GET TO KNOW DAN FIRKS

It all comes down to taking care of people…

 

Reflecting upon the things that matter most, I’ve summed it up that for me, I think my highest calling is taking care of people.  I have found my niche of finding the right home for my clients as a Realtor as most fulfilling and it was what I was meant to do. 

From making a great batch of my chicken noodle soup for a friend sick with a cold to feeding 210 hungry sailors at sea 4 times per day during my Navy days serving on-board the USS Vandergrift, serving others has always been of highest importance to me.  If I’m not helping others, I truly feel that I’m missing out on an opportunity.

 

Born in Milwaukee WI and adopted from birth, I was blessed with the life that my parents gave me.  They raised me to be kind, courteous & always be willing to help those in need. I was raised in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, and yes, I DO love my cheese!

When I was young, I enjoyed going on motorcycle trips with my dad.  These trips led us to almost 30 different states throughout the summers we had together. Being in the sidecar we could go for hours, as I could lay completely down and take a nap on long trips, and I could wake up to another state!  I will never forget those trips with my Dad!  As a family we also went on many camping trips, the Wisconsin Dells being one of my favorite places to visit.

 

In high school, I enjoyed math & history.  I also was in a drum and bugle corp that traveled throughout the country, and I played percussion.  

 

After high school, I went into the Navy and served on the USS Vandergrift, and as noted above, serving my country by keeping these 210 sailors fed was something I am proud that I could do.  

 

After I left the Navy, my need for  “fun in the sun” took me to Palm Beach Florida where I maximized my beach time and supported myself by waiting tables and bartending.  I enjoyed spending time in Ft. Lauderdale, Miami & Key West.  I even had the pleasure to dance with the performers that worked with Madonna at a Miami nightclub when she was on tour!  That night might have spanned over into the early hours of the next day….what a great fun memory to have!

 

The beach life and fun in the sun was such a great learning experience, but I knew that this life was not my long term mission.   I knew something had to change.  One of my best friends that had moved away a few years earlier was back in Florida on a visit and showed up at my bar, and we caught up on life in a great conversation.  I told him that I needed a change, and I knew I was called to do much bigger things where I made a greater impact on people’s lives.  My friend shared that he worked for the McDonald’s Corporation in Oakbrook, Illinois and suggested that I move to the Chicago area, go back to school and figure out what to do with my life.  It felt right and I did just that. 

 

I enrolled at College of DuPage (COD) to study design and architecture.  I joined the swim team.  The highlight of that summer was the return of my washboard stomach! 

 

While studying at COD,  I worked at a part time job in the administrative area of real estate firm that helped find clients rentals, mostly houses and townhouses.  To show these properties, which I really wanted to do,  I had to be a licensed Realtor.   When given the direction for my next steps to earn my Realtor license, I quickly did so.  Showing rental homes was more lucrative than the hourly rate in the admin field, so it made sense and I felt I was making more of a difference with the people I served.

 

Eventually, renters would call me back and say that they needed to buy a house because their lease was nearly ending.  Again, I asked for the direction of my company about how to get to this next step. 

 

I was advised, “Well,  you have a real estate license, now go show them homes for sale.”  And that’s pretty much it. My training was my motivation to take care of these people and get them into a new home.   I was up for the challenge.  I look back and think that I could have had better training in those early days, but learning to meet my clients’ needs was a grassroots effort for me in those days, and I am grateful for the lessons learned.

 

I did start showing homes as this was a more lucrative area than rentals.  The very first sale I did was with a Realtor that was one of the biggest producers in Illinois.  He was affiliated with RE/MAX of Naperville.  Immediately,  we hit it off and he asked me to come to join his thriving team.  He offered to teach me and train me and I was grateful!  His name was Tim Baker (God rest his soul).   Tim was the one that helped me get to where I am today! I owe so much to him.  Tim, I look forward to seeing you again someday, my friend.

I became sure that I was meant for this position of helping families buy and sell homes.  I did end my studies at College of DuPage, but have fond memories of my time there.  I never looked back!  I had found my calling.

 

I was with RE/MAX for 17 years, then transferred to KW Realty and then three years later I was asked to be one of the three founders of the Compass Real Estate firm that was moving to downtown Naperville.  Compass was the tech company I where I was meant to thrive, so of course, I said YES!!!  Fast forward two years and here we are today! 

 

Now, in 2025, and 29+ years of being a Realtor, I have become the Team Leader and CEO of the Dan Firks Team at Coldwell Banker Real Estate Group in Naperville.  I have led an impressive client-focused career helping families buy & sell homes.  As team leader, I have been committed to helping shape my team into what is now one of the top-producing real estate teams in Illinois.  I have instilled in each of my team members a drive for success and a commitment to my core values of infinite worth, integrity, and excellence.  

The missions of the Dan Firks Team is to help sellers get the most amount of money, in the shortest amount of time, with the least inconvenience to them and their families.  For buyers,  it is to help them find the home that fits their lifestyles and where they will feel comfortable living for many years to come.  We pride ourselves on the home selling & buying guidance we offer our clients. 

 

Since 1996, we have helped over 1800 families find their dream homes.  We would love to help you as well.  80% of the business the Dan Firks team achieves is from referrals and past clients, and that says it all!

 

It is my mission to find the home for you that will be as comfortable as that bowl of chicken soup is for your soul. Literally.

 

Dan