“When things get rocky, I am always looking one step ahead as I’ve had many twists and turns in my twenty-plus-year career,” says Julie Busby, founder of Busby Group with Compass. “I sold through 9/11, the financial crisis, the pandemic, and now the uncharted territory with the NAR lawsuit settlement. I’ve reacted the same way to each of these difficult times and that is by meeting people where they are.”

In her career, Julie has made a name for herself in two major markets as a high-performing real estate professional. After graduating from Baylor University in Texas, Julie moved to San Diego, where she quickly became a top-producing REALTORⓇ. After a decade, Julie moved to Chicago, her husband’s hometown, and expanded her real estate expertise in her new community—first with a residential real estate team, and then with the major developer, Belgravia Group, where she managed the resale team.

“That was a pivotal time in my career. It helped me enhance my pricing skillset, opened my eyes to the importance of sales training in real estate, and increased my knowledge of construction,” Julie says. “It’s also when I realized that when you have the right team in place, you can create synergy and a level of service you can’t provide alone.” 

“In the beginning of my career, I believed I would always be a solo REALTOR® because I have high expectations about service level, and I was nervous about delegating,” she adds. “But I started to change my mind after working with a high-functioning team at Belgravia.”

Inspired by her newfound insights and passion for teamwork, Julie founded Busby Group in 2018. Her vision was borrowed from the many entrepreneurs and motivational leaders who value the unique contributions of individuals within a team setting. Based on her foundational three c’s of community, client service, and collaboration, Julie’s dynamic group has developed a reputation for creative solutions and concierge-level attention to customer care.

“The pandemic is a great example of why we have to continue to innovate in this industry to serve clients,” Julie says. “My team and I ended up launching complimentary online events for the community that included workout classes, music classes, a behind-the-scenes tour of Lincoln Park Zoo, a cooking class, and more.”

“Last year, when tech companies were experiencing major layoffs, we hosted a complimentary résumé writing class to help our clients and community through that obstacle, too,” she adds. “When there is a challenging time, I look to help those in need. We stay ‘in the thick of it’ with our community, and we shape our business to their needs.”

This community-focused team has grown to include several brokers and a full-time staff, each with their own expertise. When Julie describes her team members, her enthusiasm is evident: 

“Jane Lintelmann, our director of operations, is hands-down, one of the best in the business at managing a transaction; Emily Steiger, our director of concierge, is one of the bubbliest and sweetest people you will ever meet; and Michael Opalinski, director of marketing, has nearly two decades of real estate marketing and branding experience. Our dynamic group of professional brokers includes Pamela Moran, listings director; Maggie Yandel, training and professional athlete relocation expert; Susan Panozzo, investor portfolio expert; Barb Steinhauser, director of our luxury group (Busby Group Luxury Advisors); Michaela Cavanagh, first-time homebuyer expert; Celeste Chicas, an expert with landlords and tenants; Liza Balistreri Cahill, our northern suburbs expert; and Adriana Bahena, our south/westside expert,” says Julie.

As part of serving clients and the local Chicagoland community, the team regularly partners with local charitable organizations. “Feeding Chicago one home at a time,” is the team’s tagline and it applies not only to their work in real estate transactions, but also to their partnership with the greater Chicago Food Depository. Busby Group donates a portion of every sale to the food bank, hosts an ongoing food drive, and sponsors bi-annual pantry pickup events. To date, they have contributed over 100,000 meals to those in need.

Looking forward, in addition to finding new ways to support her community, Julie is expanding Busby Group to other marketplaces and hopes to continue expanding the team to include other like-minded experts in the industry yet maintain their tight-knit feel. Frameworks like their weekly “dedicated collaboration brainstorms,” open communication between staff, and opportunities to grow and give back will remain a focus in the future. 

Another ongoing focus for Julie and the whole Busby Group team is, and always has been, family and work-life balance. “I try to live my life as an example to my daughters of how to create a life you love that involves working hard, and playing hard with family,” Julie says. “Creating the team has not only meant accomplishing more, but also the ability, for all of us, to enjoy a more balanced lifestyle,” claims Julie. “Because every client is a Busby Group client, not just one broker’s client, when a team member goes out of town, the remaining veterans are able to easily step in.”

Now more than ever, Julie couldn’t be happier that she made the shift from being a solo broker to establishing and being a part of a dynamic team. “They say you are only as strong as your weakest link and we just don’t have a weakest link, which means we are challenged by each other to be the best we can be every day,” claims Julie.

“With real estate, we have to get used to change because the market is always shifting and there is always room for growth,” she adds. “Being comfortable with evolution is the only way to feel stable.”

“When I was a solo broker, I wasn’t challenged every day by a teammate and it could feel like I was on an island,” she adds. “The best thing I ever did was join a team mid-career and grow from there. I always think of this line from a quote by Steve Jobs: “Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.”1

1 From interview on 60 Minutes, 2003, as noted in I, Steve: Steve Jobs in His Own Words, edited by George Beahm, https://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-His-Words-Their/dp/1932841660. See also: Brandon Griggs, “10 Great Quotes from Steve Jobs” CNN Digital, CNN Business, updated January 4, 2016, https://www.cnn.com/2012/10/04/tech/innovation/steve-jobs-quotes/index.html.