From 2003 to 2007, I practiced as a Chicago real estate attorney, and I gained an advanced knowledge of the local market, learned the anatomy of the Chicago real estate transaction, and was counted on for a very high level of expertise and service.  I first worked downtown for a year and a half as a transactional attorney and then was house counsel for a title company in the Loop as an underwriting attorney for about two and a half years.  During this time I was involved in thousands of transactions, from basic residential purchases to complex commercial deals.  I eventually decided it wasn't for me, but my legal experience and education are invaluable assets to my clients and me that are both exceptionally versatile and fundamentally sound. 

When I was working as an attorney, the housing market was in a roaring boom and I was struck by how important the use of good judgment, sophistication, and prudence are when buying and selling real estate.  I was shocked at the overwhelming amount of purchases involving buyers who were inadequately represented by shoddy agents who were inexperienced, lazy, and/or unscrupulous.  And in direct contrast were the deals that involved a more refined class of agents with savvy, ethics, and a desire to deliver an invaluable service to their clients - who are likely making one of the biggest purchases of their lives. While fewer in number, this second class of agents inspired me to leave the law and practice real estate as an agent.  They also give me a great business model to follow, which is anchored to an unwavering focus on my clients' welfare and best interests.

I always loved the art of negotiation, and was compelled to help the client on the more critical and essential level of deciding what real estate to buy and how much to be willing to pay for it.  It is a quite a complex and intimidating issue for most people, and I saw that good advice is as rare as it is important.  So in the fall of 2007, I joined Coldwell Banker’s Lincoln Park Plaza Brokerage, which is the largest and most productive Coldwell Banker office in the nation.  I benefited from the office’s outstanding training and energetic environment and was truly honored to accept the Rookie of the Year Award for 2008.  I'm very proud of that award because of the outstanding history of agents who won it before me, they really are the class of agents I admire and emulate.  Then in the Spring of 2009, I moved to @properties, as I simply feel that @ is the most dynamic brokerage in Chicago right now and is in the best position to move forward in this new age of real estate and offer the client the highest level of expertise, marketing and service.

If we've learned one thing about real estate in the past few years it's that every property owner and prospective buyer needs to make sound, confident decisions.  I see it as the duty of the real estate agent to advise the client properly, wisely, and with the sole focus of the client’s well being.  If you are buying or selling real estate within the Chicagoland area and are interested in talking with me about your upcoming transaction or anything else I can help with, please either call me at 312-810-2147 or email me at benclark@atproperties.com.