Sylvia Martinez-Johnson, broker/owner, RE/MAX Platinum, Chicago
RE/MAX Platinum has returned to its original location at 1931 S. State St. in Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood after a six-month stay at 1915 S. Michigan Ave. The move coincides with an uptick in activity in the South Loop segment of the Chicago real estate market, according to Sylvia Martinez-Johnson, broker/owner of RE/MAX Platinum.
“The timing of our return to our original office couldn’t be more strategic because buyer interest in the South Loop increased measurably during the final quarter of 2009, and we expect a very active market to develop in the months ahead,” she said. “We recently added two more agents, so that we now have seven agents, all of them full-time professionals, affiliated with our office.
Martinez-Johnson and her husband, Eric Johnson, opened the office in early 2007 just as the housing market began to struggle.
“The last two years have been a real challenge, and that was compounded by the need to relocate our office. Fortunately, we were able to purchase this building and are happy to be back here,” she said. “I’m excited about what the 2010 Chicago real estate market has in store.”
The rebound in the South Loop residential market is being driven primarily by an influx of interested buyers who fall into two groups, according to Martinez-Johnson. One group consists of first-time buyers eager to take advantage of lower prices and the first-time buyer tax credit.
“The other type of buyers we’ve been seeing in substantial numbers are those coming from out of state,” she said. “Some are moving to the Chicago area, while others are interested in buying a second home here, but in both cases they find the South Loop extremely appealing because of its access to the cultural attractions and business community of Chicago.”
