Emily Ackerman of Chicago Home Collective at Compass was recently awarded National Association of REALTORS® winning the 30 under 30 award. This young superstar has spent countless hours defining and adjusting her process so that when she works with buyers, sellers and renters, she is able to provide a first class experience. In our conversation Emily discusses her ongoing commitment to professionalism and what agents can do right now to keep their business active and growing even while working from home.
If you’d prefer to watch this interview, click here to view on YouTube!
Emily Ackerman can be reached at 913.314.3112 and emily.ackerman@compass.com
Transcript
D.J. Paris 0:00
This episode of Keeping it real is brought to you by gogos bootcamp Are you a real estate agent looking for the best social media training program on the planet? Gogo Beth key is considered the top Instagram Realtor in the country. And her step by step training program will take your social media game to the next level. She’s so confident there’s a 30 day money back guarantee so you have nothing to lose, keeping it real listeners receive a special discount, so please visit Gogo podcast.com That’s Gee oh gee Oh podcast.com for your special discount, and now on with the show. Hello, and welcome to another episode of Keeping it real, the largest podcast made by real estate agents. And for real estate agents. My name is DJ Paris. I am your guide and host through the show. And we’re just in just a moment we’re gonna be speaking with top producer Emily Ackerman. Before we get to Emily, as always, we want to start the show by saying thank you to everyone who is listening, or possibly watching. Right now we thank you for supporting our show for listening and for telling a friend. And we also want to say a special thanks to all of the nice comments and emails and just well wishes that we receive from listeners all over the country. We got a couple today and we really means a lot to us. We certainly aren’t asking you to tell us how great we are. But anytime you want to do that, we love it. So thank you for continuing to tell us how this show has impacted your business and how it’s helped you. Also please follow us on Facebook you can find us@facebook.com forward slash keeping it real pod and the reason to follow us on Facebook every single day we find an article online that can help you grow your business and we present it there. And also we do live recordings of our all of our episodes on Facebook, we stream them there so you can watch them because normally it takes us a couple of weeks to actually produce the episode so you can watch it and not have to wait for us to to do all of the post production that we do. So again find us on Facebook facebook.com forward slash keeping it real pod and also please continue to tell a friend think of another real estate agent that could benefit from hearing from these types of interviews and pass along our podcast and I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. And now on to our interview with Emily Ackerman.
Today on the show we have Emily Ackerman of Chicago home collective which is part of compass. If you’re not familiar with Emily, Emily strives to create a positive and engaging experience for her clients. All while bringing a refreshingly candid, yet persistent attitude to the transaction. And expert on many of Chicago’s most popular neighborhoods, Emily leverages her networking resources to accomplish her client’s goals and is described by them as savvy tenacious and always taking indicate sorry educational approach. Emily has consistently proved herself as an accountable and trusted advisor, and in 2020, was selected by realtor magazine and National Association of REALTORS as one of their 30 under 30 honorees for young professionals across the country, which is a super huge honor. Please follow Emily. You can find her you can find her online on our website Chicago home collective.com. And also on Instagram, which is Emily. App. Sorry, Emily Ackerman underscore real estate. So Emily Ackerman underscore Realty. Anyway, Emily, thank you so much.
Emily Ackerman 3:54
Thank you for having me. And for such a warm introduction. I’m excited to be here. I’m just thrilled to have you know, to be a part of this, and thanks for having me on.
D.J. Paris 4:05
Yeah, no, thank you. And we were really impressed because National Association of REALTORS did just come out with their 30 under 30. And we had had previously another recipient of that and as soon as we were done as Jordan piles, which a few episodes ago, everyone should yeah, and we were just Emily and I were talking about him just before we went on. And he said you absolutely have to talk to Emily Ackerman so here we are. So we’re really thrilled to have you and thank you so much.
Emily Ackerman 4:32
Thanks for the thanks for the plug JP
D.J. Paris 4:38
so tell us a little bit about you know, how you how and when and why you got into real estate love to hear that.
Emily Ackerman 4:45
Yeah, um, you know, I wish it was a super unique story, but when so I’ve always loved Chicago I fell in love with the city years ago, I used to go to camp in Wisconsin. I would spend my summers there for seven years. And I always had friends from the surrounding areas and had this infatuation with the city. And after going to school, I went to IU Bloomington, I knew that this was like the next place I was headed. And I was going to do anything to get to the city and not go back and move in with my parents in Kansas City. And I found an internship and I was I always liked marketing and PR, and I ended up working for a firm represented. They specialize in like hospitality businesses, restaurants, chefs and stuff. And I had a part time internship for the summer. So 2014. And I was just like, I can’t be doing this. I always had a little bit of an interest in real estate, my uncle is a developer back in Houston, and he would encourage me a little bit to go work with him. And if anyone’s ever been to Houston, I’m originally from Dallas, Texas. It’s, it’s not as beautiful the city as Chicago. And there was no way I was going to go back there. And so when I really committed to getting my license, here, I while I was getting my license, because I had a part time internship, I was only working three days a week, and on my nights out, or my nights off, I would go out to the city, I would go to restaurants and bars, I would bring any of my friends in at 22, you can still go out in the middle of the week and have a fairly easy recovery. But my objection was just or I just wanted to go out and meet people and start building a network in the city. And so through that I would gather business cards. And the next morning like LinkedIn or email these people, these players were like commercial agents, or just had some sort of connection to the real estate community and just was like, Hey, can I can I learn about what you do? Is there anyone that you can put me in touch with, and eventually I, another top eight compass agent who I won’t name, but he helped me find my first apartment, he ended up putting me in touch with Kelly Parker, who I now work with today, and who makes is the principal and founder of Chicago home collective, my team. And since then it’s like, that’s what that’s what we do together. So it’s that was like the beginning steps of like, how I got into the business, and she’s been an incredible mentor to me, since then, we still work together.
D.J. Paris 7:34
Yeah, that’s it’s a great story. And it’s so interesting, a couple of things stood out, in particular that you on your own went around and went out and you know, sought after people in the industry that you wanted to connect with and learn from, which is really, in some ways, sort of the intention of the show, as well as a lot of other, you know, organizations try to connect people with, with, you know, the top producers or people that are just more knowledgeable or experienced than I always think seems like the smartest way to learn. And, and I just really applaud that initiative for you to go out and do that on your own. That’s at a pretty young age to,
Emily Ackerman 8:13
I don’t even know how I had that much confidence. I think I’m so excited to be in a new city and I had this energy where it was like, What do I have to lose? And yeah, I think that that took me really far, because it got me out of my comfort zone. And through that would go to like networking events and stuff. Thankfully, I don’t really, I can rely on a lot of my clients. And I’ve organically built my business. But I still kind of reflect back on those days. And that was really tough, but I pushed myself to do it. And I’ve actually turned a lot of those connections into friends now.
D.J. Paris 8:49
Yeah, I hear that a lot. It’s a constant refrain from our guests is that over time, they’re like, Oh, I’ve gone to weddings, or, you know, birthday parties, or anniversary celebrations or whatever, for these people that they helped sell a home to X number of years ago. And they just entwined themselves into their lives, you know, through all the different real estate activity, and they become as important to them as you know, their closest friends. So it’s, it’s really kind of cool to watch that. So you’re at the beginning stages of building those relationships, not beginning, really, but the early stages still. But I you know, we have so many listeners who are, you know, maybe a similar age or even maybe older, but who are thinking how does somebody in their mid 20s or early 20s? I guess even when you were really starting to do this, like that’s a difficult endeavor. Can you talk a little bit about how you started building your business? Because I assume when he came to Chicago, I don’t know, most of my friends in my 20s Well, maybe early or mid 20s weren’t purchasing homes. They just weren’t. So can you talk a little bit about how did you get started like what did you do?
Emily Ackerman 9:56
Yeah, I mean, that was definitely something that I had, like was mentally struggling and through because you’re you get licensed and you’re so hungry and you’re ready to go. You’re like womp, womp, you know, my network from from Bloomington where I had a great network. But they weren’t really in the stage of life where they were thinking about buying a property. And so you’re faced with this challenge of, how do I get my business to the point of where I want it to be, while utilizing people who Buying a house is the last thing that’s on their mind. And so I think I really dove into rentals. And I’m sure you’ve had agent, I know you’ve had agents on this podcast that say, do not forget about those people. Because ultimately, I think providing expert knowledge and service to those renders is really they have been, like the bread and butter of my run of my referral base. Because it’s, they remember how the level of service that you provide and how you treated them, no matter the price point. And so what I did was, I originally had put all of everyone I knew from from Bloomington, who had moved to Chicago, I put them in a database and a CRM, put as much or input as much information as possible birthdays, where they lived, and I just was, like, sucked it up. And if I asked them what their addresses were, and I asked if it was okay, and I would make a joke, can I can I spam you with my, you know, with my mailers and stuff, and I’m going to try and send you items of value and things that something that you will be able to have like a takeaway from learn something. And so most people just say yes, and Right, right. Yeah. And I think I started getting recognized by the information I was putting on these mailers, rent versus buy, and just just more of like, memorable collateral. And I think through that, that helps me grow my business, and continuously marketing to those renters and not forgetting about them, and just checking in with them, and letting them know, Hey, I’m here to help if you need anything, even if it’s not, I’m not the one person helping you, but something doesn’t feel right, or you’re representing yourself, and you want me to look over something, just letting them know that you’re there. And I think naturally, people will gravitate to you. And then ultimately, when they are ready to buy a home, they think of you know, your top of mind. Yeah, it’s
D.J. Paris 12:27
really smart. Because the reality of it is, is that renters, you know, typically don’t most don’t use an agent at all right? They don’t use a broker, you know, it’s it’s, you know, the, the access to the database, so to speak, is is pretty available. So for people that, you know, if you’re a real estate professional and you are working with renters stay in touch with these are people you do not want to forget about, because at the end of that term, they may be interested in just moving to another apartment somewhere else, which of course is another opportunity to work with them or in a in a best case scenario. They’ve now been educated by you about why purchasing makes sense. And so
Emily Ackerman 13:06
I encourage newer agents to not be discouraged if someone doesn’t use you. Yeah, yeah, I mean, I’m sure you have this conversation a million times with other agents, we talk about our best friend not using us or yada, yada, yes, that’s happened to me too. But people will never forget the way that they feel when they’re conversing with you. And if you’re able to give them just a little bit of valuable information, when they are on these other sites and Zillow, and Trulia and have all access to other to these like rental network properties, I have had clients rent on their own, and then come back to me to rent their next place because they just remembered what it felt like, you know, to partner together and sometimes at that point, they have a higher price point. They have a better understanding of the city, and they’re not all over the place. And it just creates like for really awesome partnership.
D.J. Paris 14:02
100% I couldn’t agree more. And almost everybody that I’ve ever had on the show, not everybody but I would say 95% of the guests, we’ve had started out doing rentals as a way to supplement their income in between sales and also learn the business and start, you know, working directly with clients. And they it typically just is the quicker entry path unless you happen to just have a bunch of friends waiting to buy or sell copies you know, as soon as your license which most people don’t have. So this is a great a great piece of advice. I also so I want to kind of skip forward a little bit into this award you just won because this is really important and a big news and there’s only I think two people in Chicago and I apologize if there was more. Okay, there were three Okay, so there were three people in the entire country that were from this city you were one of them. So talk a little bit about why you think you were you were selected. What is there do you feel like you’re doing things did Currently, or to then most other, you know, brokers?
Emily Ackerman 15:04
Um, I think my short answer is, is no, I. And it’s, it’s funny, I don’t think that I’m doing anything like extraordinary that someone else isn’t doing. You have to find the few things that you are confident doing and do them very well. And I think it’s easy to spread yourself thin and not focus, or and then when you spread yourself thin, you’re not putting as much time and energy into the into all those things, rather than honing in on the few that help actually grow this. Yeah, it’s
D.J. Paris 15:41
a jack of all trades, master of none, sort of thing. And, and as I’ve gotten older, I’m older, of course, the the new are, I’ve realized that there’s a lot period of my life with my own skill sets in the business sort of endeavors that I do. And if I would have hyperfocused in a couple of those skill sets versus trying to learn everything, I, you know, I probably would be better off today. So it certainly applies to real estate. So if our listeners are trying to interpret sort of how to how to do this for themselves, think about like, the easiest example would be like geography like where are you oriented? For your business? Are you trying to be an expert in one neighborhood or a part of a city? Are you trying to be all things to all people and taking deals, wherever, you know, think about that, and think about the idea of specializing. And then over time you become really valuable to people of that particular demographic?
Emily Ackerman 16:37
Yeah, I mean, I think for me, naturally, the I focus on a very curated process, I’m very hands on, I consider myself a full service broker. And that is the expectation that I even that I have for myself, no matter who my client is. So even from rentals to first time homebuyers who I’ve worked with a number of first time homebuyers, I have a process in place, from the beginning that we make contact, I have templates that I use it for emails, I hope none of my clients are like, not in a bad way. But I’m just like, material, you have a roadmap for how you do things, and it just becomes a little bit more natural each time. And you follow that, it becomes easier and easier. And miraculously, you know, your business just grows, because you’re continuing on that path and tweaking as needed. And that is just something that has worked really well for me, in my business. Yeah, and so that’s just, that’s something that I focus on.
D.J. Paris 17:46
You’re such a process person, I can tell that from even before having having spoken to you today because I have to share with the audience when we send out a pre interview questionnaire, just to get a flavor of what maybe the guest wants to talk about. And then usually we have to hunt our guests down to like, Please return this, we need to start doing research. Emily got hers to us. No problem. There was no problem at all. She did it quickly. But she she gave us so much detail. And I was really, really impressed. I’ve been doing this a long time. And we don’t usually get this level of detail. But it made me think I bet she’s like this with your customers or clients. I bet she has processes in place. And I know it’s it’s even from the meeting. I mean, you have a whole sort of itinerary that you run through. And then that extends to all areas of your business. I’m guessing whether it’s after the sale, you probably have a follow up process after so. But yeah, so how important is process to your, to your practice?
Emily Ackerman 18:44
I think it’s I mean, it’s, if not the most one of the most important factors because as you begin to get busier as an agent, it seems that your timing, you have less time to do certain things. And so by implementing a process and sticking to that, that has allowed me to not have to like reach so far mentally, it’s like, okay, I have in my Dropbox, the intro to buyer email or intro to seller, okay, once we get photos back, this is the template that I use. And like I said, you tweak as needed, but it the the foundation is already there. And it’s not like you’re not creating a curated, you know, experience for your clients. But you’re creating shortcuts to help make your life easier. And also expedite in just create a more efficient transaction. And so that has allowed me to focus on the things that are really important in building relationships and maybe putting like less time into the smaller tasks that just are part of the real estate transaction.
D.J. Paris 19:54
Yeah, I really could not agree more with all of that being said and now we’re in And as the time we’re recording this, it’s still where the country is still largely under lockdown. And we certainly here are in Illinois, how has those processes shifted for you with, you know, some more limitations on our ability to sort of be mobile? Or has it not really shifted? Are you still just following a similar path that you were before?
Emily Ackerman 20:20
Yeah, I mean, I, I don’t want to advocate and say business, you know, business as usual over here. I’ve had to make quite a bit of adjustments to my day to day because I’m not out. And, like, physically doing showings, I feel that us as agents, we’re very responsible for, you know, we go into people’s homes. And I have, I have a twin brother who lives in New York, and he is an ICU nurse at New York Presbyterian. And if anything, if there’s anything that we could be doing, it’s, it’s just staying home and being responsible. And it’s tough. I have some clients who are very eager by the sidelines, and I have gone into vacant properties, but I haven’t gotten into any, like anyone’s home that that people are living in. And so, you know, the showings have slowed down. I don’t know. Anyone. Tell me if you you know, if you’re
D.J. Paris 21:14
no, we have we have 660 agents at our firm. And yeah, everyone’s a little bit, I mean, to a lot bit slower. Everyone’s Yeah,
Emily Ackerman 21:21
exactly. But in terms of like, those processes, like they’re not going away, they’re just being altered a bit. And if anything, it’s giving time to, I guess, sticking to those processes, but adding in different strategies, for instance, spending more time sourcing properties from top agent network, and, you know, compass coming soon, and those sorts of sites so that we can show buyers and sellers that, you know, you’re still top of mind that I’m still from my home office doing what I need to do to create as much success. So and we just do that within the means of what everyone feels comfortable with. It seems everyone’s falling on, like, a slightly different, like side of the spectrum. But, uh, you know, I’m doing my best to kind of stick to what I’ve already put in place, because that’s what’s going to keep us feeling energized during this time. And, you know, during this time of uncertainty,
D.J. Paris 22:24
yeah, I think I think that’s really well said we, I have a very interesting. Well, it’s not my I mean, a lot of people are saying it, but I’m curious to, from my own experience, as been even looking around. I’m at the office right now. But typically, I’m at I’m at home outside of this, of course. And I’m starting to feel like a little claustrophobic in my own place. And I’ve started to have those fantasies of like, maybe it’s time to upgrade. And I wonder, and I’m sort of in the business a bit, you know, and so that shouldn’t be something that is triggered by something like this, for me, as it’s kind of something that I’m participate in on a regular basis. But it’s brought that particular feeling like front and center. And now that we’re all spending more time at home, and I’m like, I wonder how many people are feeling that same way? And when this all goes back to normal? Maybe there’ll be just this huge boom and activity? I mean, I don’t know. Yeah,
Emily Ackerman 23:17
I mean, I’m going to be optimistic here and say, and, you know, based off of the experts and you know, who compasses brought in, and even the economist that that I’m watching online, everyone at that major consensus seems to be that, yes, we press the pause button right now, I am not going to get into like all of the details of what you know why we’re in a very different place than we were in like, for instance, oh, eight. Sure. But it’s, I think most people are on the sidelines. Obviously, the sellers that are on the market right now are motivated in some capacity. But I think everyone being cooped up at home, they’re either they’re probably with you know, someone else or their significant other even by themselves. And they’re thinking, Okay, I might need a change of scenery. And it’s just kind of the time where those seeds are planted. And, you know, those people are thinking, Okay, well, if God forbid, this has to happen again, or there’s another another wave in the future am I going to be satisfied in the space that I’m in right and so on. I’ve had a lot of people reach out I actually I have a virtual buyers meeting later this evening. So I know that this is on people’s minds, and ultimately people will have to move and they’ll have those changes in their lives that require them to find either downsize or to get more space. And I hope that you know, we all get through this as quickly as possible. And I like I said, I’m gonna be optimistic and say, I think once we get through this kind of the curve and we flatten it, that we’re We’re all super busy, and we’re able to help our clients find that new space. So,
D.J. Paris 25:05
yeah, I think there’s gonna be a lot of people looking to, to upsize, or increase, I really just think that I mean, I know I’m going to start looking for that. And with rates being where they’re at, it’s a very attractive time, obviously, right this very second, it’s we’re going through a horrible time. But this from a financial perspective, you know, the rates or rates are low. And so this is an opportunity where people who, yes, maybe they’re not going to move for the next year, are going to start to think about it. So I think, once hopefully, we return to normal sooner rather than later. Once that eventually happens. I’d be very interested to see how many people are like, Okay, I need to find a bigger place.
Emily Ackerman 25:45
Yeah. And I think now more than ever, we recognize that we feel so safe and secure in our homes. And that’s what it’s always been, for me, this is why I do what I do is, I think that you are your most authentic self, when you’re at home, and you feel that, you know, I think your home should elicit your best self. And right now being cooped up at home, you’re finding reasons that you might want to find a bigger space, and your needs have changed. And I hope that we all come to that. And, you know, if someone does want to move that, I’m top of mind, and hopefully I can be a part of that journey for them.
D.J. Paris 26:31
Yeah, I want to just go back, you just said something very profound that I did not thought of, and it’s absolutely true. Which is such a cool thing you’d said Home is where you find your best self. And that is one of the one of the most sort of It’s poetic and beautiful, but it’s also very true. And I think that also speaks to if that was your belief about your job, which it is, it would explain how motivated you are to really help your clients. But I just wanted to honor you for that’s a really like, great thing you said I wanted. And definitely for people who are looking for, you know, different ways to communicate with your clients. That’s a really powerful metaphor. And to say like, my job is to help you, you know, find this best version of yourself by finding the place that your dreams,
Emily Ackerman 27:19
I mean, kind of at the core values of Chicago home collective, my team, and we all kind of have this like, like kind of odd ideology, that, you know, your, your home houses your story. And I feel so responsible, like helping people get to that point. And the energy that you cultivate in your home, like it really needs to be that safe and secure space. And I think that’s just what we’re going on what’s going on in the world right now is reaffirming that and like literally, because there is this pandemic and the outside of those boundaries, we it’s a little bit more of an unknown. So I think people crave that feeling and hope as a result of that. Hopefully, the housing market, you know, I think the Chicago market will represent how people value their homes. So I hope we’re all very busy later in the year.
D.J. Paris 28:12
Yeah, I think so. And I think again, there’s just a lot of people now realizing, Oh, I might have to spend unfortunately, you know, right now I’m spending more time at home that you probably most people would probably prefer. But again thinking, Well, what if this were to happen in the future? You know, would this be an adequate place to go through something like this again, which of course we hope doesn’t happen. But yeah, I think it’s it’s very, it’ll be very interesting to see. I’m curious to know. So a big question we get from our listeners who skew older are always interested in younger agents for this one particular reason, which is they’re like, I do not understand how a younger brokers are utilizing social media. And I’m not asking you to explain how social media works, of course, okay, good. But how important is it into your business? Is it a, a stream of of referrals and possible clients? Is it more of just a way to stay connected? How are you using it? How important is it for you?
Emily Ackerman 29:10
Yeah, no, that’s a great question. I don’t really think of myself as an influencer or anything like that. But just as you said, I use social media to stay connected. It’s a great for a platform to be able to not to be able to comment and share and show people that, you know, Hey, I see you and I see what you’re putting out in the world and I appreciate it and kudos to you. I think it can work in a reverse way where I’m adding value and everything that I put on my Instagram, I really try and think to myself, Okay, is someone going to learn something from this or am I just putting something out there to put it out there and so, I like to be very intentional with with my social media. I’m not the most active the New Year’s resolution I I mean, that’s just something that’s always been on the back of my mind, because I consider myself kind of like a more low profile or behind the scenes. I’m working on integrating social media more. But with that said, you know, I think it’s a great way to stay connected. And I do get, I’ve gotten leads off of it. And I’m actually working with a buyer right now who found me on Instagram, and she’s like, I’ve been following you for over a year, I love your energy, you’re exactly who I would want to work with. And that was, I don’t want to say surprising, but it made me feel really good. Because many times as a younger agent, even you’re, you’re not quite sure, if you’re on the right path, and you’re doing the right thing, but you’re doing your best. And it’s nice when that gets recognized. So I would say more, more than ever, this could be a great tool to use, especially since we’re not out and about and the ways that we have been in quarantine. And it’s a great way to add value and stay connected. And it’s also free. So I think for any older agents who haven’t dipped into social media, or even younger agents who maybe have don’t have like, a budget or anything like that social media is like the best way to dip in and show people that you’re still doing you and you’re out there.
D.J. Paris 31:25
Yeah, it really is. And if nothing else, it’s if nothing else, it’s just a great way to stay connected to your sphere of influence. If it does nothing else, as just a human being, it makes staying in contact much easier. And you can demonstrate care and compassion and empathy, and especially through these sorts of times, you don’t always have to pick up the phone, although that’s always a wonderful idea. But being able to send, you know, well wishes to people who might be struggling and posting about it or, or even just celebrating their successes or laughing at the jokes. You know, all of that is is really important, probably now more than, than we’ve known in recent times, because people are sometimes at home alone. And you know, they may be, you know, without a lot of human interaction. So that’s a great way as, as a you know, real estate professional where your job is to maintain these relationships. But is a great time now to reach out and demonstrate that. Yeah, I read this story about you. And I think I want to end with this because this well, I read the story that that was provided about. And I thought this is particularly not that it needs to be the most amazing story ever told, because I don’t want to set that expectation for you. But here’s why I liked it. Because I think it really reflected who you are. And I think this it’s a silly story. But it actually is a perfect sort of idea for our listeners to go, Okay, if I have this sort of attitude and mentality. Here’s where I might end up. So if you don’t mind me, or if you don’t mind that long preamble. Tell us about the drape story.
Emily Ackerman 32:58
Oh, my God. I like just close this property. So Mike. Yes. Okay. No, I think this is honestly a great story because it really kind of it shows who I am at my core and like the type of agent I am. So I have this property that the sellers had moved out. They were currently living out of state and we were doing some work to the unit to get it ready to go and it was like 95% ready I had scheduled my photographer was going to be meeting him and the my clients, she got her painter back to do some touch ups. She was like super neurotic about it wanted it perfect. What are the painters? Do they take the drapes off the walls, and I had arrived early before my photographer making sure everything was great and you know, wiping things down. And I you know, I walk into the room and I’m like, you’ve got to be kidding me. Their drapes are sitting in the middle of the room. I’m like, like, I’m five foot two, there’s no way I could, you know, physically get these back, you know, reinstalled. I’m like, okay, Emily, I’m talking to myself. I’m like, we got to get it in gear. So I found out I’m like, Okay, where’s the nearest Ace Hardware? I drive myself over there. I somehow like miraculously convinced the manager I traded my driver’s license in to use like their store ladder, because apparently you can’t return ladders these days. And I don’t know what I would have done with like, a ladder. And ladders
D.J. Paris 34:33
are really expensive.
Emily Ackerman 34:35
Expensive. Expensive. Yeah, they thought I was crazy. They’re like, you’re basically going to steal our ladder. And I’m like, no, okay, here’s my driver’s license. I’m going to be back in the next hour. So just like bear with me. They’re like, okay, girlfriend, like, you know, we have your driver’s license. So I hauled this ladder into my car. It barely fit I was like that person with like their trunk open door. Driving back to this property driving slow because I’m like, I don’t have a driver’s license, I get back to the property, haul it all the way up all these stairs. It’s a duplex. So I have even more stairs to go down and I get all of these drapes up and haul it all the way down these steps into my car and returned it. And to make it even better. It was so hot out. I mean, I had pit stains. Thankfully, I didn’t have any other appointments the rest of the day. But it’s like that’s kind of like, you know what I had to do to make sure that my photos looked amazing because that property was going on the market in days. I needed my you know, my photos. And I think I remember I think I remember texting Kelly Parker and saying anyone who’s questioning any any Millennials about not being resourceful? Come at me. Yeah, I was like, I was super hyped to how resourceful I was. But like that’s, I think, a prime example of what you have to do for your clients. And I sucked it up and I and I actually remember I was not like, in like, you know, I was, I think it was in a blazer that day. And I just took it off. And I was like, let’s do this. And yeah, the photos turned out great. And we sold the property for full asking price. So made me feel good.
D.J. Paris 36:22
Well, if there are any other buyers, sellers, investors, renters who want to work with a realtor that’s willing to basically steal the ladder. No, you did not steal the ladder, you you bartered with your your driver’s license and then go to their home to stand up on your tiptoes on the top of the ladder to get the drapes in stalled for the photos if somebody’s looking for a Realtor with that sort of dedication, because we do have listeners who oftentimes find their broker this way, Emily, what’s the best way somebody should reach out to you?
Emily Ackerman 36:55
The best way would probably be email, Emily E M, i l y at Chicago home collective.com. You can also call or text me I still have my Kansas City number. It’s unique 913-314-3112. Or you can find me on the compass site, or Chicago home collective or at Chicago home collective on Instagram also.
D.J. Paris 37:18
Yeah, and also Yeah, follow Emily as well on Instagram, which is Emily Ackerman underscore real estate. So Emily, this was a real honor for us. And I think you I know you gave our listeners a lot of great tips, in particular around being just having a process and just going for it. And just keeping your head down and doing the work and, and the success that you’ve had in your you know, early, early part of your career is so exciting and very inch. I’m sure our listeners will be very interested to see, as you know, your star continues to rise. So thank you so much for being on the show. On behalf of Emily and myself to the listeners of course we say thank you. We ask the listeners to do we ask you to do two quick things. If you don’t, they don’t mind before signing off. One think of one other real estate professional that you know that could benefit from hearing from an interview just like this one with Emily. In fact, how about this one and send them this episode and you can shoot them right over to our website, which is keeping it real pod.com We have all of our episodes, of course there you can stream it right on our website. Also, follow us on Facebook. So we’re keeping it real I’m sorry, we’re facebook.com forward slash keeping it real pod or just search for keeping it real podcast will pop up. But every single day we post an article that we find online that was written specifically to help real estate agents grow their business. And also we post the videos to these interviews. And you can actually watch them live as we’re recording them on our Facebook page. So please follow us there. Emily, thank you so much for being part of our show. We were so excited to have you and again, congratulations on the 30 under 30 award. That’s absolutely amazing. I appreciate that. And thanks and we will see everyone next time. Thanks.
Emily Ackerman 39:03
next time. Bye
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