Coldwell Banker CEO 'Heads Home' to La Grange

Jim Gillespie, chief executive officer of Coldwell  Banker Residential Brokerage, headed back July 23 to La Grange where he started his real estate career 37 years ago. He worked as an agent for Gallery of Homes and then Thorsen Realtors, which was bought by Coldwell Banker.

When Tricia McEneaney-Riberto, managing director of the La Grange office, learned Gillespie would be in the Chicago area for the Coldwell Banker Expo, she invited him to the office.

In his CBUedge.com blog, Gillespie wrote that he walked into the office to the sound of his University of Illinois fight song; Fighting Illini and Chicago White Sox flags were flying and he was greeted by Elizabeth Asperger, La Grange president.

“I saw some old friends, drove by the locations of old offices I worked in, went to see a home I used to live in and some of my earliest listings and sales,” he wrote.

He talked about the state of the national real estate market and how it affects the Chicago area; gave current agents tips for continuing to provide the best service to the sellers and buyers they represent; and reminisced about his times in La Grange, including the story of his second sale to the receptionist at the community’s YMCA.

Gillespie was raised in the western suburbs and got his start as an agent in La Grange before entering management at Thorsen Realtors in 1976 (later acquired by Coldwell Banker). He has held numerous positions within Coldwell Banker and has spent the last eight years guiding the company from its corporate headquarters in Parsippany, N.J.

As CEO of Coldwell Banker, he oversees 3,200 Coldwell Banker offices (700 international) in 49 countries with 88,000 sales associates. He just recently announced his retirement and this La Grange visit was his first public appearance since the announcement. He will move on as chairman emeritus advisory starting in 2013.

He is one of the real estate industry’s top spokespeople and is frequently interviewed by national broadcast, print and web media outlets. He has received numerous awards throughout his career and was recently named as one of the 10 most admired CEOs from online career community CareerBliss across 3,400 companies.

Even with all of the accolades and accomplishments through the years, he said there is a special place in his heart for La Grange, and he is thrilled to be “back home” to connect with those in his former community.

 “After nearly four decades with Coldwell Banker, I can safely say that the people in our brand are absolutely amazing. And today showed it,” he blogged.