Real Estate Consultants 2500 S. Highland Avenue (630) 942-7000 www.reciusa.com

JAMES A. HOPKINS, RECI President

James A. Hopkins founded Real Estate Consultants, Inc. in 1977 and serves as President. In small and humble beginnings, the first office was also Real Estate Consultants, Inc.’s first listing. The office was located in a 400,000 square foot, 22 story office building at 55 E. Jackson Blvd. in the Chicago Loop.

Under Jim’s calm and careful guidance, Real Estate Consultants, Inc. expanded its operations and stronghold in the Chicago Loop with growing numbers of “office and industrial warehouse” sales and lease assignments. James A. Hopkins and Real Estate Consultants, Inc. pioneered the south and west loop loft office explosion.

In the mid 80’s, Jim set his sights and energies on the suburban commercial real estate market. Once again, Real Estate Consultants, Inc. set up small and humble beginnings in a suburban operation located in Lombard. This office experienced the ebbing and tremendous flowing of growth which led to company expansion, merger, and relocation and a new corporate identity, hence a new name: RECI.

Today, RECI owns its own 63,000 square foot corporate home known as The 2500 Highland Building located directly across from the Yorktown Shopping Center just north of the robust East-West Corridor on Highland Avenue in Lombard. Jim and his experienced RECI staff now dominate the business condominium sector of the commercial real estate market and are among the nation’s largest commercial real estate firms in the western suburbs, handling over 50 projects valued in excess of $500,000,000.

Prior to RECI, Jim was employed by CNA Insurance Co. There he worked in the Real Estate Division, responsible for servicing the company’s billion dollar real estate portfolio and the acquisition of all company-owned managers on a national basis, administered the marketing programs for sales and leasing of company-owned real estate (office, industrial, and residential) and responsible for identifying and negotiating real estate for CNA throughout the USA. Prior to CNA, Jim was Area Supervisor of Real Estate for the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad which involved sales, leasing and appraisal of railroad-owned land and buildings as well as acquisition of right-of-way as required for railroad use.

• Graduated from Monmouth College, Monmouth, Illinois in 1972 with a degree in
  Business Administration
• Licensed Real Estate Broker in Illinois, Indiana, Colorado and Wisconsin as well
  as Illinois-licensed for Life, Health, Property and Casualty Insurance

Briefly, describe your business?
RECI is a full-service commercial real estate firm doing business in the Midwest since 1977. RECI features a staff of experienced professionals ready to assist every client in all aspects of real estate.

What size is your company?
RECI is currently comprised of 15 full time commercial consultants supported by an Advertising & Marketing staff of 2.

What is your ideal client?
A business owner or investor who wishes to buy, sell, or lease commercial or industrial office space or an entire building, expand their business portfolio or buy/ sell land

What products and/or services does your business offer?
RECI provides services pertaining to all aspects of commercial (and industrial) real estate that include but not limited to sales, leasing, financing, relocation, consulting, expansion and acquisition. Our Web site, www.RECIUSA.com also provides world wide exposure to company information as well as every exclusive listing.

How did you originally discover the idea for your business?
Prior to founding RECI, I worked for CNA Insurance Company’s Chicago Loop office where I managed the company’s billion dollar real estate portfolio and acquisitions of all company-owned facilities on a national level while administering the marketing programs for sales and leasing of company-owned real estate for the CNA Real Estate Division across the US. It was there that we discovered a decided need for delivery of competent and energetic commercial real estate services.

What have been the keys to success in your eyes?
No deal is too small and every business owner and investor needs reliable, conscientious and knowledgeable professionals to help navigate and grow multi-level real estate portfolios as well as develop diverse and lucrative entrance and exit strategies into real estate

What kind of relationship do you establish with your customers?
We value every opportunity with a prospect or active client to establish and maintain a professional rapport that provides opportunity for exchange of ideas, to gain a sense for and follow through on whatever the needs of the client are or will evolve into, and most importantly, to use sound and effective real estate methods that insure the desired outcome and successful delivery of services to the best of our ability.

How do you maintain these relationships?
With a goal to help every client build wealth through their commercial real estate portfolios, we must use innovative and effective marketing strategies, skill in negotiations and conscientious, energetic delivery of services at each and every opportunity.

Have you noticed any trends in your industry at the moment?
I would cite market demands requiring more creative and energized efforts than ever before. We all need to re-evaluate every solution previously proposed.

What is your greatest achievement?
Achievement can best be measured by the people you attract and manage to surround yourself with. I would cite our staffs of brokers, agents and business professionals who work to support our vision and make it their own. I am very proud to know every member of our team.

Describe your business in five words or less.
Innovative, Effective, Skilled, Conscientious, Energetic