New partners Century 21 Affiliated (C21A) and The Jacobs Companies have set up housekeeping as a C21A office in Deerfield.
If not a marriage for love, it certainly sounds like one of convenience, with both sides bringing something to the table. The Jacobs Companies have been building homes in the Chicago area for 80 years. C21A is a full-service real estate agency with 77 offices and more than 1,500 sales associates in the Midwest, and is the largest Century 21 franchisee in the world.
C21A is credited with $2.5 billion in sales volume: The value of the 12,000 transactions that they closed last year.
The Jacobs Companies are industrious as well. C21A is marrying into a good family. Four generations of the Jacobs clan have been involved with the company, which is now helmed by president and CEO Keith Jacobs, the grandson of founder Albert S. Jacobs. When the company first began erecting homes on the North Shore in 1935, a new Jacobs home went for $12,000.
In that time period, the company has built nearly 6,000 custom and semi-custom homes throughout the Chicagoland area, primarily concentrating on the North Shore. Jacobs homes are in 44 Chicago-area communities, and 12 Chicago suburbs.
Courtesy The Jacobs Companies
“Over the past 80 years, The Jacobs Companies has remained at the forefront of the homebuilding industry in the North Shore area,” Keith Jacobs said in an emailed statement. “With our company headquarters and Design Center based in Deerfield, partnering with C21A for a local real estate office was a natural extension of the range of services The Jacobs Companies provides our clients. This strategic alliance offers critical opportunities for identifying key development projects in this important market.”
Real estate broker and North Shore native Erik Gimbel was chosen to oversee the C21A office in Deerfield. He has worked in the North Shore and Chicago market for about six years. Gimbel holds an MBA, and has a background in finance. In 2014, Gimbel received the Young Realtor of the Year Award from the North Shore-Barrington Association of Realtors Board.
“This office will be a first in the North Shore for C21A, and it represents a major milestone for the company,” said Gimbel in a statement. “Working with The Jacobs Companies means we are taking an aggressive approach to entering the market. I have big plans for the C21A and The Jacobs Companies alliance.”
Adam Freeman, co-founder of C21A’s Chicago office said that when looking for someone to lead the Deerfield office, Gimbel stood out from the pack.
“Our main objective in the partnership was aligning with The Jacobs Companies to bring together a first-class team,” Freeman said. “Through exhaustive research that took a few months, Erik stood out from the pack. He’s enthusiastic and knowledgeable in this market and we’re glad to have him.”
The new office is up and running now, and Gimbel is growing his team.