Chicago is a young city. It was founded in 1833 with a population of less than 350 people. Canals built to connect the Great Lakes and roads opening to farmlands caused a population explosion. In 1848, the Illinois and Michigan canals connected to the Mississippi River. In 1840, Chicago was the 92nd largest city. By 1848 it was the 9th! Railroads were constructed in the 1850’s. When 1857 rolled in, Chicago became the second largest city in the United States!
A year after Chicago was incorporated, Marshall Field was born in 1834. While Field was born in Massachusetts he would become an icon in Chicago. Field moved to Chicago in 1856 at 21 years of age and got a job in the dry goods trade. By 1861, Field became a partner and bought his partners out over time. In 1881, Marshall Field and Co was born. Field went against the grain of “Caveat Emptor”, or “Buyer Beware” that was the standard practice of the trade. “Give the Lady What She Wants”, was his theme. Marshall Fields would take returns, no questions asked, and his business grew like wildfire.
My Grandfather I am sure observed how much my grandmother (who was a “master clothes returner”) was loyal to Marshall Fields, and he founded his textile business using Fields’ exact customer service philosophy. That along with having a large inventory (also a Fields philosophy) was key to his success in business.
I learned that lesson from both my Grandpa Gerald and my Father. Our staff and agents are handpicked to have the trait of people pleasers. We only hire people we know have positive energy, and who we think are people you would want to call friends first. Then comes skill set, adaptability to different situations, and a drive to not stop until you, our customer, is over the top satisfied. Servicing means everything from intense listening, giving you feedback however you wish (text/video/phone/email) while we are shutting down the house, always being transparent with solid advice even if we don’t make a commission, never stop searching for the perfect house or Buyer for your home, setting up and coordinating service people, and even walking your dog.
The cost of everything and doing everything these days fall on the real estate agent. Most agents do not have the skill set or time to handle the multitude of tasks nor the deep pockets to market aggressively. Not so with Echo Fine Properties. Our unique setup where “We Pay” for all of our agents advertising and marketing expenses gives us a giant edge. While unusual in real estate, it ensures a consistent product, lets agents do what they do best, and ensures that everything that is supposed to happen, happens for the end consumer. We have our own in-house photographers, in-house photojournalists, in-house IT, in-house closing coordinator, and in-house client concierge handling 40-60 Buyer inquiries on a daily basis. We even offer our Home ECHOnomics Guarantee of 57 promises so the client knows exactly what they are getting in writing. It won us the Best Brokerage of 2020 awarded by the Palm Beach Post and myself, our team, and our staff couldn’t have been more proud.
Jeff Lichtenstein is owner and broker of Echo Fine Properties, a luxury real estate brokerage selling real estate in Jupiter and homes in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He has 20 years of real estate experience, has closed over a 1,000 transactions, and manages over 50 agents in a non-traditional model of real estate that mimics a traditional business model. Some publications he has been quoted in.
Jeff Lichtenstein
561-346-8383