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Carrie McCormick threw away her corporate career for real estate 24 years ago; sparking an illustrious career that’s led to more than $1 billion in career sales and her spot as Chicago’s No. 1 luxury real estate broker.
McCormick, who leads the Carrie McCormick Group at @properties Christie’s International Realty, said her rebellious and artistic spirit has enabled her to expertly navigate multiple market shifts with bold creativity, keen marketing skills and expert visual storytelling.
“Every home has a story,” she told Inman. “Each home has key elements about it that buyers love, but when people buy a home, they’re not just buying the structure, they’re buying a lifestyle.”
“So we, as agents, need to tell the story of what it’s like to live in the locations where we’re selling homes,” she added. “So I try to curate each of my videos, to tell a home’s story and try to connect with a consumer online before meeting them. The words, the video, the music, the editing — it all counts.”
Before her stage appearance at Inman Connect Las Vegas in August, McCormick sat down with Inman to explain the key to great storytelling, what today’s buyers want and how to build a stellar support team.
Inman: What are you most looking forward to for Luxury Connect in August?
McCormick: I’m super excited to meet other brokers around the world and collaborate with each other. Our buyers are moving all over the place — everyone’s very transient and making moves. So it’s great to have new connections and meet and collaborate with other brokers.
I’ve covered Luxury Connect, and it’s fun to be in the background and see all networking that happens. So I know that’s something a lot of people really do look forward to. Before our chat, I poked around, read your biography and noticed your background in design and marketing. How did you find your way into real estate?
I started in real estate by accident. It was not intentional. I came from the corporate world and realized I was a little more rebel spirited than I thought I was. And I was very creative.
I happened to be walking and stumbled upon a construction site and I was curious about what they were building. I started talking with the sales manager about the market, architecture and construction, and we had such an engaging conversation, he wanted to hire me.
I quit my corporate job, took a chance and went into real estate. That was back in 1999 and having a design and marketing background absolutely contributes to my success.
A lot of really great agents seem to stumble their way into real estate. So thinking about your first year in real estate until now, what’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the luxury market?
I would say, especially since COVID, people have a new appreciation for where they live. They’re spending more time in their homes, and location has become more important than anything right now. I mean, location always was important, right? We all know the saying, “Location, location, location!”
It’s been around for years, but the past few years have proved there’s really some truth to that. In addition to that, healthy living has become very important— I speak a lot about the different products people are expecting in their homes, like whole-home automation, water filtration systems or even lighting that helps regulate your circadian rhythm.
I wrote a story about luxury buyers’ emphasis on health and wellness a couple of years ago, and it’s nice to know that has continued even as the world has opened back up. Let’s shift gears and get into your upcoming session at Luxury Connect, which focuses on how to raise the bar as an agent or broker through cutting-edge technology and innovative marketing.
I know you’re saving the best insights for the conference, but what are a few you can share today?
When it comes to social media marketing, whether it’s video or standard posts, I always say every home has a story. Each home has key elements about it that buyers love, but when people buy a home, they’re not just buying the structure, they’re buying a lifestyle. How do you feel when you walk out the door and have 10 restaurants you can take your family to or you have a workout facility to unwind at the end of the day?
Chicago is obviously a very urban city, so being close to transportation, shopping and restaurants, the lakefront and other cultural attractions like museums is very important. So we, as agents, need to tell the story of what it’s like to live in the locations where we’re selling homes.
So I try to curate each of my videos, to tell a home’s story and try to connect with a consumer online before meeting them. The words, the video, the music, the editing — it all counts. And I put a lot of fun into it.
I definitely love looking at luxury listing videos; it’s a whole experience. So looking forward, what are you anticipating for the rest of 2023? How can agents remain successful in a shifting market and continue to give top-notch service to their clients?
Agents are busy these days and they don’t have time to take care of all the details of a transaction. So we have to make sure that we have valuable partners we can count on to provide white-glove service. When a luxury buyer or seller comes to me, they want me to have all the solutions for them — they want the painter, they want the stager, they want the interior designer and I coordinate all that.
A lot of people use the term concierge service, and the experience we give is just like going into a high-end hotel. I always tell people — you want the service, you’re paying for it, and I’ll deliver it.
We’ve got to make sure the transaction is smooth, seamless and easy for the consumer.
