Essam Elsafy, founder of The Elsafy Team, has quietly become one of Wisconsin’s most successful real estate leaders, guiding his team to top statewide rankings.
The Whitefish Bay–based group, now nine members strong, ranked No. 3 among Wisconsin medium-sized teams by sales volume in 2024, according to RealTrends Verified.
So far this year, the team has closed 126 units totaling $80 million and recently joined Keller Williams MKE, one of the region’s largest brokerages.
For Elsafy, his real estate journey began not behind a desk but through property ownership.
“I owned a duplex and then, before I knew it, I owned seven duplexes,” he said. ‘Then I thought, ‘This real estate thing is kind of fun. I like properties. Why don’t I just be a Realtor?”
He earned his license in 1998, but early years were challenging.
“In my first three years, I was a colossal flop, because while being a Realtor does involve properties, it has very little to do with the properties and everything to do with the people,” Elsafy said. “And it took me a long time to figure that out.”
Building The Elsafy Team
It took Elsafy more than a decade to form his first team.
“That didn’t happen until 2012, so it took me about 15 years to figure out that this could be a good idea,” he said. “As far as our ability to stick around, I try not to pay attention (to outside noise), whether it’s COVID, interest rates, tariffs or whatever chaos is happening in the world.
“I just tune all that out. I don’t need to sell every single house in my market. I have a plan for how many I need to sell — and I focus on the people who I care about. When you break it down into small bites like that, it doesn’t really matter what’s going on all around you.”
Advice for new agents, technology
Elsafy is candid about challenges new agents face — stressing focus and persistence.
“Culture is hard in the beginning, and there’s no sugar coating that,” he said. “But I think those who make it early on are focused and they’re focused on the right things. When you come into the business, your brain is swimming with ideas, and it distracts you, and you’re doing a lot of little things not particularly well.
“You quickly realize there are some really fundamental things you have to do, and just dial into those things. Build your sphere and database.”
The team leverages technology strategically — focusing on tools that enhance client experience rather than flashy gimmicks, Elsafy added.
“We only work with tools that help us serve our clients, whether it’s making their experience better, making the communication better or making them feel like they know what’s happening and staying connected with them,” he said. “The other stuff is just a distraction, to be honest.
“There’s no gizmo that’s going to suddenly cause your business to jump 25%. The only thing that can do that is you building better relationships with clients.”
Local market insight
The Elsafy Team focuses on Milwaukee’s North Shore — a market known for its historic homes and affluent communities.
“The homes on the north shore are early-1900s,” Elsafy said. “Imagine brick homes, stone homes, colonials and Tudors, sidewalks and street lights. There’s really old, mature trees and exceptionally good schools close to downtown. Lake Michigan is a huge draw. It feels like you’re on an ocean rather than a lake.”
Though the team handles a wide range of properties, luxury real estate is a key focus.
“We tend to get a lot of well-educated, very professional, well-traveled folks who would like to settle here,” Elsafy said. “I’m looking down a boulevard street with 100-year old trees turning colors. It’s an area where people walk to school. There are no busses.
“There are very close-knit communities where they have block parties, holiday parades and the Pumpkin Festival, things like that all the time.”
While the move to Keller Williams MKE positions the team for further growth, Elsafy said fundamentals remain the same — especially while navigating a still-unsettled market.
“I would just call it a more balanced, normal market, which many of us haven’t experienced for a long time,” he said. “It feels weird. We have to take out old tools, like knowing how to negotiate and knowing how to deal with inspections. There are difficult conversations with sellers about price. We haven’t had to do that in a number of years.
“So for old people like me, we have to sort of reach back into our old toolbox. For new agents, they’re sort of learning how to handle those things.”
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