"Finding the best real estate professionals in any local area isn't easy," according to Joe Zekas, one of the founders of Chicago Real Estate Experts, a novel social networking site. "There are simply too many people making too many inflated claims. Home buyers and sellers don't have the time or the experience to sift through them and find the best. We do."

"We have a simple goal," says Zekas. "That goal is to connect home buyers and sellers with only highly-qualified local real estate experts – agents, appraisers, attorneys, custom builders, home inspectors and mortgage finance professionals."

Zekas' firm, Data Based Ads, has more than 20 years experience working with real estate professionals through a variety of real estate publications. Data Based Ads also provides sophisticated ad management services to major real estate brokers and media companies in the Chicago area and throughout the United States. Zekas himself has direct experience in hiring (and firing) real estate professionals from his 13 years as a large law firm attorney, real estate investor and developer.

Building a knowledge-sharing community

"People don't begin the home buying or selling process by looking for real estate agents," Zekas contends. "They want to learn as much as possible about their options, and they want to learn from each other as well as from real estate professionals. We've developed a community focused on sharing knowledge."

The Chicago Real Estate Experts site offers blogs, photos, video, public and private groups and discussion forums, local events calendars, news from a variety of sources, activity feeds, and online real-time chat among its many features.

Membership in the site is open to everyone but, according to Zekas, "only a limited number of dues-paying professionals who meet our criteria are allowed to hold themselves out as local real estate experts. We require that they develop relationships with consumers by demonstrating and sharing their expertise rather than by directly soliciting them."

Who qualifies as a real estate expert?

"Look around the Web," says Zekas, "and you'll find thousands of self-proclaimed experts. Many of them have no experience and little knowledge of local markets. We've developed objective criteria for who qualifies as a real estate expert – and also take some subjective factors into account. And, since many of the best professionals are new to social networking sites, our staff will train and coach them in navigating that environment. Experts will receive additional training as members of the Real Estate Experts Club."

The objective criteria for real estate agents include:

• Minimum 5 years full-time real estate experience
• Has held valid Illinois real estate license for at least 5 years
• Has no record of state disciplinary actions or Realtor board ethical violations
• Has directly represented the buyer or seller in at least 50 closed transactions
• At least 20 of those transactions must be within the geographic area for which the person is applying to qualify as an expert
• License sponsored by a reputable real estate firm
• A demonstrated commitment to professional improvement
• Active membership in local MLS and National Association of Realtors

Additional information is available at this site.

Charter members selected

The Real Estate Experts program will eventually comprise seven networks throughout the greater Chicago area. the North Shore Real Estate Experts site is also launching this week and other networks will launch by year's end.

"I'm very pleased to welcome as charter members," said Zekas, "two real estate agents I've known for some time and know well: Lino Darchun and Linda Martin."

Lino Darchun is a Lincoln Park expert who has lived in the community for more than 40 years. He's been a business owner, past president of the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce, and a real estate agent for several decades, representing buyers and sellers in hundreds of transactions.

Linda Martin, a Winnetka resident and expert, has nearly three decades of experience involving nearly 500 transactions on the North Shore.

Darchun is affiliated with Coldwell Banker's Lincoln Park office and Martin with Coldwell Banker's Winnetka north office.

Chicago Tribune, exclusive media sponsor

The Chicago Tribune has agreed to become the exclusive media sponsor of the real estate expert networks, and will be providing print and online promotional support for the program. The Chicago Tribune has long been the leading provider of print and online real estate news, information and advertising services in the Chicago metropolitan area.