Team Wendt of Compass

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Team Wendt of Compass

Be Realty Group is committed to developing lifelong relationships rooted in exceptional service. This means letting someone go through their learning process.

Leading clients, brokers, and colleagues to confidently be where they want to be: physically, financially, and emotionally through the development of lifelong relationships rooted in exceptional service. 🏡 Trust takes time and we are willing to take that time. In order to support our clients’ diverse real estate needs, and to provide opportunities for the highest caliber real estate talent, we hav

e developed complementary and comprehensive lines of service. We have teams dedicated to real estate brokerage services for both residential and commercial transactions. Our property management division delivers excellent results and ongoing advisory services for investors. And our global team is positioned to support real estate transactions across international borders. Every division and every team member is focused on exceptional service and ongoing stewardship of each project that supports our client’s real estate goals. Our History:
Andrew Wendt and Ian Carswell founded Be Realty in 2012. Their roots in real estate had been developing many years prior as Ian first invested in real estate in 2004, and Andrew’s career in real estate brokerage began in 2006. The two met in 2009 as career-focused and entrepreneurially inclined participants in the Young Professionals of Evanston. Both served terms as president for that organization, and they bonded over the shared experience. Ian’s career focus was on technology, innovation, and professional services. Andrew’s focus was on honing expertise in real estate brokerage. After working with Andrew as broker in the purchase of a small multifamily, Ian suggested they develop a partnership—combining their talent sets to form a group prepared to creatively respond to the changing real estate industry. This led to the launch of Be Realty in 2012. Initially limited to residential real estate brokerage, Be Realty Group now comprises four divisions including residential, property management, commercial and global real estate. Be Realty’s community of clients includes investors, landlords, residential buyers and sellers, renters, commercial clients, global inbound and outbound clients, and clients of specialty advisory services such as the Cannabis industry. Together this team of talented professionals assures that their collective vision: Leading clients, brokers, and colleagues to confidently be where they want to be: physically, financially, and emotionally through the development of lifelong relationships rooted in exceptional service. Our Management:
Be Realty Group is led by a management team that brings both deep real estate expertise as well as perspective, business acumen, and track records of success from a diverse set of prior industries. Andrew Wendt, Founder and President of Be Realty Group, guides direction and growth with his 15+ years of expertise in the real estate industry. Andrew has served as lead broker on residential and commercial transactions, including over $100MM in real estate sales. In developing our property management division, he successfully leveraged his prior experience in development and construction. This diverse and comprehensive set of real estate experiences serve Be Realty Group well. Andrew leverages his emotional acuity and communication skills to bring the most out of the organization and guide toward opportunity. Ian Carswell, Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Be Realty Group, brings 20 years of real estate investment experience, and 10 years of real estate brokerage experience. Mr. Carswell previously served as Executive Vice President for Cardinal Intellectual Property, where he led business development, application development, and back-office services. He is also a named inventor of over a dozen technology and business method patents. Joe Sutton, Principal and Chief Financial Officer, brings 10 years of real estate brokerage experience. Formerly CFO of Morningstar, Inc, in that role he oversaw growth from 24 to more than 600 employees. Joe has also served as a small business consultant and advisor for the past 20 years. Mikus Kins, Principal and Managing Director of Be Realty Commercial, is a capital markets veteran with over 18 years of experience in both domestic and international financial markets. Now with 8 years of commercial real estate brokerage experience, Mikus continues to work closely with banks, developers, institutional, and high net worth investors. Lynn Wendt, Principal and Designated Managing Broker for Be Realty Residential, believes that superior customer service, trust and respect are the best ways to build long-lasting relationships with clients, industry colleagues and business partners. Lynn joined Be in 2013 after a 30-year career as an Information Technology (IT) project manager for fortune 500 companies. Karen Sandvoss, Director of Be Realty Management, oversees the all aspects of the property management division. Karen brings decades of experience in operations and finance. Prior to joining Be, Karen served as finance coordinator at Medithrive, one of the oldest cannabis dispensaries in San Francisco.

05/11/2026

I found my way back to the yoga mat after many years of procrastination. After a year of searching online for the right studio, I decided to try the studio closest to me. It is awesome! Oracle and Alchemy. Three blocks away on Belmont. It feels great to support another small business in Avondale.

When I was a teenager my good buddy, Steve, had a mixed tape called “Thump”. It had many base heavy numbers, but not all hard rock or rap. One of my favorites was “Come Undone” by Duran Duran. And honestly, I completely forgot that song and another on the same album “Ordinary World” even existed.

Those that know me will attest to the fact that I love music and listen to it most of my waking hours, so it’s odd that I would not have heard those two songs played on the radio or at a party or through Spotify and perhaps I have, but when it played through the speakers in the one room, brightly lit, witch craft themed yoga studio the other day I instantly started singing and broke out in goosebumps.

This real estate market has a similar feel. It is tough to navigate for both buyers and sellers as well as for real estate brokers. Having been in the business for 20 years now, I have been here before. It is just an ordinary world, so reach out to me if you don’t want to come undone.

04/02/2026

My family and I recently took a quick trip to New York City. We’re lucky enough to have a place to stay in the West Village whenever we visit, and this being our second trip in 18 months, we’ve started to develop a real rhythm with our favorite local spots.

The legendary Village Vanguard is always a highlight. I caught the 10:00 PM set from the back corner of the bar—a perfect vantage point perpendicular to the stage. While I initially had to tune out the clatter of the server station in front of me, I walked away with a new appreciation for the club's operations.

In my younger years, I used to get frustrated when servers at jazz clubs seemed to vanish the moment my glass was empty.

From my seat at the bar, I finally saw the method to the madness:

The Sprints: The staff rushes to fill every order just as the set begins.

The Pause: Once the music starts, the floor clears to minimize distractions.

I realized that the servers weren't being neglectful; they were intentionally stepping back to let the band take center stage.

As someone there strictly for the music, I appreciated the serenity that followed—it was a comfort to know I hadn't been imagining that disappearing act all those years ago.

03/24/2026

Full disclosure: this is all AI. I did not feel very creative today. And I am solo parenting this week. And I frankly wanted to see how Facebook responds to this type of post. I have noticed that, as you would expect, personal posts with personal pictures get more traction. Let's see how this post performs.

Today’s data (March 24, 2026) shows a tale of two markets. Nationally, inventory is recovering. In Chicago? It’s shrinking.

While the rest of the country sees a 7.9% bump in available homes, Chicago listings are down 14.9% year-over-year. Why? Because the "Golden Handcuffs" are real. Even with rates dipping to the low 6% range today, homeowners sitting on 3% mortgages are staying put, creating a supply vacuum.

The result: Homes are moving in 38 days (vs. 70 days nationally).

Bidding wars are the "new normal" for move-in-ready properties.
Sellers who do list are seeing massive leverage.

The Takeaway: If you’re a buyer, speed is your only currency. If you’re a seller, you aren't just selling a house; you're selling a rare commodity.

03/20/2026

While I don't often post about real estate I am selling or deals I worked on, you have to do so every once in a while to let your audience know you actually do sell real estate. ;-).

Two incredible units. Roughly the same price $550k. I will be at the open houses on Saturday and my colleague, Natalia, will be there on Sunday. Stop by if you are interested or have a client that is interested or merely want to say hello!

03/17/2026

Few things rival the bond of close cousins. They are the keepers of shared history, the masters of inside jokes, and often, confidants who understand you better than anyone else. As lifelong cheerleaders and mentors, they offer wisdom from having "been there" first.

Last weekend, my cousins and their families visited, and we had a blast. Between deep conversations about family and the world, we found constant humor in a three-generation group text I recently launched. I set specific rules to keep us connected:

“This group is only to be used to share the following: birth notices, death notices, relationship status changes, major personal milestones, holiday well wishes, but most of all for the sharing of pictures from when some of us are together so it feels like all of us are together.”

For the whole weekend, I became the "gatekeeper." I was the punchline of every joke as people second-guessed their texts, terrified of violating the rules. It made for a hilarious, memorable time in our home and my sister and brother-in-law’s home.

Reflecting on it all, the foundation Steph and I share with Dave and Dan was built decades ago in Glenview, Itasca, and Barrington. Now, watching Axel, Lenny, and Frida, I can see those same good vibes starting to take root for the next generation.

Do you and/or your cousins need a place to hang? Happy to help!

03/03/2026

My niece turned two this past weekend. We all gathered for a lovely time at my parents’ and her grandparents’ house. She is a spunky, bright, talkative, healthy and loving human who we are fortunate to have in our lives.

She had a scary complication within her first few weeks of life as her small intestine was kinked. At her party I took a minute to reflect on how important your community is to not only your sense of place and security, but also the physical community and proximity to health care services as they can play an outsized importance in your life when you least expect it.

I wrote about this same sentiment a few years ago when my youngest had a health scare, but I want to be clear that it is not just health care providers who form your “village”.

It is teachers and sports coaches and personal trainers and entertainment venue owners. It is your barista and your sandwich shop artist. It is your wine shop owner, your trash collector, and your mailman.

Are you ready for me to help you find your next village?

I'm Andy Wendt. I'm not looking for every transaction. I'm here to help you. When I earn your trust, I hope you'll send your friends, family, and coworkers my way. Contact me to join the many who can proudly say, We went with Wendt.

02/23/2026

I pride myself on being kind and polite. I am not perfect, but "kill them with kindness" is absolutely how I live my life. Whatever your "thing" is, we are not automatons and need to spice our lives up a bit. So, I used to allow myself a bit of contained, windows-closed, relatively innocuous road rage from time to time. Call it a cathartic release that I felt did not harm anyone.

This weekend, Laura and I attended the annual fundraiser for Alphonsus Academy and Center for the Arts (AACA), where my son Axel attends and where Lenny will attend next year. We had a nice time getting all decked out in our finery and having some laughs with old and new friends. To say we are pleased with our new community would be an understatement.

The school is located in Lakeview near Wellington, Lincoln, and Southport. It occurred to me the other day that I need to end my practice of occasional, contained road rage. Whereas before I had the mentality that we live in a big city where—if I shook my fist or honked at someone—I most likely would not know them or ever see them again, that has changed. Driving around Lakeview far more often for my children and their various activities, the chances of being slightly perturbed by the decision of a driver who happens to be someone from the AACA community are greater than zero. Therefore, I cannot take the risk of alienating myself from a fellow parent.

Perhaps I should have curtailed this behavior even before the stakes were higher, but thinking about being a good neighbor struck a chord with me. These communities we are all a part of are so important to our mental and social well-being; we need to always be kind to one another and treat each other thoughtfully. Laura and I think everyone we have met from AACA does just that.

What old practice of yours have you tried to amend or eradicate? How are you going to be the best neighbor you can be this year? Or are you looking for a new community to harass—I mean, ingratiate yourself to? Let me know if you need any help with that so you can be one of the many who can say, “We went with Wendt.”

02/17/2026

Growth is oftentimes physical and mental, as well as obvious and subtle.

Axel and Lennon took huge leaps this weekend. They both found another swimming gear. Axel took a step toward self-reliance when he asked the attendant for our towels and helped get us set up with chairs on the beach. And Lennon was very outgoing with Gramps’s best friend, Bruce, whom she had not known at all before they met at breakfast.

Enough about my kids, though, as this is a story about the confluence of business and everyday life, as are many of my posts. While the progress of little kids can be apparent, as adults we need to dig deeper to see something tangible.

The personal and professional progress from this long weekend of relaxation—before the real estate buying and selling season kicks off in full swing—came in two ways. This winter, I set out to improve my golf swing through dedicated practice. And the results, while still nascent, were there. Prior to this winter’s effort, my ball flight on most shots was more or less an uncontrolled slice. I had learned over the years to adjust my swing to compensate for the flight path, but that led to unpredictable results. I am happy to report that I am on my way toward more predictability.

If it’s not obvious, take this as a metaphor for anything you hope to improve that may feel a little out of control at the moment. For me, I still need to continue methodically developing the way I generate new business from my existing clients and the people in my sphere. As the owner of a small business and brokerage that requires my time and energy, my pipeline-filling efforts have been erratic. Time to hit the driving range and work on a shot shape that is easier to reproduce, which will lead to a more expected outcome.

The second bit of progress in my business that developed out of this quick getaway came in the form of a better understanding of the tools at my disposal through Compass. I utilized the in-house team that assists brokers with their listing paperwork on two new listings and was extremely satisfied with the help provided to me. It gave me the confidence of knowing that my efforts progressed for my clients even while I was taking a bit of time to recharge.

All in all, it was a very successful trip, as you can tell from all of the happy smiles!

02/02/2026

My grandfather (Grandpa Fritz) was a carpenter, and my dad (Gramps) spent summers working with him, learning how to build things from scratch. That love of working with his hands has carried on. My kids now spend time with Gramps in his workshop, building birdhouses, small wooden boxes, and toy cribs for baby dolls. I hope they continue to enjoy working with their hands, even though I tend to tell these kinds of stories through writing and other creative outlets.

I have very fond memories of working with Grandpa Fritz, my dad, and my sister to build a deck and a shed—projects you can see in the pictures attached. There’s something deeply satisfying about starting with raw materials and ending with something real, useful, and lasting.

Recently, my dad helped me (and Axel and Lennon) put together their new bunk bed. While it wasn’t a deck built from lumber, the project still had a clear beginning, middle, and end—and a payoff when it was done. My mom even snapped some fun parallel photos of Axel and Lennon in the room, tools in hand.

As a society, we tend to romanticize outdoor construction projects and dismiss furniture assembly, but process is process, and memory is memory. I hope my kids look back at these pictures of building a bed with Gramps and their dad and feel the same affection I feel when I look at the deck-building photos.

I know I’ll always remember putting together a “big kids” bed with my dad and my children.

01/26/2026

They say that authors should write what they know. And while I did not have a virus taking me out the second week of the year followed by food poisoning taking me out the third on my 2026 bingo card, that’s what happened. While this minor setback certainly could be viewed as a tough way to start the year, I am choosing to view it as a necessary, albeit, uncomfortable bit of rest. Many thanks to Laura for holding down the fort while I recovered. And many thanks to her for introducing the Wood Snake to Fire Horse transition in the Lunar Calendar.

Since life had plans for me other than to use the arbitrary turn of the calendar as a means to focus on the success of the year ahead, I might as well take the next opportunity. From ChatGPT:

In the lunar cycle, the transition from the Wood Snake to the Fire Horse marks a sharp shift in energy and momentum. Wood Snake years emphasize strategy, patience, and behind-the-scenes planning—growth that is deliberate and calculated. Fire Horse, by contrast, represents speed, visibility, and decisive action, favoring bold moves, innovation, and leadership over caution. For businesses, this transition symbolically reflects a move from careful positioning to ex*****on and acceleration, where success is more likely to reward those willing to act quickly, take calculated risks, and lead from the front.

More simply, until February 16th you still have time to shed your skin so to speak then get ready to run like a horse on fire! Let’s ride!

https://bit.ly/49JsgBi

01/19/2026

The last time the Bears won the Superbowl, I was Axel’s age. 5 and a half. A time in life where tiny humans start to form core memories. I can picture and feel the environment and the joy of watching the game with my immediate family, cousins, aunt, uncle, and grandparents.

Sports at their best are memory, they are community, they are shared experiences across generations, and they are feelings.

Big moments happen in kitchens and living rooms and basement theaters surrounded by friends and family. If this Bears run has you thinking about finding a new home at which to gather with loved ones for events, please reach out to me.

My goal is to treat your transaction and our relationship in such a way that leaves you feeling as peaceful as a core mem from 1986!

Axel watched the whole game from my lap and a lot with his head on my chest. It was the first time we've let him stay up to watch a whole night game. When they scored to tie it up, he made note of my heart pounding because he could feel it beating as he hugged me. He told me he was "very nervous" during overtime. My new favorite Bears game ever in spite of the loss.

Address

2044 W Roscoe Street
Chicago, IL
60618

Telephone

+17732343363

Website

http://compass.com/agents/andy-wendt

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