“The hero I most identify with is Batman,” says Joseph DeFrancesco, managing broker at Dapper Crown Real Estate in Bloomingdale. “He works hard every day and wants to save the world; he puts others before himself.”

He may be half-joking when comparing himself to the Dark Knight, but Joseph’s goal as a REALTORⓇ is similar: since he became a real estate agent about eight years ago, Joseph has prioritized the needs of others above his own. You can see it in the way in which he interacts with clients and in the Dapper Crown approach to business.

“Our philosophy is simple,” he says. “We aim to provide nothing but the best, for less. By offering market-low listing commissions, we help sellers keep more money in their pockets. What others try to make on one deal, we’ll make on three. Volume is how we’ve been able to grow.”

Joseph was born and raised in an immigrant family. Both his parents were born in Italy and moved to the United States to pursue their dreams. Growing up, Joseph revered his father and older brother for their determination and work ethic.

“Having a father who played soccer at the professional level encouraged and influenced me to follow the same path,” says Joseph. “[At one time,] Soccer was my entire life.”

During his childhood and high-school years, Joseph racked up accomplishments for his on-pitch performances. He was on a top-ten nationally ranked team; named an All-State athlete in high school and an All-American athlete in college—both are given to only the highest-ranked athletes in the state and nation, respectively; and even more notably, he was invited to the MLS (Major League Soccer) Combine, which is “overall, a selected invite to play at the MLS professional level,” Joseph explains. 

“Being so involved with soccer at the competitive level never gave me the option to have the normal childhood most people had,” Joseph reflects. “While others were playing, I was either practicing or away at a tournament for the weekend. But it taught me how to be disciplined and challenge myself on a daily basis from a young age.”  

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Lewis University in Illinois, Joseph worked for Sherwin Williams as a store manager and territory sales rep. For four years, the role scratched his itch for competition and internal drive for accomplishment, but he saw his brother’s success in real estate and recognized the industry’s potential. 

“My brother, Philip DeFrancesco, is the founder and other managing broker of Dapper Crown Real Estate,” states Joseph. “Seeing his work ethic and how he grew his own real estate business is something I extremely valued and admired.”

Feeling the pull of real estate, Joseph joined Philip’s team in 2015. Together, their mission is to provide clients with unparalleled service, guidance, experience, facts, comfort, and proven expertise throughout their entire home purchase or sale experience. With his strong sales background and ambition, real estate was an instant fit for Joseph.

“I appreciate that there’s something new every day, and that what you put into it is what you get out,” says Joseph. “There’s no limit to what you can achieve. Competing against myself is the number one thing I’m passionate about. There’s nothing like being your own competition.”  

Thanks to that inherent self-motivation, Joseph has been a success since day one. He was nominated as Rookie of the Year in his first year. And since its inception, Dapper Crown has been recognized and ranked in the top 1 percent of REALTORSⓇ in the Chicagoland suburban areas by CAR® for volume and total number of transactions.

In his downtime, Joseph enjoys testing new local eateries, putting his own spin on Neapolitan pizza, and supporting his beloved AC Milan soccer club. In addition to soccer, he stays active through many sports including pickleball, golf, and tennis. 

Looking forward, Joseph hopes to continue to grow his business and professional expertise through his passion for excellence in service, and through, like Batman, emphasizing the happiness of others.

“Happiness is the key ingredient to anyone’s success,” says Joseph. “There is no better feeling than making a home buyer or seller happy about their biggest life investment.”

“Making our clients happy and making others happy, makes us happy,” he adds. “If you achieve what you want and are happy doing so, that is what success is all about.”