“When I was growing up, my parents exposed me to different cultures and the plight of marginalized populations,” says Matt Silver, partner and senior broker at Corcoran Urban Real Estate. “They were friendly with folks from all walks of life and taught us the importance of respecting everyone.” 

 

These childhood lessons made an indelible impression on Matt. In fact, it’s one of the main reasons why he became a REALTORⓇ and a consistent leader within many real estate and community organizations. Currently, Matt is the president of Illinois REALTORSⓇ, an advocacy group tasked with protecting property rights and advancing the real estate profession. “We work hard to advocate for others who cannot advocate for themselves,” he says.

 

“I want to be seen as an ally for others,” states Matt. “So that those who are less fortunate can be seen and flourish.” 

 

Originally from Skokie, IL, Matt watched his parents closely and absorbed much of their approach to work and life. His father, who was in packaging sales, stressed the importance of integrity and personal relationships. His mother shared her curiosity and wonderment for all things in life. “She’s always been very persistent in all things,” remembers Matt. “She’s someone who has never taken no for an answer.” They taught him that if you don’t ask for things in life, you may not get them, and he says having such strong role models “allowed for an incredible upbringing.” 

 

Inheriting his salesman father’s “gift of gab,” Matt attended the Michigan State University College of Business, the School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management (now the School of Hospitality Business at MSU) to study restaurant and institutional management with a dream of success in the service industry.

 

After college, Matt worked in many restaurants where he was both an accomplished chef and managed many aspects in the front and back of the house. After several years of turning around lagging restaurants, Matt left the industry to work with his father in packaging sales. During this time, he grew closer to his dad and met his future wife, Amy. 

 

Working side by side with his dad had a deep impact on Matt. Among his many teachings and influences, it was his dad’s outlook that has always stayed with Matt. “No matter what, my dad was the most positive person,” Matt says. “He always said, ‘The sun will also rise tomorrow; you may have been beat up today, but tomorrow is a new day.’”

 

Eventually though, Matt shifted into real estate to have a career that offered him more flexibility to continue care for Amy and be more present for their young son, Grant. “My wife had Crohn’s disease, and the profession gave me the flexibility to take care of her,” notes Matt. 

 

After a short stint in commercial real estate, he joined Rubloff Residential Properties and stayed with them for more than ten years. He moved to his current brokerage in 2011. The experiences he gained along the way—working in restaurants and alongside his dad—have deeply shaped his current service philosophy. 

 

“My managing broker, Jim Kinney, at Rubloff, became my mentor and I owe the bulk of my success to him,” says Matt. “He hammered into us to always be ethical, transparent, and disclose everything while he preached that whatever you take from the business, you also have to give back. That really influenced me to volunteer and give back to my community and the industry.”

Over the years, Matt has served with the Chicago Association of REALTORSⓇ, the National Association of REALTORSⓇ , and Illinois REALTORSⓇ, all in various leadership capacities. He’s also been active in the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago and is currently on the council of their Little Village chapter of the True Value Boys & Girls Club. In all his roles, he aims to be an ambassador for those who don’t have a voice and should have the cares of their lives addressed.

“[And in real estate] I am passionate about making sure everyone, regardless of what they have, gets great representation,” says Matt. “Whether it’s a real estate client or fellow REALTORⓇ, I don't care if you have $100 thousand or $100 million, you get the same level of service from me. Everyone deserves to have someone who is advocating for them.”

When not working hard for his clients and other agents, Matt prioritizes family time. His son, Grant, is now twenty-three and currently lives at home. The two remain close, attending sporting events and trying new restaurants together. Since Amy’s sudden death last December, Matt has continued to emphasize the importance of their relationship and other personal relationships

“Amy’s was a sudden death that shocked the whole family,” says Matt. “We had a conversation a few days before she passed away for about four hours. It makes you realize what’s really important in life. Being in real estate has given me the opportunity to be an active father and always be there for my son, which has meant everything to me.”

Matt has always lived and remained close with his family. In fact, it’s a long-standing tradition that they all have dinner together every Sunday, and it was Matt’s brother, David, who got them all into traveling. Shares Matt, “I’ve always been inspired by my brother’s strength and ability to persevere. He’s been instrumental to my success.” 

Looking forward, Matt plans on continuing his volunteering endeavors in as many areas as he can. He sees it as an unmissable opportunity to add value back into his local community of under-represented groups, as well as build up the profession that has provided so much for him. Ultimately, he credits his upbringing and life experiences as the foundation for this mindset.

 

“My father always said, ‘You have two ears and one mouth so you should listen twice as much as you talk,’” recalls Matt. “There are a lot of pathways in real estate to be successful and use your voice to help the community. That is what I love most. But it starts with listening compassionately.”

 

“Every REALTORⓇ I meet is a person with heart, who cares about the community, and wants to see the community thrive,” he adds. “Being in leadership is the perfect time to listen and empower people to be seen and heard.”