Are you someone who enjoys helping others? Or perhaps you work in a helping profession like teaching, nursing or social work and you're seeking new challenges and new opportunities with your career. 

If you're a helper at heart then a career in real estate could end up being a great fit for you. That's because people who are wired to serve tend to thrive in the world of real estate (at least this has been our experience). Contact us if you're curious and ready for a conversation. We'd love to hear from you. 

Our industry has a tendency to obsess about more. 

As in we should always be pumping out more marketing. We should always be generating more leads. And of course, we should always be pushing for more sales. 

But there is another way to go about our work and that is to stop obsessing about more and start focusing on better. For example, we can dedicate our work to serving a better purpose. We can invest our time into nurturing better relationships. And we can invest our creativity into offering a better experience for those we serve. 

When we choose better over more, we give ourselves the freedom to pursue more meaningful work. But this freedom also comes at a cost. That's because freedom requires intentionality, discipline and effort on our

We’re excited to announce that Lane Manning has joined Mad City Dream Homes! 

Lane has been a realtor for 8 years and brings a ton of professionalism and positivity to our team. He and his wife and two kids live in Verona. He enjoys boating, coaching Wildcat Youth Football, watching Badger sports, and volunteering for several local groups.

"The Madison area is not only the place I call home, but it’s also my family’s playground," Lane says. "I look forward to bringing my passion, service, and advocacy to help you find your dream home, too!" 

You can learn much more about Lane here. 

Being on a supportive team gives us the luxury to ask for help when we need it. It also assumes that we give generously when a team member, or a team member's client, needs our support. 

Ultimately, being on a team empowers each of us to take better care of our clients, our families, and ourselves. We all lead better lives when we choose to work in community, not competition, with each other. 

We are seeing both change and opportunity at the Mad City Dream Homes team. Ann Raschein has accepted an Executive Director position with the Rockford Family Planning Foundation, a local non-profit organization, and is transitioning out of real estate. Since Ann started her real estate career 9 years ago, she has been involved in community efforts and worked with several non-profit organizations. Now she is following that path.

If you have worked with Ann in the past you know her dedication to her clients. And now those clients and connections have the opportunity to work with other like-minded members of the Mad City Dream Homes team! 

When Ann joined the team more than 3 years ago, she did because she had shared value and vision with the team. So

The benefits over the long run can be life-changing, but in sneaky and subtle ways.

When we surround ourselves with generous, hardworking, and humble people, we surround ourselves with people who model good habits and a positive attitude for us. We essentially become teachers and students to each other. And slowly but surely, day by day, we become a little more creative, a little more effective, and a little more resilient.

If this is the type of career culture that you are drawn to and that you would like to contribute to as well, then we would love to hear from you. We're always up for meeting the person who could turn out to be the next great fit for our team. 

Here are 5 great reflection questions for any real estate professional: 

1) Who are the real estate professionals who you've grown to admire and respect? And what are the traits that describe them? And what do your answers to these two questions reveal about you? 

2) What are the aspects of your current approach to real estate that "don't feel right" to you and are not a good fit for your unique personality?  

3) If you were to practice real estate in a manner that inspires you and motivates you (in a way that "feels right"), what would that look like? 

4) We can't possibly appeal to everyone, so given this, how would you describe your ideal client in terms of their values and their aspirations? 

5) How does knowing your ideal client inform

I've had the opportunity to work with, observe, and learn from many different realtors throughout my career, and so the timing feels right for me to acknowledge at least a few of them. By no means is this an exhaustive list. This is just a nice start on a long list of realtors whom I've grown to appreciate and respect.

Here's the list, for starters... 

Chris Venden, who is always kind and who always has good intentions for others. 

Shelley Lazzareschi, who seems to always have a positive attitude and a sincere willingness to help. 

Ann Raschein, who is constantly nurturing positive relationships by helping and serving others. 

Maureen Moran, who is a wonderful listener. 

Tony Tucci, who is exceedingly generous and always rooting for

Sometimes changing careers can end up changing your life, too. That's been the experience for many of us on our team. For example, Shelley Lazzareschi worked in the hospitality industry before she became a realtor. Ann Raschein and Chris Venden worked in human resources. And Alan Feder worked in outdoor recreation.

So many positive changes have followed our transitions to real estate.

One positive change is that real estate has given all of us the opportunity to work with and impact people on a personal level. We've met many new friends over the years, as we've helped each client navigate an important life event. 

Another positive change is that real estate has allowed each of us to shape our careers around our values. We're fortunate

Do you consider yourself a generous, hardworking, and humble person? Do you love learning, helping people, and serving your community? And do you have solid daily habits along with a long-term mindset? 

If these traits describe you, then we would love to talk to you about a career in real estate. Please reach out to Ann or Dan for coffee and a conversation. Tell us about your goals, and we'll explore how we can work together and help you achieve them.