"We bought and sold our first house with Matt and were immediately impressed by his knowledge of the market and building structures/standards and later by the fact that he never lost sight of our goals to ensure we achieved them! Matt is truly a seasoned professional in all aspects of real estate and that translated to great financial outcomes for us. His style and demeanor won us over and we will only use Matt for all future endeavors in Chicagoland! Matt certainly stands out in his industry and we feel lucky to have worked with him."

  -Roger Walsh - Home Health Care Entrepreneur, Client

"I have had the privilege of working with Matt Shrake on over 100 residential closings. Matt is the consummate professional who gets the job done in a timely manner and with a smile on his face. You will enjoy your experience with Matt as he is not just a great realtor, but a great Man."

  -Tom S. - Law Firm Founder/Managing Partner, Client

"Laura helped my fiancé and I find our first home. She was patient throughout the process and pointed out things that we would have never thought about. She was supportive of our choices and answered all of our hundreds of questions along the way! Thank you!! "

  -Angela Preston - Medical Ed. Program Specialist , Client

"Laura helped us get our townhouse. She was amazing! She made sure everything was clear to us, helped make sure things got fixed properly, and answered all of our questions. Absolutely could not have gotten through the home buying process without her!"

  -Samantha Smith, Client

"We worked with Laura to sell our home and had a wonderful experience! She was fantastic about helping us get our home on the market quickly, always fast to respond to us when needed, and very helpful throughout the entire process. We look forward to purchasing our next home with her!"

  -Kristin M - Elementary School Teacher, Client

"Laura is a dedicated communicative issue oriented professional even during pandemic did in home showings with the extra time to get to closing."

  -Charles Benish - C.F.O Seniorcare Homes , Client

"It was a pleasure working with Laura on my sisters recent purchase. She was able to help her find the PERFECT home in a tough Chicago market. Laura displayed a great ability to negotiate and has a high level of integrity reflecting the professional that she is. I look forward to working with Laura again!"

  -Anthony Buciferro - Director of Operations, Colleague

"Matt is beyond words. He was the most critical part of our successful Chicago home purchase, but he has continued to be a resource for our family during the past 12 months as we settled in. We relocated from California, and after a very poor experience with another Realtor, we connected with Matt. His market knowledge is tremendous, and more important for us -- he was a man of integrity, who brought us a calm and exceptionally balanced approach. He is immediately responsive, but never pushy; a strong negotiator, with measured counsel; full of insight on the home buying process, but able to help us stay focused on the big picture. He went above and beyond on countless small things - and we could never say enough good things about him. Thank you Matt for helping us make Chicago home!!"

  -Sarah Archibong - Talent Head at Kraft Heinz, Client

"I had a great experience working with Laura when selling my house. She was very knowledgeable of the neighborhood market, always available when needed and went above and beyond to make sure the house was properly represented. I look forward to continuing to work with her as I look for more investment properties."

  -Rich Jasiak - Digital Marketing Leader , Client

"Laura was AWESOME to work with. Being a first time home buyer, she set me up with a search that was very specific to the wants and needs I wanted in a condo. When I showed interest in one, she was very prompt to schedule meetings with the other realtors. When we went on the showing, she was very professional and asked all the right questions that I did not know at the time. When I finally picked a place, she assisted me through every little thing from the contract, inspection, loan officer, etc. Laura was present during the closing and just made me very comfortable through the entire process. I would definitely recommend Laura to anyone looking to buy a home whether you are a first time or not. I will be using her again. Thanks Laura! "

  -Dale Michonski - Account Manager Airgas, LLC, Client

"Matt Shrake is an awesome real estate agent. Listen to his advice and he will get results. I definitely recommend him to sell your property without hesitation. "

  -Jeff O - Teacher in Milwaukee, WI, Client

"Matt is who YOU would want to represent you when you're in the market for either buying or selling a home. He was professional, very knowledgeable, friendly and hardworking. Matt kept me informed throughout the entire process and was prompt with completing all the necessary documents required during my home purchase. Most importantly, he made himself available to answer questions and provide clarification anytime I reached out to him, no matter what day it was. I truly appreciate Matt's help, I highly recommend him!"

  -Andy McGuire - Owner of LaGondola Chicago Italian , Client

"We feel lucky to have worked with Laura on the recent purchase of our home in Wheaton. She is knowledgeable, friendly, flexible, patient, and simply amazing at what she does. She truly has her clients best interest at heart. After our first meeting with her, she instantly shared the same vision on the home we were looking for. Without a doubt, she delivered, and we couldn't be happier. We will forever be grateful for her time, advice, and expertise every step of the way."

  -The Mitchell Family, Client

"Matt Shrake is absolutely amazing. We had the pleasure of working with Matt for a condo purchase in 2016, and the sale of that same condo in 2018. He is honest, professional, funny, and smart. Matt helped us buy our first condo, and gave us lots of information that we didn't know to help make the whole process easy and as stress-free as possible. He is knowledgeable about the city and was great at negotiating on our behalf. When we had to relocate for work, we knew we wanted to sell our place with Matt, and we are so grateful that we did. He gave us honest advice about what we needed to do, and was more than accommodating as we moved across the country and dealt with all the other stresses that came with that. We essentially gave him our keys on the day of our flight and he took over from there. He was always there if we needed to reach him and made two potentially stressful experiences very easy. I would recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sell in Chicago and I can guarantee if"

  -Liz Rab - IT Content Planning & Production Manager, Client

"Matt Shrake is the BEST at what he does. His professionalism and tremendous work ethic set him apart from the competition. He truly cares for his clients and keeps them well informed, and he makes complex transactions seamless due to his extensive research and preparation. I highly recommend Matt for any of your Real Estate needs."

  -Alex A - Accounting Dept. Manager at Rush, Client

"Looking for a realtor, look no further, Laura Apostolopoulos is your person. As a first time home buyer, Laura walked my daughter through all the steps with ease. Beginning with pre-approval, emailing through a customized search for potential properties, to viewings, to comps, Laura was an extreme professional and a delight. Laura also recommended tradesman for quotes, a fabulous finance team and a detailed attorney. The process was seamless. Laura and the Shrake Real Estate Group are A No. 1 in my book. "

  -Angela Pindel - Mother of Buyer Client, Other

"I reached out to Laura when I became interested in purchasing an investment property. I let her know where I was with my budget and that I had a wide range of areas I was looking at. Within a day she set up personalized property alerts for multiple areas, property types and price ranges. We were off to the races to find just the right property. Laura showed me multiple places, pulled a number of house comparable for every offer I submitted, and guided me with professional advice until I found just the right property. True to her word, Laura took the time to make sure I had all the information I needed about a property - even suggesting ways I could increase rental income or improve resale value when the time came. Laura is very hard-working, responsive, and really looks out for the best interest of her clients. I had no idea how much actually went into purchasing an investment property and was very glad to have a professional like her in my corner."

  -Rich Jasiak - Digital Marketing Leader , Client

"Laura is awesome to work with. We started our suburban home search right before the start of the pandemic and Laura helped us navigate the new/weird world without skipping a beat. While we had narrowed our search down to the western suburbs we were all over the place in terms of which one we wanted to focus, and Laura was patient and super helpful! She is knowledgeable, responsive, and really understands what her clients are interested in (must haves vs nice to haves) and curates options based on that. While we really hope not to move for a LONG time I will reach back out to Laura immediately if we do!"

  -Sommer Myles - Dir. Media & Integrated Marketing, Client

"I recently worked with Matt Shrake on the other side of a transaction, a condo purchase for a client I represented. Matt was pleasure to work with. Thank you, Matt."

  -Nick F - RE/MAX Realtor, Colleague

"I’ve had the pleasure of working with Matt on multiple real estate transactions, both buying and selling. I met him based on the recommendation of a co-worker and he lived up to his reputation. His integrity and knowledge of the Chicago market notwithstanding, what really sets Matt apart is his insight into the nuances of a deal: saying and doing the right things to keep the buyer and seller moving towards closing. In this difficult environment, that expertise proved invaluable. I would recommend Matt’s work as a realtor to anyone looking to buy or sell in Chicago. -John Miller - FP&A Program Manager at University of Notre Dame "

  -Buyer & Seller, Client

"Matt is beyond words. He was the most critical part of our successful Chicago home purchase, but he has continued to be a resource for our family during the past 12 months as we settled in. We relocated from California, and after a very poor experience with another Realtor, we connected with Matt. His market knowledge is tremendous, and more important for us -- he was a man of integrity, who brought us a calm and exceptionally balanced approach. He is immediately responsive, but never pushy; a strong negotiator, with measured counsel; full of insight on the home buying process, but able to help us stay focused on the big picture. He went above and beyond on countless small things - and we could never say enough good things about him. Thank you Matt for helping us make Chicago home!!"

  -Sarah P - Human Resource Executive, Client

"We worked with Matt Shrake during the purchase of our first home not too long ago, and the entire experience was fantastic. To say Matt was patient with us would be the understatement of the century. Through months of looking, countless MLS searches, and probably 50+ showings, Matt kept our spirits up as we looked for the perfect house. His intricate knowledge of the Chicago neighborhoods, unit types, and pricing tiers made our first home buying experience as smooth as one possibly can be. Matt is truly dedicated to helping his clients find a home that is perfect for them, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to any friend or family member."

  - Colin J - AdTech Marketing Manager, Client

"Laura is an amazing agent she generated great interest in our listing and sold our home very quickly for the price we wanted. She went above and beyond to make sure we got a fair price and was available for all showings so that she could point out the value of our home. If you're looking for results call Laura."

  -Maureen Butcher, Client

"Laura was incredible for me from start to finish. She was accommodating to all my needs. She never rushed me into purchasing, or accepting counter offers. Every time I had a question, I would receive a response quicker than a hiccup. Some examples of questions were regarding HOAs, concerns regarding my home inspections (one she recommended), questions for my attorney (whom she also recommended and he did a superb job for me as well!) and taxes. I enjoyed how Laura broke things down to me during our time together. Never did she belittle me or try to talk down to me. I want to reiterate just how great she was with time efficiency. She never pushed me into anything, but if I ever had a question or concern, she would be on top of it! If you are looking for an agent who will go above and beyond, look no farther!"

  -Mike Jasiak , Client

"Matt Shrake is exactly the type of realtor you want in your corner. He knows when to hang back and let you talk through your thoughts, but he also knows when to jump in and express his opinion. He is extremely enjoyable to work with and to be around. Highly recommended."

  -Ross K - Information Technology Executive, Client

"The best realtor! Laura made selling for us so easy...she was always on top of everything and our house sold and closed with great timing! If you want the best realtor, who is very efficient, call Laura! "

  -Gary and Donna Knops, Client

"Matt was fun, informative, and VERY PATIENT as we navigated my way to buying my first home. He always had great advice and would give me an honest opinion when I needed it. He made a very stressful process easier to deal with. Seven years later, I still love my home and wouldn’t change a thing."

  -Kelly Heath - HS Teacher, Client

"I had pre-approved my client for a home who was not happy with their first agent. As soon as Laura took over, she worked diligently and non-stop to ensure to find our Client a home. She was always available when needed and also always around when our client needed to see a home. During my mortgage process, Laura was always on top of things ensuring to get answers from the sellers side and would fight for her buyers. Most importantly, she is very understanding, very professional, and we ended up getting our mutual client to the closing table with no issues or problems. Whenever someone is in need of a real estate agent, I will always recommend Laura as one of the hardest working agents I know. Thank you Laura for being so great! "

  -Chuck Bono - Senior V.P Of Mortgage Lending , Colleague

"I had the pleasure of working with Laura on a mutual closing for our clients. She was very professional, responsive, and a pleasure to work with. Would do it again if given the opportunity."

  -Rebecca Sayad - Fellow Realtor at IREP, Colleague

"We bought our first home with Matt Shrake and he was exceedingly patient and knowledgeable. As first time home buyers, we appreciated Matt's block-to-block knowledge of the city and his professional manner in dealing with other agents. Since then we have listed one home with him and purchased another. His experience and knowledge of the city is second to none. "

  - Michael W - Law Firm Founder/Managing Partner, Client

"From the beginning, Laura was great. She is always very positive and helpful, doing whatever she can to make the process efficient and easy. She will go out of her way to help. I always felt comfortable and like she listened and had my best interest in mind. I highly recommend Laura and her team!"

  -Jessica Sokolowski - Sr. Art Producer , Client

"I met Laura through a business transaction as I was the lender and she was the Realtor. Laura was on top of her A game. She was in constant communication with all sides of the transaction making sure the buy process was smooth for the clients. I really enjoyed working with Laura and if I need a Realtor Laura would be one of my top recommendations."

  -Mike Chamberlin - Mortgage Broker, Colleague