Business for a Better World: The Collaborative Edge
The Collaborative Edge
A collaboration of @properties Winnetka-based real estate agents
30 Green Bay Road, Winnetka, IL 60093
Email: thecollaborativeedge@atproperties.com
Website: instagram.com/the.collaborative.edge
Industry: Real estate
Number of members: Five equal members of The Collaborative Edge: Amy Bernstein, Keki Cannon, Audrey Gourguechon, Amy Garvey and Kelli Gould
An interview with the real estate agents of The Collaborative Edge
Q: Describe your company.
A: The Collaborative Edge is a collaborative group of @properties Winnetka-based real estate agents with expertise from the city to the suburbs along the Lake Michigan shore. While we are not a team and do not share confidential client information, we leverage our distinct professional and personal backgrounds to bring 360 degrees of experience to clients. Learn more on Instagram at @the.collaborative.edge.
Q: What will your company's main challenges be in the next year?
A: Our main challenges relate to the challenges for consumers overall. Interest rates continue to rise, making it harder for many buyers to be able to afford what they need or want in a home. In the North Shore, housing inventory remains at or near record lows, and prices are at record highs. For agents, there is very little real estate business to go around right now. That said, we passionately believe that disruptive times can open new doors to those who are looking for them and not afraid to innovate. That's what led us to wonder about a new working model and develop The Collaborative Edge.
Q: What's the hottest trend in your industry?
A: We are seeing new priorities bubble to the top for homeowners. A few examples:
1. Smart technology in homes, so they can be more energy efficient (e.g. thermostats), and manageable from anywhere.
2. Garages that do more: Insulated space for an additional recreation area or office, electric car plug-ins.
3. Accommodations for multigenerational households: First-floor bedrooms for aging parents, or basement apartments for young adult children.
4. Embracing outdoor living. Outdoor kitchens. Lots of TVs being added. COVID-19 introduced them to the outdoors, and now they are running with it. Pools being added.
Q: Does climate change affect how your company does business?
A: Currently more applicable to markets like Phoenix and California, but we aren't yet seeing a major impact in Chicagoland.
Q: What does your company do to reduce the effects of climate change?
A: Real estate has typically been a print-heavy industry. To reduce a huge amount of paper waste, we focus on digital content as much as possible. For example, we use QR codes rather than print materials for our property sheets and our open houses. Most of our clients are already used to the digital-first approach from their jobs, so we are really just aligning with the broader business world. We also have tremendous support from the @properties brokerage in this effort. The Marketing and IT teams are continually releasing new digital assets for us, such as our Digital Listing Presentations and Digital Competitive Market Analyses.
Q: Is your company minority-owned? Woman-owned? If so, what are the challenges of being a minority- or woman-owned company?
A: Our collaboration is 100% women-run and we have bilingual English/Spanish speakers. One of our agents is a proud Latina. We intentionally built our group to include woman of different demographic and professional backgrounds, as we know better ideas and outcomes are achieved when there are diverse experiences at the table.
Q: Does your company do anything else to make your community better?
A: We are invested in our communities in more ways than we can name. We have individuals involved in local school leadership and Make a Difference Day. We sponsor activities with The Ouilmette Foundation, Northfield's Market & Music summer series, and Skokie's Cruise In Classic Car Show benefiting the Skokie Chamber of Commerce. Most of us were born and raised here or have lived here for decades. Supporting our communities is ingrained in us.
Q: What do you do to make your business a good place to work for your employees?
A: We are laser focused on lifting each other up. We are excited every time someone has a victory, large or small, and it also helps us stay motivated to achieve more. We also help each other problem-solve; we know we always have people in our corner helping us achieve our goals.
Q: Do you have a business mantra?
A: We prioritize collaboration over competition. We believe there is room for all of us to be successful in North Shore real estate, and going to market as a group of powerful, successful, community-ingrained women will bring exponentially more success than going it alone. Supporting each other will result in happier clients and a better quality of life for all of us.
We believe success for one woman fosters success for all women, and creating successful results for one of our clients leads to better results for all our clients.
Q: What is one interesting fact about your company that most people may not know?
A: We are all exceptionally good at making guacamole.
• Do you have a Business for a Better World? Email us about it at sbnews@dailyherald.com.
The Collaborative Edge
A collaboration of @properties Winnetka based real estate agents
30 Green Bay Rd, Winnetka, IL 60093
Email: thecollaborativeedge@atproperties.com
Website: instagram.com/the.collaborative.edge
Industry: Real Estate
Number of members: Five equal members of The Collaborative Edge: Amy Bernstein, Keki Cannon, Audrey Gourguechon, Amy Garvey and Kelli Gould.