Re/Max Plaza

What Re/Max Plaza does

Re/Max Plaza is a privately held, independently owned and operated real estate brokerage franchise of the RE/MAX global network, headquartered in McHenry, Illinois, with seven office locations serving communities across Northern Illinois and South Eastern Wisconsin from Chicago to Milwaukee. The firm employs approximately 34 people and offers full-service residential brokerage, including buyer representation, seller representation, property search, home valuation, market reports, and transaction coordination, anchored by lead associate Heidi Peterson who brings over 25 years of local market experience.

The brokerage operates on a unified platform built on BoldTrail technology, integrated with MLS data feeds from Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) for Illinois listings and Metro MLS for Wisconsin listings via Internet Data Exchange, with additional aggregation through MLS GRID. A 2024 product launch introduced 'Classic Search with AI Beta', an AI-powered property search supporting both natural-language text queries and structured filters across property type, beds, baths, price, square footage, and acreage. The platform also supports social login (Google, Facebook), saved searches, saved favorites, showing scheduling, and SMS communications via InsideRE, and is integrated with Rental Beast for rental application processing.

Re/Max Plaza generates revenue primarily through traditional real estate transaction commissions on residential sales and ancillary services such as rental placement and mortgage referrals. Customer segments include first-time home buyers, relocating families, and seasoned investors across the SMB and mid-market tiers. Distribution is sales-led through licensed agents at seven physical offices, complemented by MLS-driven listing exposure, agent websites, social media marketing, email campaigns, and professional photography. The firm maintains compliance with Fair Housing, DMCA, CCPA, and GDPR standards.

Name

Re/Max Plaza

Legal name

RE/MAX Plaza

Website

https://heidipetersongroup.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Re/Max Plaza is an independently owned RE/MAX residential real estate brokerage operating seven offices from Chicago to Milwaukee across Northern Illinois and South Eastern Wisconsin, serving home buyers, sellers, and investors with agent-led service and AI-augmented property search.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Real Estate Brokerage

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Senior Living & 55+ Community Brokerage (BPAJAAAH)

Keywords

• Residential real estate brokerage
• Property listing services
• Buyer agent representation
• Home valuation services
• MLS property search

Headquarters

HQ city

McHenry

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Real Estate Commission: Traditional real estate brokerage commission model where agents earn commissions on completed property transactions for both buyers and sellers. Commissions are split between the brokerage and individual agents.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RE/MAX Plaza is a residential real estate brokerage operating as a RE/MAX franchise with seven offices serving Northern Illinois and South Eastern Wisconsin. It provides buyer and seller agency representation, property search through a BoldTrail-powered platform with an AI-Beta feature, home valuation tools, market reports, sold property archives, and mortgage pre-approval referrals via partner lenders. Transactions are supported by licensed agents led by Associate Heidi Peterson with over 25 years of local experience.

Product overview

RE/MAX Plaza operates as a real estate brokerage with seven office locations serving communities from Chicago to Milwaukee, offering a unified platform built on BoldTrail technology. The core product offering centers on a property search platform integrated with MLS data feeds from MRED and Metro MLS, featuring AI-powered search capabilities (currently in Beta). Supporting services include a home valuation tool, market reports, mortgage pre-approval services through partner lenders, and a sold properties archive for market analysis. Agent profiles showcase individual credentials and active listings, while user account management enables saved searches, favorites, and showing scheduling. The platform integrates with Rental Beast for rental applications, InsideRE for SMS communications, and offers social login via Google and Facebook.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Property Search Platform Real estate property search platform featuring AI-powered search (Beta), classic search filters, map view, and advanced options for single family homes, condos, rentals, land, and commercial properties across Northern Illinois and Southeastern Wisconsin. Used by prospective buyers to find listings and save searches.
• Home Valuation Tool Free home valuation tool enabling sellers to estimate property value and request listing exposure across multiple sources for a quick sale at optimal price.
• Market Reports Free local real estate market reports providing average listing prices, price reductions, new listings data, and market trend analysis for specific areas in Northern Illinois and South Eastern Wisconsin.
• Mortgage Pre-Approval Referral Services Referral to partner mortgage lenders offering pre-approval services with low rates, low fees, local underwriting, technology-driven processing, and ongoing status updates during the loan application.
• Agent Profile and Listings Service Agent profile pages showcasing credentials, experience, specializations, testimonials, and active property listings with detailed information including price, square footage, beds, and baths. Used by clients to evaluate the brokerage's agents.
• Sold Properties Archive Historical sold property listings database allowing users to view completed transactions, sold prices, and property details for market research and comparable analysis.
• Buyer and Seller Representation Services Full-service licensed real estate agent representation for buyers and sellers, including property search support, listing services, negotiation, transaction management, and access to mortgage partner referrals across Northern Illinois and South Eastern Wisconsin.

Quantifiable outcome

• Homes sold under contract in less than a week after listing, with offers near or above asking price

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RE/MAXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRE/MAX Plaza operates as a franchise member of the RE/MAX network, leveraging the global brand, marketing resources, technology platforms, and referral network. Each office is independently owned and operated.
• Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED)coreTechnology or IntegrationMLS data provider for Illinois listings. All property listings are distributed through MRED's Internet Data Exchange program.
• Metro MLScoreTechnology or IntegrationMultiple Listing Service for Wisconsin properties. Handles listings in the Milwaukee and surrounding Wisconsin areas.
• Rental BeastminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for rental listing applications, allowing prospective tenants to apply for rental properties through a streamlined one-time application process.
• Mortgage/Finance PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecommended mortgage lenders offering pre-approval services, low rates, and local underwriting to facilitate quick closings for clients.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Redfin: Technology-enabled residential brokerage operating in the Chicago metro area with a reduced-commission model. Competes directly for sellers in the same corridor and pressures traditional commission structures.
• Compass: National technology-forward residential brokerage expanding aggressively into Midwestern markets including Chicago. Competes for the same buyer and seller pool as RE/MAX Plaza but operates at vastly greater scale with proprietary tech and agent recruiting capabilities.
• eXp Realty: Cloud-based residential brokerage with a franchise-like agent model and national reach. Operates in Illinois and Wisconsin and competes for agent recruitment and listings in the same Chicago-to-Milwaukee corridor.

Direct peers

• HomeSmart: Residential brokerage with a franchise-style agent model and growing Midwest presence. Targets similar agent recruitment and residential transaction volume in suburban markets.
• Century 21 Real Estate: Global residential real estate franchise with established agent networks in Illinois and Wisconsin. Closely comparable business model, customer base, and franchise economics to RE/MAX Plaza.
• Keller Williams Realty: Largest residential brokerage franchise by agent count in North America, with significant Illinois and Wisconsin presence. Competes head-to-head for agents and listings in the same regional corridor.
• Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate: Residential brokerage franchise affiliated with a nationally recognized consumer brand, with Midwest agent networks. Comparable agent-led, commission-based service model targeting similar buyer and seller segments.
• Coldwell Banker: Established residential brokerage franchise with strong presence in suburban Chicago and Wisconsin markets. Operates a comparable agent-led, commission-based model serving the same buyer/seller segments as RE/MAX Plaza.
• Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices: Residential brokerage franchise operating across the Midwest including Illinois and Wisconsin. Targets similar move-up, first-time buyer, and luxury segments with a comparable agent-led service model.

Regional players

• Sotheby's International Realty: Luxury-leaning residential brokerage with affiliates in the Chicago and Milwaukee regions. Competes for higher-end listings in the same corridor, particularly for move-up and luxury relocation clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/re-max-plaza

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Re/Max Plaza