The housing market has shifted dramatically in the past year, going from a low-interest-rate, COVID-influenced free-for-all to a less frenzied yet more expensive proposition, thanks to rising rates. Not surprisingly, that cooling affected our annual rankings of top-selling residential agents in the Chicago area: Only 277 individual agents reached more than $15 million in sales in 2022. That’s down from 376 the previous year. It was a similar situation for teams of agents, with only 274 surpassing the $25 million threshold, compared with 333 the prior year.
For some brokers, though, the action is still going full tilt. “I work on the North Shore — New Trier Township up to Lake Forest — and we’re seeing more multiple bids than ever,” says Jena Radnay of @properties Christie’s, who moved $166.9 million worth of homes in 2022, up from $135.8 million the previous year and third among individual agents. (At No. 1 is Magellan Realty’s Leila Zammatta, whose $180.5 million in sales came solely from condos at Magellan Development Group’s Lakeshore East — mostly at the new St. Regis Chicago, where she is the co-listing agent.)
Low inventory continues to be an issue in this market, even with the rising interest rates. “It’s caused people to pause — they want to sell, but where do they go?” says Coldwell Banker agent Dawn McKenna. “The luxury market is lacking right now.” Even so, her team hit $400.1 million in sales in 2022, up from $372.0 million and tops among all teams. Adds Radnay: “Once we get more inventory out there, we’re going to see a more buyer-friendly market.”