Executive Realty in Schererville is Century 21's best

BY MICHELLE KRUEGER | Sunday, April 30, 2006

While technology has changed the real estate industry during the last decade, it is apparent that even in today's highly sophisticated information age, home buyers and sellers alike still rely on the expertise of real estate agents to navigate these specialized transactions.

In fact, according to Bill McCabe, founder and owner of Century 21 Executive Realty in Schererville, 86 percent of homes still sell with Realtors and that figure has climbed a few points since virtual home tours on the information superhighway have became a mainstay in the industry.

"The real estate industry becomes more sophisticated and challenging every day,'' he said. "I've always believed heavily in technology. Without a doubt, it has been very advantageous to our industry and an important part of the way we do business in our office.''

Harnessing technology and promoting the team concept in an office that has grown to more than 60 agents since McCabe opened it a decade ago, Century 21 Executive Realty recently was named the company's number 1 office at the 2006 Annual Century 21 Awards Banquet for all of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana at the Chicago Hilton and Towers.

"It's really the agents' success that I'm the most proud of,'' McCabe said. "There are some huge offices in and around Chicago, so it's hard to get this award.''

It also was announced that Century 21 Executive Realty is ranked number 14 in the top U.S. Century 21 offices for productivity.

"A lot of people really deserve the credit, from the bottom all the way to the top. If it's not all clicking and synching, you don't have a super year like we did,'' McCabe said. "For example, our office and sales manager, Colleen Ehrenzeller, who runs the day-to-day operations and manages the secretaries does a fantastic job. They are our front line, the first representatives of the office that people come into contact with. They're invaluable call coordinators who always try to put customers in touch with the listing agent, who is the most knowledgeable.''

In addition to earning the top office award and an impressive ranking for productivity at the banquet, Century 21 Executive agent Chris Lozanovski, leader of the Lozanovski and Partners team, was named the top agent in Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, along with being distinguished as a 20-plus-year member of the Century 21 International Hall of Fame.

A former top agent in the U.S., McCabe knows firsthand that awards acknowledging superior industry performance are an important part of both how a real estate office is perceived by the public, as well as a valuable point on an agent's personal resume. They often open doors to new opportunities.

"When I was the number 1 agent in the U.S., I was invited to speak with the number 1 office in Indianapolis that year,'' he said. "They're the ones that encouraged me to start my own office. They gave me the vision, ideas and tools to make it all work. Our agents work on the 100 percent concept, which means they pay only a monthly fee to be here and receive the benefits of being part of the Century 21 Executive office.

"It allows them the flexibility to grow and be creative. We also promote the team concept where leaders work with buyer specialists and processors, who are transaction specialists. I've always believed in that system and wanted to create a culture for it. There are also some independent agents here as well.''

According to McCabe, Century 21 Executive achieves success the old-fashioned way, through active marketing with agents getting out in the community and prospecting for buyers and sellers, versus more standard, passive marketing offered by agents that use the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and hope for the best.

"We use innovative advertising and marketing techniques to attract potential buyers to the properties we list, and, as a result, we have a very high ratio of listings we sell in-house,'' he said. "We're very fortunate to be in the location that we are near the intersection of 30 and 41. We're in close proximity to our core communities of Dyer, Schererville and St. John, while Munster, Highland, Griffith and Hammond are just to the north of us with Cedar Lake and Lowell just south. We're also right next door with the huge movement from Illinois to Indiana.''

Still an active agent listing and selling homes, McCabe is the leader of the Bill McCabe Team, which also develops land in Lake and Porter counties, sells lots to builders and markets the homes they build.

"There's a real sense of accomplishment when you look back on the number of homes you've sold and the number of lives you've touched,'' he said. "Last year, we sold 1,735 homes, and when you multiply that by 10 years of high production business like that, it's amazing when you really deal with one yard at a time. Of course, it's always gratifying to sell a big property, but nothing beats the satisfaction of seeing first-time buyers so enthused.''

For more information on Century 21 Executive Realty, located at 421 W. Lincoln Highway, Schererville, call the office at (219) 864-5015 or log on to www.21Exec.com.