In June of 2024, the Black Alliance Network became the first affinity group to be officially chartered at Baird & Warner. Founded by Heidi Rogers, assistant manager and broker in the Oak Park office, the Black Alliance began as a means for Black agents within the company to connect with one another and offer mutual mentorship and guidance.
Heidi started by recruiting other top agents to support and mentor newcomers, and the group operated informally for several years before approaching the executive team at Baird & Warner to become a formal affinity group. Steve Baird and his executive team were in full support — thus, the blueprint for affinity groups in the company was then formed.
"There are so many Black agents in the company. We didn't know each other, and we felt that if we could have an organization where we could come together, we could share...
We have experienced many challenges throughout our 170+ year history, and we have always met them head-on with a spirit of innovation and a focus on ensuring our agents can keep doing what they do best.
So, when our longtime photography partner VHT Studios announced its abrupt closure, our team got to work on a solution, always with our agents' success at the forefront of every decision. Within nine days, we launched Image Services, the new photography division of Baird & Warner.
First, we hired a veteran team of top industry talent to help us build and launch Image Services from the ground up. Leading the team is Shannon Lange, a former VHT/Matterport sales and account manager and a licensed real estate agent of 20 years. Working alongside Shannon is Michael Johnson and George Tsakanias, two VHT/Matterport veterans. Together, they worked around the clock t...
We believe running your business on your terms doesn't mean you have to do it all alone. When you join Baird & Warner, you get a true partner in your business — your manager.
To us, true mentorship is about providing reliable, consistent support you can count on. From the start, they're invested in building a relationship with you, learning your goals, and helping you build a business plan to achieve them. And that guidance goes well beyond day-to-day business — ultimately, it's about helping you build the career and life you want, too.
And unlike other brokerages, our managers are in the office every day and accessible when you need them most to provide coaching a...
We talk a lot about the depth of our training and coaching opportunities and how it's essential to agent success, but what does that actually mean in practice? It means regularly providing opportunities to expand their knowledge and skillset so they can tackle what's impacting their businesses right now.

Recently, our top agents attended an event with speaker Terri Sjodin, a NYT bestselling author and nationally recognized sales expert. Stepping in as sales coach for the day, Terri went beyond the basics to provide a deeper understanding of what persuasive speaking really is...
Established in 1855, Baird & Warner is Chicagoland's largest independent and locally owned real estate company. However, our reach extends globally through our affiliation with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE). This partnership means our agents get instant access to referrals they can use and opportunities to develop relationships with agents and brokerages across the world. Being a LeadingRE company means we bring more to the table for our agents — here's how.
Investing in our agents and their future.
Both Baird & Warner and LeadingRE are committed to empowering agents with the tools and insights they need to deliver exceptional service and results for every client. Our agents are also supported by a global referral network, high-profile industry thought leaders, professional development programs, world...