulton Market, West Loop, Hyde Park, Woodlawn, Southport Corridor, Wrigleyville, Old Town, Near North Side, North Center, Ravenswood, Lincoln Square, Oak Park, River Forest, Old Irving Park, Portage Park, River West, West Town, Rogers Park, Sauganash, Edgebrook, Forest Glen, Wildwood, South Loop, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Glenview, Evanston, and more.
Personal Life
And, of course, Matt will share details about his personal life, including some of his favorite places in the neighborhoods he works in (an ever-growing list). He’ll also relate lessons from his own life and those of the many Chicagoans he’s met that help enjoy not only real estate transactions – but life in Chicago.
And hopefully, you’ll get a feel for what it’s like to work with Matt, to get to know him, whether that’s looking for property early and often, putting in the extra effort to maximize your sale, hanging out at the closing table, or getting together for a celebratory dinner or a ball game.
So please, check back here regularly, and if you’re not already subscribed to Matt’s newsletter, please do so: SUBSRCIBE NOW
