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Century 21 Real Estate LLC., a global industry leader and the most recognized name in real estate*, is proud to strengthen its presence in the Greater Chicago area with the affiliation of the Utmost Real Estate Group, a boutique brokerage that has served Chicagoland since 2019.

The company is led by Grace Ryu, who first entered the real estate industry in 2006 and has since become a key resource for the local Korean-American real estate community. Ryu and the majority of her affiliated agents are bilingual and frequently work with clients of Korean descent on residential and commercial sales, tapping into the team’s collective expertise in taxes, finance, mortgage and architecture to provide an enhanced level of service. Ryu holds a master’s degree in psychology from Trinity International University, which has helped her develop strong relationships with her clients.

Now doing business as CENTURY 21 Utmost [INSERT LINK], Ryu and her team of relentless affiliated sales professionals will have access to the CENTURY 21^® brand’s world-class technology and marketing, lead generation, agent learning and coaching, and innovative productivity platform to help better serve and deliver the highest quality of service to homebuyers, homesellers and investors.

Based in Wheeling, the firm serves the northwest, northeast and western regions of the Greater Chicago metropolitan area. With an already strong presence in and around Wheeling, Ryu will leverage her affiliation with the CENTURY 21 brand to open a second office in the northern part of Naperville. She will fuel additional firm growth by tapping into the CENTURY 21 brand’s extensive network, ample referral channels, robust learning [or professional development] and recruiting programs, and state-of-the-art technology.

The firm is already reputable within the local Korean community, however, as a CENTURY 21 affiliated company, Ryu will focus on expanding the firm’s client base to serve an even more diverse clientele.

Ryu, who is Korean-American herself, founded her company with a business philosophy of serving people with the utmost respect, which aligns with the same values that are paramount in Korean culture.

The company is very involved with both global and local charities serving children. Ryu serves as president of the Global Children Foundation, which collaborates internationally with missionaries serving underprivileged children around the world.

“After four years as an independent firm, I knew that in order to provide the best service to my affiliated agents and valued clients, and fuel growth, I needed the additional resources of a strong franchise brand,” said Ryu. “Equally important was finding a brand whose values aligned with ours and the CENTURY 21^® brand was the stand out. They understand the many challenges that independent brokerages face and have been eager to help us implement solutions and provide support to help us grow. Not only do we have the tools and technology to bolster our firm’s presence in the market, but we also have the ability to uphold the core values of our company’s unique culture.”

“Grace’s main focus is growth, which is definitely in our wheelhouse,” said Mike Miedler, president and CEO of Century 21 Real Estate LLC. “As part of the CENTURY 21 network, Grace and her team will have an enhanced value proposition that will help them compete in the Chicago marketplace while staying true to their founding principles. We are thrilled to welcome them to the CENTURY 21 family.”

Ryu and her team are looking for relentless sales professionals to join their growing real estate company and invite area residents seeking a new professional opportunity, or real estate agents looking for a new home. Visit them at 482 N. Milwaukee. Ste 2, Wheeling, IL 60090 or call at 847.777.1155.

* Study Source: 2022 Ad Tracking Study. The survey results are based on 1,201 online interviews with a national random sample of adults (ages 18+) who are equal decision makers in real estate transactions and active in the real estate market (bought or sold a home within the past two years or, plan to purchase or sell a home within the next two years). Recognition question based on consumers aware of brand in question. Results are significant at a 90% confidence level, with a margin of error of +/- 2.4%. The study was conducted by Kantar Group Limited (formerly Millward Brown), a leading global market research organization, from November 10-16, 2022.