RE/MAX Announces Opening of Its First Channahon Office Early in 2016

CHICAGO, Nov. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The RE/MAX Northern Illinois real estate network will open its first office in Channahon, Ill., early in 2016. RE/MAX Hometown Properties, located at 25445 Pheasant Lane, near the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 6 and Ridge Road, will be owned and operated by the husband-and-wife team of Joseph and Julie McElyea.

"Our goal is to open immediately after the New Year's holiday, but it could take a week or two longer to get ready," said Joe McElyea in discussing their plans for the new 1,200-square-foot office. "We plan to hold a grand opening event in spring."

Julie McElyea will be managing broker of RE/MAX Hometown Properties. Joe will focus his efforts on the recruiting of additional brokers and on marketing properties. 

A graduate of Eastern Illinois University where she majored in political science and pre-law studies, Julie grew up in Elwood, Ill. Joe was raised in Illinois and Missouri and served seven years with the National Guard, including a year in Iraq, before earning a bachelor's degree in biology and a master's degree in biochemistry. He then worked in the biopharmaceutical industry as an operations manager.

"This is a big step for both of us, and something we've been thinking about for several years," said Julie McElyea, who worked as a paralegal at a large law firm where she specialized in real estate-related transactions before earning her real estate license. She then worked at brokerages in New Lenox and Mokena, Ill. 

According to Joe McElyea, the need for a locally based brokerage in Channahon became clear to the couple not long after moving there in 2013. 

"We noticed that a large percentage of the local real estate transactions were being handled by brokers affiliated with firms located quite a distance from our community, and we wondered how well those brokers understood our local market," he said. "After some additional research, we decided there was a real opportunity here if we wanted to open our own office and grow with our community where real estate activity is clearly on the upswing.

"We find that prospect exciting, especially the opportunity to do it as part of the RE/MAX organization, which is probably the most widely recognized real estate brand in the world but also offers a personal touch that extends from the top of the organization all the way down to the individual RE/MAX agent."

According to Julie McElyea, her new office has been positioned to serve not only Channahon, but also the adjoining community of Minooka.

"We're thrilled that we have been able to locate our office in the area where the two communities merge. It makes us easily accessible and very visible," she said. "In the longer term, of course, we hope to enlarge our business footprint to serve such nearby communities as Elwood and Manhattan."

The first order of business for the McElyeas, however, will be building a strong team of brokers for RE/MAX Hometown Properties.

"Our goal is not only to sell real estate but to make a real contribution to this community. We are trying to build a business and also raising our family here," said Joe McElyea, noting that he and Julie have three children and are expecting a fourth.

"We also want to create a place where agents find the success they desire, and to do that we intend to offer unsurpassed training, dynamic systems and technology and leadership that provides clarity and vision for today and the future." 

RE/MAX agents consistently rank among the most productive in the industry. In the United States, RE/MAX agents averaged 15.6 years of real estate experience and 16.0 transaction sides in 2014. RE/MAX has been the leader in the northern Illinois real estate market since 1989 and is continually growing. The RE/MAX Northern Illinois network, with headquarters in Elgin, Ill., consists of more than 2,250 sales associates and 105 independently owned and operated RE/MAX offices that provide a full range of residential and commercial brokerage services. The northern Illinois network is part of RE/MAX, a global real estate organization with 100,000+ sales associates in 90+ nations. 

Contact:
Stephen Johnson
RE/MAX Northern Illinois
847-428-4200
[email protected]

SOURCE RE/MAX Northern Illinois

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