RE/MAX Plaza Opens Its Newest Office on the Square in Woodstock

CHICAGO - Oct. 24, 2013 - PRLog -- CHICAGO, Oct. 23, 2013 – RE/MAX Plaza has opened its newest office at 112 N. Benton St. on the town square in the heart of historic Woodstock, Ill.  It is another sign that the metropolitan Chicago real estate market continues to gain momentum.

The decision to expand into Woodstock reflects the heightened level of sales activity in the local residential real estate market, said Rob Schaid, broker/owner of RE/MAX Plaza.  The firm was founded by his father, but Schaid now operates it on his own.

“Our market has turned around completely since the first of the year,” he noted.  “Home values are starting to rise, inventory levels are declining and buyers who were hesitant a year ago, especially first-time buyers, are now eager to purchase a home.  With both prices and interest rates headed higher, people understand that right now is the best home buying opportunity they are likely to have for a long time.”

While demand for homes has improved across the board in McHenry County, Schaid said it is strongest for single-family homes with three or four bedrooms that are priced from $80,000 to $150,000.

The new RE/MAX office will be the third in a series of branch offices opened by RE/MAX Plaza in recent years.  The brokerage has its main office in McHenry, Ill., and also operates offices in Richmond and Wauconda, Ill.  The new Woodstock office officially opened for business on Oct. 22.

“We are trying something new with this office,” said Schaid.  “Our goal is to give it the feel of a neighborhood coffee shop where people can just come in and hang out if they want.”  About half of the new 1,600-square-foot office will be devoted to a reception area.  Office hours are 10 a.m.

to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Another unusual feature of the office will be an interactive electronic sign mounted on the exterior.  It will display more than a dozen properties and will allow those walking by to find out more about each home with a press of a finger.  The sign also can be used to see what is on the market in McHenry County, as well as northern Illinois.  When a user enters a location and price range, the sign will quickly display a complete list of the homes with those attributes.

“We are both excited and pleased to have our Woodstock office open,” said Schaid. “It is such an outstanding community; demand for homes has rebounded, and being able to find office space on the square puts us right where we wanted to be.  It’s a superb location and very much in line with our commitment to deliver the highest level of real estate services to every customer.”

A receptionist and five brokers currently staff the new office.

Schaid expects the new Woodstock office will increase RE/MAX market share in Woodstock, as well as McHenry County, where RE/MAX is already a leader.

RE/MAX is the market share leader among brokerage organizations in McHenry and Lake counties, including McHenry, Richmond, Wauconda and Woodstock, the four communities where RE/MAX Plaza now has office locations.

For more information about RE/MAX in northern Illinois, go to www.illinoisproperty.com.

RE/MAX has been the leader in the northern Illinois real estate market since 1989.  The RE/MAX Northern Illinois network, with headquarters in Elgin, Ill., consists of 2,000 sales associates and 100 individually owned and operated RE/MAX offices that provide a full range of residential and commercial brokerage services.  Its www.illinoisproperty.com and www.remax.com websites are leaders in consumer visits among real estate franchise brands.  The www.global.remax.com  website allows consumers to search properties around the globe; www.theremaxcollection.com is a specialized portal of luxury properties across the U.S., and www.remaxcommercial.com displays commercial properties available nationwide and abroad.  The northern Illinois network is part of RE/MAX LLC, a global real estate organization with 90,000+ sales associates in 90+ nations.  The RE/MAX organization has been recognized for numerous industry honors for excellence, and its Associates continue to lead the industry in professional designations, experience and production.  Nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX.  RE/MAX is the official real estate partner of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the national sponsor of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.