The Star Home Team is supported by a staff that works behind the scenes in leadership, broker management, lead management, listings, transactions, marketing, technology, administration and field services. Together, these professionals help our real estate agents serve buyers and sellers throughout Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin.
There Is a Team Behind Your Real Estate Agent
When you buy or sell a home, your real estate agent is naturally the person you see most often.
But there is a lot happening behind the scenes.
Listings need to be prepared. Contracts generate information that needs to be processed. Transaction details need attention. Marketing needs to be created. Technology needs to work. Agents need training, guidance and managing broker support.
At The Star Home Team at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Star Homes, our agents have a staff supporting them in many of these areas.
You can meet our complete team of real estate professionals, but today we want to introduce the people who often work behind the scenes.
Why Does a Real Estate Team Have Support Staff?
Real estate involves many different responsibilities.
Our agents are focused on activities such as meeting with buyers and sellers, showing homes, preparing offers, negotiating contracts, providing market guidance and communicating with their clients.
Our support structure allows other members of the organization to focus on specialized areas.
Depending on the situation, that can include:
Managing broker guidance
Listing coordination
Transaction coordination
Lead management
Marketing
Technology
Sales data processing
Administrative support
Field services
Agent training and development
It is an important part of what makes The Star Home Team different.
So, who are the people behind the scenes?
Jim Starwalt, Broker Owner and Team Leader
Jim Starwalt is Broker Owner and Team Leader of The Star Home Team at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Star Homes.
Jim works closely with our agents on real estate sales, training, coaching and business development. He is also a licensed real estate instructor.
Jim and Susan Starwalt have been licensed since 1998 and have spent decades building the systems, training and team structure we use today. Jim's role remains closely connected to helping agents develop their skills and helping our organization continue to grow.
Susan Starwalt, Broker Owner
Susan Starwalt is Broker Owner of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Star Homes and works alongside Jim in leading the company and The Star Home Team.
Susan's current focus is on the business side of the organization, including marketing, recruiting, agent development, technology, training, operations and growth.
Jim and Susan's roles complement each other, with a shared goal of giving our agents the tools, guidance and resources they need to better serve their clients.
You can learn more about The Star Home Team and how our team model works throughout Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin.
Mike Welsch, Illinois Managing Broker
Mike Welsch provides managing broker leadership and support for our Illinois agents.
Real estate transactions can involve unexpected questions, contract situations and challenges. Having experienced managing broker support available gives our agents another resource when they need guidance.
Mike also works with our agents on coaching, accountability and professional development.
Susan Kube, Wisconsin Managing Broker
Susan Kube provides managing broker leadership for our Wisconsin operations.
She works with our Wisconsin agents to provide guidance, training and support while helping The Star Home Team continue serving buyers and sellers throughout Southern Wisconsin.
Having managing broker leadership for both Illinois and Wisconsin is especially important for our organization because we serve communities on both sides of the state line.
Tiffany Albavera, ISA Manager
Tiffany Albavera manages our inside sales efforts and plays an important role in lead management and agent support.
Today's buyers and sellers often begin their real estate journey online, sometimes months before they are ready to make a move.
Tiffany helps our team manage those opportunities, maintain communication with prospective clients and support our agents as they build relationships with future buyers and sellers.
Jon Starwalt, Technology and Special Projects
Technology has become a major part of modern real estate.
Jon Starwalt works on technology and special projects for The Star Home Team, helping our organization implement, maintain and improve the systems our staff and agents use.
His role also includes special initiatives designed to help the company operate more efficiently and continue adapting as real estate technology evolves.
Kathy Gilbert, Administrative Assistant
Kathy Gilbert provides administrative support for The Star Home Team, with a particular focus on processing sales data related to our real estate contracts.
Accurate information and organized records are important parts of running a busy real estate organization.
Kathy's work helps ensure sales and contract data is processed and maintained within our systems as transactions move forward.
While Kathy is not a transaction coordinator, her behind-the-scenes administrative work provides important support to our agents, staff and leadership.
Bob Gilbert, Field Services Manager
Not all of the work required to support a real estate organization happens inside an office.
Bob Gilbert serves as our Field Services Manager and assists The Star Home Team with a variety of miscellaneous duties outside the office.
His role provides practical field support when something needs to be handled in person throughout the communities we serve.
Bob's position is a good example of the work clients may never see but that helps keep a busy real estate organization moving.
Cheryl McCumber, Accounting Department
Cheryl McCumber provides accounting department support for The Star Home Team.
There are countless details involved in operating a real estate company, and accounting support helps keep our offices and organization running smoothly.
This support also helps our agents remain focused on the work that requires their direct attention, particularly serving their clients and managing their real estate businesses.
Victoria Solberg, Listing Coordinator
Getting a property ready to go on the market involves considerably more than entering a home into the MLS.
Victoria Solberg serves as our Listing Coordinator and works with our agents as part of the listing process.
Listing coordination helps manage the many details involved in moving a property from the decision to sell toward its introduction to the market.
For homeowners considering a sale, you can also learn more about how our team approach benefits home sellers.
Lisa Rohrer, Marketing and Administrative Support
Marketing is another important part of our organization.
Lisa Rohrer assists The Star Home Team with marketing and administrative support.
Her work helps support the projects that promote our listings, agents, company and local real estate expertise throughout Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin.
From company initiatives to ongoing marketing needs, Lisa helps keep many of those behind-the-scenes projects moving forward.
Majesty Bautista, Transaction Coordination
Once a home goes under contract, another important phase of the real estate process begins.
Majesty Bautista provides transaction coordination support, helping with the many details and milestones that occur between contract and closing.
Transaction coordination provides another layer of organizational support for our agents as they continue communicating with and advising their clients throughout the transaction.
How Does This Support Help Our Real Estate Agents?
The purpose of having specialized staff is not to put more people between an agent and a client.
It is to give our agents additional resources.
Rather than expecting one person to handle every administrative, marketing, technology, listing and transaction-related task alone, our team structure allows different people to contribute their expertise.
Our agents remain the professionals working directly with their buyers and sellers, while our staff helps support the work happening around them.
That collaborative structure is an important part of how The Star Home Team operates.
What Does This Mean for Buyers and Sellers?
When you choose a real estate professional, it is worth asking what happens behind the person you hire.
Who is available when the agent has a question?
Who helps with listings?
Who helps keep transactions organized?
Who handles marketing?
Who maintains the technology and systems?
At The Star Home Team, we have intentionally built an organization that provides those additional resources.
Our staff doesn't replace the relationship between an agent and a client. The staff supports the agent who is serving that client.
Serving Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin
Our team serves buyers and sellers throughout Lake County, McHenry County, Kenosha County and surrounding Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin communities.
That includes areas such as Grayslake, McHenry, Lake Villa, Antioch, Fox Lake and the Chain O'Lakes region, as well as Kenosha and surrounding Southern Wisconsin communities.
Our geographic footprint is another reason having an established support structure matters. Our agents are working across numerous communities and two states, while our management and staff provide support behind them.
The Star Home Team's Perspective
We have always believed real estate works better when people work together.
The Star Home Team has helped more than 3,000 families buy and sell homes, and our current website identifies Jim and Susan Starwalt as Broker Owners and describes the organization as including real estate professionals, coordinators, marketing specialists and support staff.
Our production has also received independent recognition. RealTrends Verified currently identifies The Star Home Team as a Mega Team with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Star Homes in Grayslake and reports 389.3 transaction sides and $142.09 million in volume based on 2025 sales data. It ranks the team #3 in Illinois by sides and #1 in Grayslake by both sides and volume.
You can read more about our 2026 RealTrends Verified recognition.
Those results are produced by our agents, but there are many people working behind those agents every day.
This article is our opportunity to recognize some of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns The Star Home Team?
The Star Home Team is led by Jim and Susan Starwalt, Broker Owners of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Star Homes. Both have been licensed in real estate since 1998. Jim serves as Team Leader, while Susan focuses heavily on the business, marketing, recruiting, technology, operations and growth sides of the organization.
Does The Star Home Team have support staff?
Yes. The Star Home Team has staff supporting a variety of functions, including managing broker leadership, lead management, listing coordination, transaction coordination, marketing, technology, sales data processing, administration and field services. These roles support the agents who work directly with the team's buyers and sellers.
What does a real estate support staff do?
Real estate support staff can handle specialized responsibilities that help agents operate efficiently. At The Star Home Team, staff responsibilities include listings, transaction coordination, marketing, technology, administrative duties, lead management, sales data processing, field services and broker management.
What does a listing coordinator do?
A listing coordinator helps manage details associated with preparing and processing a real estate listing. At The Star Home Team, our Listing Coordinator works with our agents as properties move through the listing process, providing specialized support behind the scenes.
What does a transaction coordinator do?
A transaction coordinator provides organizational support after a property goes under contract, helping manage details and milestones as the transaction progresses toward closing. The real estate agent remains responsible for advising and representing the client while transaction coordination provides additional behind-the-scenes support.
Does the support staff replace my real estate agent?
No. Your real estate agent remains your primary real estate professional and handles the responsibilities associated with representing and advising you. The Star Home Team's staff provides additional resources behind the agent in areas such as listings, transactions, administration, marketing and technology.
Where does The Star Home Team work?
The Star Home Team serves buyers and sellers throughout Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin, including Lake County, McHenry County, Kenosha County and surrounding communities. The team is affiliated with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Star Homes and is licensed in Illinois and Wisconsin.
How many families has The Star Home Team helped?
The Star Home Team reports having helped more than 3,000 families buy and sell real estate throughout Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. The team's 2025 production is independently reported by RealTrends Verified at 389.3 transaction sides and $142.09 million in sales volume.
Meet the People Behind the Agents
When you see one of our agents at a showing, listing appointment, open house or closing, you are seeing the person on the front line of our business.
Behind that agent is an organization of people helping with leadership, broker support, listings, transactions, marketing, technology, administration and more.
We are proud of the people who help make The Star Home Team work.
And when you choose one of our agents, that team is behind them.
About the Author
Susan Starwalt is the Broker Owner of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Star Homes and The Star Home Team, serving Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. Licensed since 1998, Susan works alongside Jim Starwalt and the company's management team to support one of the region's top-producing real estate organizations.
The Star Home Team has helped more than 3,000 families buy and sell homes and is recognized as one of Illinois' leading real estate teams. The team serves buyers and sellers throughout Lake County, McHenry County, Kenosha County, and surrounding communities, providing expert guidance, local market knowledge, innovative marketing, and personalized service.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Whether you're buying your first home, selling your current property, relocating, or simply exploring your options, The Star Home Team is here to help.
• Click here to search homes for sale.
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• Fill out our Contact Us form online to tell us about your real estate goals or send us a message anytime.
The Star Home Team proudly serves buyers and sellers throughout Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin.
Licensed in Illinois and Wisconsin.
