2023: Year in Review
2023. There is so much I want to say.
This was, without a doubt, the toughest year of my career. I know I’m not alone in this. Our industry dealt with a triple whammy of 1) rising interest rates (in October, they hit 8.45%, the highest since 2000!), 2) low inventory to absolutely no inventory in some places, and 3) legal headwinds.
At Melanie Everett & Company, we braced ourselves. Would it be a down year? Maybe. But we knew what we needed to do: continue to provide the same tried-and-true service to our buyers and sellers. That was what mattered. We would persevere.
Somehow, we didn’t just get through it — we hit a sales record, got creative in the face of challenges, and had a lot of fun along the way.
Here’s a recap:
We were honored to help 101 buyers & sellers accomplish their goals.
We sold $50 million in sales — a record!
We continued to teach our signature courses (Buy a Condo / Sell a Condo) and added two more: So You Want to Navigate Chicago Schools and So You Want to Move to the Suburbs.
We taught classes & threw events at some pretty cool places, like Anthropologie, Dom’s Market, The Robey, Tuco & Blondie, & even my own home.
We repped M&Co. all over town in matching hoodies, hats, and tees. Later, we released an exclusive run of our French Blue embroidered sweatshirts, supporting Open Books!
Speaking of Open Books, we hosted a book drive and were able to collect a remarkable 250+ books!
We popped up at Lincoln Park’s Green City Market, and a few months later, we set up our trusty tent once more at Trick or Treat on Southport.
We took our marketing to the next level: Chicago Summer Forever stickers, Lincoln Park matchbooks, and So You Want to Buy a Condo yellow belt bags.
& more!
Thank you to so many! To M&Co.’s 2023 clients — your trust truly means the world. To my teammates, who deeply embody this company’s values and mission. To our partners and vendors. To every single person who referred a friend, shared an Instagram Story, forwarded a newsletter. To my family and friends.
Most importantly, thank you, God — you are over all and through all and in all.
Goodbye to 2023 — 2024, I’m ready!
