jan-2018

176 177 “I feel like we’ve always been the little guy; like Steve Jobs in the ‘80s going against IBM,” says Matt Laricy, founder of the Matt Laricy Group, a division of Americorp Real Estate, in Chicago, Illinois.“We’re always David versus Goliath, but we’re constantly coming out above. If you look at the top agencies in Chicago,we’re the only one that’s not with a big affiliate, the only one.And every day, someone tells us we can’t succeed in a big city like ours with- out that backing; that we’ll fail at some point.And each and every year, not only do we prove themwrong, but we consis- tently grow.” “I’m a third-generation realtor,”Laricy continues.“My grand- father was in real estate; my father started the company; and I always knew as a little kid that I would get into real estate. When I graduated college in 2006, I was already licensed and started selling in South Chicago. I realized that the Southside market was not what I wanted to do, so I took the company downtown in 2008,which was one of the worst housing econ- omies that America had ever seen. I don’t have any money; I’m NO LONGER THE LITTLE GUY THE MATT LARICY GROUP AT A GLANCE THE MATT LARICY GROUP WHAT: A residential real estate firm WHERE: Chicago, Illinois WEBSITE: www.mattlaricygroup.com