Baird and Warner Review: Pros, Cons, & How It Works

Baird and Warner is one of the best-known traditional real estate brokerages in the Chicagoland area, with nearly 3,000 agents, loan officers, and staff across more than 30 offices. With a history dating back to 1855, it’s a well-established family brokerage that has a reputation for experienced agents with local expertise.

As with many traditional brokerages, you’ll likely have to pay the standard commission rate of 2.5–3%. This is up to twice as much as what some other high-quality agents charge.

On a $500,000 home sale, a 3% commission would set you back $15,000. But if you use a low-commission realtor who charges 1.5%, you’d pay just $7,500.

If you want to save money when you sell, Clever Real Estate can help. Clever's top local agents come from established brokerages and provide the same full-service support you’d expect from traditional realtors. The difference is that with a listing fee of just 1.5%, sellers save an average of $7,000. Find top-rated agents who can sell your home for half the traditional commission rate.

Baird and Warner overview

• 🧭
  How it works: Agents provide traditional full service to home buyers and sellers
• 💵
  Commission rate: Standard 2.5–3% of the home sale price per agent
• ⭐
  Customer rating: 4.9/5 across 2,166 reviews
• 📍
  Locations: Chicago, Northeastern Illinois, Southeastern Wisconsin, and Florida
• ✅
  Benefits: Well-established company, highly experienced agents with local market knowledge
• ⚠️
  Downsides: No discounted commission rates

Services

Baird & Warner’s agents are traditional realtors who provide full-service support.

If you’re selling a home, you can expect a comprehensive range of services, usually including:

• A comparative market analysis (CMA) to help price your home
• Property listing on the multiple listing service (MLS) and major real estate websites
• Professional photography
• Home staging assistance
• Home showings and open houses
• Negotiating with potential buyers
• Assistance with closing paperwork

If you’re buying a home, Baird and Warner’s buying agents will typically provide the following services:

• Identifying properties that fit your needs and budget
• Scheduling and attending property showings
• Notifying you when new properties matching your criteria become available
• Assisting you with making a competitive offer
• Negotiating purchase agreements and contingencies
• Assisting with home inspections
• Coordinating with lenders, attorneys, and other real estate professionals
• Assisting with closing, including with title and paperwork

Baird and Warner provides additional features beyond their traditional brokerage service. For example, buyers can text “BW” to 59559 to receive updates about nearby homes for sale.

Baird & Warner also offers mortgage services through Key Mortgage Services, Inc., and title insurance through Baird & Warner Title Services. You’re not obligated to use these additional services, and you should shop around to make sure you’re getting the best deal. However, keeping all of your real estate needs under one roof can be convenient.

Commission rate

Realtors from traditional brokerages like Baird and Warner typically charge average commission rates of 2.5–3%. Nationwide, the average listing fee is 2.82%, and the average buyer’s agent fee is 2.75%.

Recently, there have been significant industry-wide real estate commission changes. Prior to August 2024, sellers set the buyer’s agent commission rate and advertised it in MLS listings. Now, buyers need to negotiate realtor commission directly with their agent, and sellers can no longer advertise buyer fees in the MLS. However, most sellers are still covering the buyer’s agent commission — now via a concession at closing instead of upfront.

When using a traditional brokerage like Baird and Warner, you’re technically always free to negotiate realtor commission. However, in practice, getting a significant discount is challenging. Agents from traditional brokerages often have little incentive to lower their rates.

If you want to pay less while still getting full service, consider an alternative like Clever Real Estate. With Clever, you’ll still work with a top-rated local agent, but with a pre-negotiated listing fee of 1.5% instead of 3%. You’ll get the same comprehensive support, and keep thousands more in your pocket.

Agent quality

Baird and Warner has a robust agent training and support program, which includes one-on-one guidance from managing brokers, specialized training for agents at every experience level, and innovative technology tools. This helps ensure its agents are knowledgeable, skilled, and well-prepared to guide you through transactions.

The brokerage is one of the largest and oldest in the Chicagoland area, with over 30 offices and around 3,000 agents, loan officers, and support staff.[1]

The combination of Baird and Warner’s comprehensive agent training and deep Chicago roots may translate to higher-quality services. Agents who are well-trained and local market experts can price homes accurately, negotiate skillfully, and spot opportunities or red flags that others might miss.

You can find a real estate agent by visiting Baird and Warner’s website, where you can filter agents by office, city, zip code, or languages spoken.

When looking for a realtor, the quality of the individual agent matters more than the brand they work for. Interview at least 2–3 agents to find the right fit. Look for local market expertise, a track record with properties similar to yours, clear strategies for your transaction, and high ratings from clients.

Baird and Warner reviews from customers

Baird and Warner reviews are largely positive, with a rating of 4.9 out of 5 from over 2,000 reviews on Yelp and Zillow. Customers regularly praise agents for their knowledge of the Chicago market and their responsive and attentive service.

While negative reviews are rare, there were some customers who were unhappy with the service they received. Agent quality varies somewhat across offices, which is common for most large brokerages and reinforces our advice to interview multiple agents.

Here’s what buyers and sellers had to say about working with Baird and Warner.

✅ Knowledgeable local realtors

Many clients praised Baird and Warner agents for their deep knowledge of the Northeastern Illinois real estate market, which often helped give those clients an advantage in competitive areas. As a family-run brokerage that has served Chicago since 1855, this local expertise is one of the defining features of the company.

✅ Excellent communication

The responsiveness of agents was highlighted in multiple Baird and Warner reviews. Customers frequently said that Baird and Warner listings and buyer’s agents were quick to respond to messages and calls and were available when needed.

✅ Comprehensive support throughout

As a full-service brokerage, Baird and Warner provides comprehensive support at every stage of the real estate transaction, as several reviews mentioned. The brokerage also offers in-house mortgage and title services, which many clients appreciated.

⚠️ Inconsistent agent quality

Baird and Warner is a large brokerage with around 3,000 realtors, loan officers, and support staff. Not all agents are of the same calibre, and some reviews complained about pushy or rude agents.

Credibility: Is Baird and Warner Real Estate legit?

Baird & Warner is a legitimate company and one of the most recognized brands in the Chicagoland real estate market. All of its realtors are licensed, and it has won multiple awards from the Chicago Tribune for being one of Chicago’s Top Workplaces.

After acquiring brokerage Dream Town in 2025, it solidified its position as the largest independent real estate brokerage in the Chicago area. It remains family-owned and is currently headed by Steve Baird.

Bottom line: Is Baird and Warner right for you?

Baird and Warner is a good option if you’re looking to buy or sell a property in the Chicago area. As the largest independent brokerage in Chicagoland, it has considerable expertise in the Northeastern Illinois housing market. It also provides excellent training for its agents, who routinely offer exceptional service to clients.

The brokerage has a good reputation, but it’s large, so agent quality can vary. It's wise to compare agents to find the one that best meets your needs.

When comparing realtors, consider low-commission agents that deliver comprehensive services for less.

For example, Clever Real Estate can connect you with top local realtors who provide the same services you’d expect from traditional agents. The only difference is that you'll get a low 1.5% listing fee — half the standard 3%. As a result, sellers save $7,000 on average without sacrificing quality.

FAQ

Related reading