Isaiah Green was always interested in realty.

It just took him a while to get there.

Green is the licensed managing broker of Green Real Estate, at Suite 135 in the Arcade Building in downtown Kankakee, 187 S. Schuyler Ave.

A native of the area, he played football, the offensive and defensive lines, at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School, where he graduated in 2011. He went on to play football and study kinesiology at DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind.

But he rather quickly found out that that wasn’t a passionate career path for him, so he came back to the area to study at Kankakee Community College.

He went to work at a phone business, but was held up. He was tied up in the back while the robbers made off with the phones and electronic equipment.

That was enough. Since high school, Green had been considering a real estate career. He started by working for local firms, then he began his own business Nov. 1, 2021. He is a member of KIFAR, the Kankakee Iroquois Ford Association of Realtors. Green Real Estate does business primarily in Kankakee County, but also serves Will and Iroquois counties.

Green said he learned a lot by reading “Rich Dad Poor Dad,” by Robert Kiyosaki.

“It was another way of thinking about money,” Green said.

Kiyosaki is the author of 26 books focusing on real estate, investing and personal finance. Kiyosaki’s work is not without critics, but he’s also an U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam veteran and Wikipedia credits him with selling 41 million copies of his books.

Green Real Estate gives back to the community through a program called Homes for Heroes. It basically gives a cash rebate to veterans, first responders and teachers who buy and sell real estate with Green Real Estate. The rebate is achieved through Green giving up part of his standard commission.

He has been doing that for two years.

“It is my way of helping those who serve,” he said.

A key part of Green’s business involves managing rental units. Green’s firm offers “start to finish” services, meaning they take the worry and work out of renting property. They handle the maintenance that needs to be done, subcontracting major repairs. The general rule is that the owner handles the mortgage, insurance and taxes. Green does the rest.

“If there’s a late night problem or sewage in the basement, it’s taken care of,” he said.

There are four people working at the agency, including Green.

“We have a very robust system and team,” he said. “We’ve done a good job separating the tacks.”

The firm, he said, also has a good software system. There is a landing page for tenants.

The supply of apartments, he said, is getting better, but there remains a good demand for rentals because interest rates are high, discouraging buyers. People are continuing to rent. He estimates the vacancy rate at about 5 percent and said they generally seek a one-year lease.

On the sales side, the firm does a lot of work selling rental sites to investors. Being a landlord, Green said, has advantages over some other types of investing, because a building is a tangible asset. It is also an asset that you can control by investing in it.

“You can decide when to sell or when to renovate,” Green said.

Green enjoys being in real estate because it is a business where he can talk to people.

“That’s the best part of the job,” he said.

He also takes pleasure in taking something and making it better.

The business does sell regular real estate and Green takes his fiduciary responsibility seriously.

“If it is not a good purchase for you,” he says, “I will tell you.”

A home, he said, is usually the biggest investment anyone makes in their lifetime.

“It is my responsibility to put their interest over mine,” Green said.

His advice for the seller these days is to pay attention to timing. He sees more deals recently where the house is under contract, but doesn’t close. Some people, he said, get cold feet.

“Move fast,” he said.

If you see ready cash, that is always important. A large down payment is a plus.

While “location, location, location” is important for a buyer, he encourages people to cast a wider search area. That makes it more likely that you will find a good deal, he said. Be patient.

He said Green Real Estate is easy to work with. The firm understands the importance of feedback.

Right now, Green is looking for people to work. It is a job with both a steady income and commissions.

Green lives in Kankakee with his wife, Molly, and their 2-year-old daughter, Olivia. Spending time with his family, he said, is his favorite free-time activity.

You can contact him at 815-846-3310, or gowithgreen@greenrealestate.llc.