Connie Antoniou has been the #1 agent by volume in Jameson Sotheby's Chicagoland Northwest office in seven of the last nine years, and the #1 North Barrington agent three years running.
We are hiring the Operations Manager who will help run the practice behind that business.
This is a senior, hands-on operations role working closely with Connie Antoniou, the owner of the practice, and reporting directly to Muge. You will become the person who keeps the operating side of the business moving: transactions, listings, commissions, technology, calendars, vendors, research, communication and the systems behind all of it.
The role is intentionally broad, and it will continue to grow. We are looking for someone who likes that. You should be comfortable taking ownership of established responsibilities while also encountering something new and thinking, "I can figure that out."
WHAT THIS ROLE IS
This is not a traditional administrative position, and it is not a transaction coordinator role with a larger title. You will own important day-to-day operations of a high-performing luxury real estate practice while helping us improve how the business runs.
Some days that means reviewing a contract deadline, preparing a listing appointment package and fixing an MLS issue. Another day might include reviewing a commission, coordinating a photographer, troubleshooting a new technology platform, reorganizing a workflow, managing calendars, preparing a property for photography and helping Connie or Muge solve something that was not on the calendar that morning.
We want someone who enjoys being useful, capable and close to the work.
TRANSACTIONS AND COMPLIANCE
- Manage transactions from accepted offer through closing
- Track deadlines, contingencies, attorney review and required documentation
- Maintain complete and accurate transaction and compliance files
- Coordinate signatures, documents and follow-up
- Work within Jameson Sotheby's brokerage policies and compliance requirements
- Keep transaction records organized so another person can understand exactly where things stand
LISTINGS AND MLS
- Manage client and property intake for new listings
- Prepare and maintain listings in connectMLS through MRED
- Research property history, tax records, parcels, PINs and prior listings
- Maintain accurate property information, documents, photographs and listing status
- Configure showings and seller notifications through ShowingTime
- Coordinate listing launches from preparation through activation
LISTING APPOINTMENT PREPARATION
Before Connie walks into a listing appointment, you will help make sure she is prepared. That includes assembling research such as:
- Property and tax history
- Prior MLS activity
- Parcel and PIN information
- Relevant property details
- Supporting listing materials
- Organized and professionally presented appointment materials
Accuracy and presentation matter.
COMMISSIONS AND LISTING FINANCIALS
- Prepare and maintain commission records
- Confirm commission information and resolve discrepancies
- Coordinate commission-related documentation with the brokerage
- Track and manage approved listing expenses and property-specific budgets
- Help maintain visibility into costs associated with photography, staging, vendors, marketing and other listing preparation
TECHNOLOGY AND SYSTEMS
Technology is a significant part of this job. Our current environment includes SkySlope, DigiSign, connectMLS/MRED, ShowingTime, LandGlide, Propel, Outlook, Dropbox, 1Password and a Mac-based office environment. We are also actively evaluating CRM and client-management technology, including platforms such as Lofty and Luxury Presence.
One of your early responsibilities will be helping us evaluate what we have, understand what we actually need and help choose, implement and manage the right system.
You do not need prior experience with every platform we use. You do need to be the kind of person who can learn unfamiliar software quickly, understand how systems connect and become genuinely capable with new technology without needing someone to walk you through the same thing repeatedly.
We expect the technology stack to evolve, and we want this person involved in shaping it.
CALENDARS, EMAIL AND COMMUNICATION
You will help manage the operating rhythm around Connie and Muge, including:
- Calendars and scheduling
- Email organization and follow-up
- Vendor scheduling
- Client and agent communication
- Written confirmations and documentation
- Keeping important items from falling through the cracks
Professional writing is important. You should be able to write a clear, polished email to a client, attorney, agent or vendor without needing someone to rewrite it before it can be sent.
VENDORS, PROPERTIES AND AGENT SUPPORT
- Coordinate photographers, stagers, contractors and other property vendors
- Confirm appointments, deliverables and follow-up
- Help maintain vendor standards and relationships
- Support other agents when operational coordination is needed
- Help Connie and Muge with projects and operational needs across the practice
THIS IS A HANDS-ON ROLE
Not all of the job happens behind a computer. Luxury listings occasionally need another set of capable hands. You may be at a property helping with staging preparation, moving small items, straightening a room, handling a last-minute cleanup, meeting a vendor or making sure the property is ready before photography or a showing.
We are not hiring an Operations Manager to spend the day cleaning houses. We are looking for someone who sees that a room needs ten more minutes of work before the photographer arrives and helps get it done rather than standing on the sidelines.
Connie and Muge work the same way. If you like being close to the outcome and taking pride in seeing something get finished well, you will probably enjoy this environment.
HOW YOU WORK MATTERS
The strongest candidate for this role will be:
- Fast. You move with urgency without becoming careless.
- Highly organized. You can manage multiple active transactions, listings and priorities without losing details.
- Technologically confident. You learn software quickly and enjoy finding better ways to use it.
- Resourceful. Your first instinct when you do not know something is to investigate, use available resources and work toward an answer.
- A strong writer. Your emails and written communication are clear, polished and professional.
- Detail-oriented. Names, dates, contract terms, MLS data and financial information need to be right.
- Professional. Luxury real estate requires good judgment, discretion, polished communication, appropriate professional attire and a calm demeanor with clients, agents and vendors.
- Ambitious. We are looking for someone who wants to become increasingly valuable to the business, not simply complete the same checklist indefinitely.
- Comfortable with ownership. Once you understand something, we want you to own it.
We do not expect perfection on day one. We do expect curiosity, good judgment and a strong learning curve.
WHAT WE NEED
- 4+ years of relevant experience in real estate operations, transaction coordination, brokerage administration or a closely related real estate role
- Experience managing real estate transactions from contract through closing
- Experience using an MLS and a transaction-management platform
- Working knowledge of Illinois residential real estate transactions, contracts, deadlines and attorney review
- Strong computer and technology skills
- Confidence working in a Mac-based environment
- Strong professional writing and communication skills
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving environment
- Excellent attention to detail
- Valid driver's license and reliable transportation
- Ability to work in person in Barrington and travel regularly to properties in the surrounding area
HELPFUL, BUT NOT REQUIRED
Experience with any of the following is helpful: SkySlope, DigiSign, connectMLS, MRED, ShowingTime, luxury residential real estate, commission processing, CRM implementation or administration, calendar and executive support, vendor management, listing budgets, Luxury Presence, Lofty, Microsoft Outlook, Dropbox, 1Password.
Very few candidates will know every platform on that list. We care more about whether you have demonstrated that you can learn technology quickly and become the person other people rely on to understand it.
THE TEAM AROUND YOU
You will report directly to Muge and work closely with Connie, who owns the practice. You will not be expected to build everything from scratch or figure everything out alone.
Jameson Sotheby's provides substantial infrastructure, including brokerage compliance oversight, IT support, marketing resources and training. MRED provides MLS training, including one-on-one support. The vendor relationships around the practice are established.
Connie and Muge are also in the office and at properties. This is a collaborative, in-person business.
What we need is someone who can increasingly take ownership of the operating side and make that entire system work better.
YOUR FIRST TWO WEEKS
We have already built the onboarding plan for this position. Your first two weeks progress through:
- Systems access and the technology environment
- Outlook, Dropbox and team communication
- SkySlope and DigiSign
- connectMLS and MRED
- ShowingTime
- Listing and property research
- LandGlide and parcel/PIN work
- Listing appointment preparation
- A complete listing workflow
- A review of our current CRM and workflow tools
Your first operating project will include helping us evaluate the technology and workflows already in place and identifying what should stay, what should change and what should be consolidated.
You will finish onboarding with a practice run through an actual listing-preparation workflow rather than simply watching someone else do the job.
PAY AND BENEFITS
Target total compensation: $80,000 to $95,000 per year, consisting of base salary plus performance bonus.
- Base salary: $75,000 to $85,000
- Target performance bonus: $5,000 to $10,000, paid twice annually
The performance bonus is measured against four written objectives established with you when you are hired. The measurements are based on things you can see and verify yourself.
Where an offer lands within the range reflects relevant real estate experience, transaction and MLS knowledge, technology skills, judgment and experience serving luxury clients.
Benefits include:
- 401(k) with safe harbor employer matching
- Monthly health insurance stipend toward a plan you choose
- Paid time off
- Ten paid holidays
- Professional development and training
- MRED classes and one-on-one MLS training
- Vendor and technology training
- Downtown Barrington office steps from the Metra
TO APPLY
Please submit your resume and answer the following: Tell us about a process, system or technology you inherited that was not working particularly well. What did you change, and what happened afterward?
We are less interested in a perfect answer than in understanding how you think.
Whip & Chip LLC dba Connie Antoniou Luxury Lifestyles is an equal opportunity employer. Employment is at-will and contingent upon successful completion of a background check.
Pay: $70,000.00 - $95,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
Application Question(s):
- Briefly describe your experience managing an Illinois residential real estate transaction from accepted contract through closing.
- Tell us about a software platform you had never used before but had to learn quickly. What was the platform, how did you learn it, and how long was it before you could use it independently?
- Tell us about a process, system or workflow you inherited that was not working well. What did you change?
- This is an in-person, hands-on operations role. In addition to transaction, technology and administrative work, it occasionally requires going to listings, meeting vendors and helping prepare a property before photography or a showing. Are you comfortable with that? Please answer yes or no.
Experience:
- real estate operations or transaction coordination: 4 years (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
