For Berry McCracken, real estate is both a profession and a passion.

McCracken is a full-time real estate broker with Coldwell Banker, 501 N. Kinzie Ave. (Bradley Blvd.), Bradley. McCracken has been in real estate since 1986. He can be reached at 815-954-7761 or at berry.mccracken@cbexchange.com.

He got started in 1986. He grew up in Kankakee, graduating from Westview High School. He participated in individually-oriented sports, such as wrestling, cross country and tennis. Then he went on Illinois Wesleyan University.

After college graduation, his dad asked him to help the firm in real estate. John McCracken was one of the best-known names in local real estate. His slogan, “Start Packin’ Call McCracken’” was one of the better local advertising catchphrases of the day. Berry’s parents are John and Nila.

At first, when dad retired, Berry was a little reluctant to use the slogan. He embraces it now and repeats it in his literature. His father’s office merged with another real estate firm.

As befits someone of long, real estate experience, McCracken today combines both old school experience and modern technology. He understands someone who still wants the paper literature in their hands and someone who knows that the Internet is important, too.

Berry has been with Coldwell Banker for a dozen years now. He says that their concierge services are top drawer for both the clients and for the agents.

“Coldwell Banker is the best value,” he said.

When it goes well for the seller, it goes well for the agents, McCracken said. And when the agents do well, Coldwell Banker prospers, too.

The firm includes professional photography, targeted online advertising, a single-property website, YouTube advertising, an electronic property tour, a silver envelope home announcement and both paper and mobile brochures, among other services.

McCracken said his success comes mainly from working hard.

“Being honest and straightforward also helps out a lot,” he said.

In his career, he estimates, he has handled 1,800 homes, listing or selling or both. In recent years, he said, he has sold an average of 60 to 100 houses.

He mostly focuses on residential home sales, but also will handle some light commercial. He gets opportunities to do such, he explains, when someone is both selling their business or retiring and downsizing their home at the same time.

McCracken is a certified GRI, a Graduate Realtor’s Institute , and SRES, Senior Real Estate Specialist.

One of his niches in the market, then, is the senior. That may be a person who is selling a larger home and moving into a smaller one. It could be a person moving into assisted living. McCracken also gets estate sales, sometimes being referred by attorneys and by financial advisors. There are also instances where some seniors step up to that larger home that they always wanted.

Right now, one of the trends that McCracken sees is the migration from up north to Kankakee County. People are heading here to save on taxes. But if you are doing that, he advises, it is best to deal with a Realtor from Kankakee County who knows the local market. He doesn’t understand, he said, why people would work with someone who is outside the market.

He remembers a busy week where he had three closings. One involved an out-of-town Realtor and there were simply far fewer people at the closing. There was no talk of the neighborhood or the history of the community that McCracken was used to.

The “small world” stories, he said, help make the profession interesting and fun.

When McCracken writes his remarks for a new listing, he goes into more detail. He gets into the home’s location. Are there parks? Are their walking trails? Is there a boat ramp? He helps to sell the benefits of the neighborhood.

And, for a very similar reason, he said to work with a Realtor rather than trying to sell a home yourself. A Realtor will put more money in your pocket. Too many people think solely of the Realtor’s commission. That is not the only cost. Closing costs, advertising costs and transfer taxes can vary by community and by the lender.

While he is not an interior designer, his long experience can help you stage your home properly for a sale. Just moving furniture around can be a plus. Not every home improvement, too, will pay off at sales time. Your metal roof may simply not fit in with the neighborhood.

Potential buyers should get preapproved before looking. Kankakee County, he says, has lots of good local lenders. People may be enticed to use larger out-of-market banks. But again, McCracken says, a low rate may not be everything. Be aware of closing costs.

McCracken is big on using local businesses. When that happens, the money rolls back in the community and keeps and builds jobs here.

Overall, he emphasizes, real estate remains a good investment. Homeowners simply wind up with much greater net wealth and long-term renters. If you look at it from a long-term perspective, owning is a wise thing to do. The short-term could be more uncertain, though. McCracken cites the COVID years, when real estate values shot through the roof as folks chose to invest in their homes.

As part of his full-service effort, McCracken has negotiated discounts with local contractors in flooring, painting and window blinds, if those services are needed. “This and this,” he said, could amount to a savings of $10,000 or more on needed repairs.

McCracken sits on the planning board for the city of Kankakee. He has been married to wife, Joanne, for 26 years. They have a blended family of three children and four children. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with the family and throwing the ball around with the grandchildren.

He also has a starter pack of boxes, if needed, a literal aid to “Start Packin’ Call McCracken.”