Maybe you’re looking for a Realtor for yourself or someone else. Maybe you have a
Realtor and you’re looking for another. Maybe you’re wondering why you might want to
hire a Realtor. Regardless of why you’re here, you’ve come to the right place. At
the “Ask For Sam” team we believe that educating consumers comes first whether you
work with us or not and by having that philosophy the entire market gets better.

Why should you hire a Realtor?

The answer is it depends who you ask. To us the best answer is the Realtors job
is to act as your advisor and protect your interests. We believe the best way to do
that is to give you real answers – the good, the bad and the ugly – so you can make
your own evaluation and ultimately your own decisions. We’re not here to sell you
anything except our services and if you buy, sell, rent or invest, it has to be
because that’s what YOU want to do.

If you have plenty of experience in real estate maybe you only need a real estate
attorney. Real estate isn’t a difficult process but it IS complex. In addition,
it’s high risk in the sense that significant money is involved which for most people
impacts their lifestyle if nothing else. Since the market is ever changing, an
experienced Realtor is going to know how to prevent the CURRENT common pitfalls
and, should you decide to get into a transaction, will you help navigate you
through the terrain successfully.

How to choose an agent:

Believe it or not we don’t believe everyone should work with us or that we
should work with everyone. Generally speaking your relationship with your Realtor
is fairly time intensive and a relatively personal experience so you should choose
an agent that is a good fit for you. They should:

• Have experience with the kind of property you want to work with
• Be someone you feel you can trust and who will look out for your interests
• Be someone you’d like to spend some time with

The best way to get started is to find a few Realtors, through referrals,
via the internet, however you typically like to research new resources and
interview them to see if they’re the right fit for you and your needs. How each
Realtor approaches their interview with you will give you a good indication how
they’ll be throughout the process. Are they on-time for your appointment? Did they
tell you about their experience? What kind of other information did they provide?
Do you have the sense that you’re working for them to be successful or are they’re
working for you to be successful?

Our philosophy is simple – we’re real estate professionals and we take our jobs
very seriously. Our role is to provide you with financial information so you can
make informed financial decisions in an inherently emotional transaction. We’ve
been full-time Realtors since 2002 and we’ve been ranked in the top 5% of all
Chicago Realtors since 2005. We don’t specialize in locations, we specialize in
people. If we decide to work with you my team will help you buy, sell, rent or
invest any property you want in any location you want. We go where our people go -
anywhere in the city, anywhere in the suburbs. Real Estate is a referral based
business so our job is to not only earn your business and see you through an
enriching and successful transaction but to also earn your referrals. You should
expect the same from any agent you work with.

Simply stated, if after interviewing us you feel we’re not the right team for
you we will always encourage you to do what’s in your best interests and go with
someone else. If for some reason things don’t work out with another Realtor we’ll
always be here to provide you with guidance. If you decide to work with us, what
are you waiting for? Let’s get to work!

Samantha Powell
Residential Specialist

A real estate professional since 2002 Sam is passionate about making the industry
better, through education with consumers regardless if you work with her or not,
peer to peer sharing no matter what company you work for, or through her work as the
secretary on the board of the Women’s Council of Realtors, Chicago Chapter.

A transplant to Chicago by way of Rochester, NY where she went to school at
the Rochester Institute of Technology and Delaware where she grew up Sam lives in
the West Loop and LOVES it. City living with tons of options and opportunities to
explore is both daunting and thrilling. She loves to check out Chicago sports from
the big teams to the depth of women’s offerings like the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, Chicago
Force semi-pro women’s tackle football, Windy City Rollers roller derby and even
Northwestern’s phenomenal lacrosse team. As an east coaster her sports heart is in
field hockey, another great reason to head to Northwestern. She’s not all about
sports, however. She’s been spotted at Chicago museums, ushering at the Goodman
Theatre, exploring Chicago architecture, chowing down at the Taste of Chicago,
volunteering at the Warrior Dash and playing at the dog beach to name just a few of
her favorite things.

Sam is thrilled to be working at Dream Town Realty, a company that both compliments
the team’s not so inner geek and also supports the growth of the geek for the benefit
of the team, the company and hopefully the industry.

Sam is passionate about technology both personally and professionally, her family –
partner, Jen and chocolate lab, Afis – true crime stories (what she affectionately
refers to as “murder and mayhem”), and helping others. As an example of helping
others, commonly in real estate clients leave items behind in their property so she
actively works to put useful items in the hands of people who can use them, from
furniture to guitars to blenders and clothes.

Michael Opyd
Residential Specialist

Michael grew up on the south side of Chicago and moved to Boston after graduating from college. He returned to home in 2008 because he missed Chicago with its bunch of little cities with different cultures all rolled up into one. Michael says, “You can drive through five different neighborhoods and experience five unique personalities.”

After returning to the city Michael settled in Lakeview. He soon realized he didn’t fit the traditional 9 – 5 job. Real Estate turned out to be the perfect match for his personality and skills. Michael’s clients are more than just people looking for a new home they are his friends, because friends help each other out. With that thought he strives to make sure his “clients” always get his best. He says, “There isn’t a better feeling then helping someone find the home of their dreams and then having the chance to hang out and have fun with them at their new place. You realize you were a part of making it happen.”

Michael is a buyer’s specialist for the “Ask For Sam” team at Dream Town. “Ask For Sam” utilizes the latest technology and prides themselves on “being ahead of the curve” in building their business expertise. “Real Estate is a scary subject for most people,” Michael says. “We make ourselves available for clients whenever they have questions or need anything. If I can eliminate the fear out of the real estate process by educating my clients, the process becomes easier for them. The fear goes away and they can be confident in making a decision.” Being accessible for their clients is a must for the “Ask For Sam” team. They are dedicated to ensuring their clients are well taken care of!

When not making friends as a REALTOR® you will find Michael at one of the local ice arenas. As a lifelong ice hockey player he’s either watching the game or suiting up and taking to the ice. To relax he spends time relaxing with a cold beer while watching his favorite sports teams.

Jennifer Thompson
Residential Specialist