Home ownership is a cornerstone of the American Dream. In Pekin and surrounding communities, Mary Ann Ladendorf and Baylee Gambetti are helping families make that dream come true. Since 2012, the team at Ladendorf and Gambetti REMAX Traders Unlimited has been matching people with homes and extolling the virtues of the town they call home.

Based at 2209 Broadway St. (the former Diane’s Dance Studio), the two Pekin natives describe the current housing market as strong, with the inventory of homes slowly growing and giving buyers more opportunities to buy. Ladendorf said the number of listings has nearly doubled since September.

That growth is still far below pre-COVID inventories of more than 200 homes. Gambetti attributes some of the loss of inventory to historically low interest rates during the pandemic that had “anyone who ever thought about buying taking advantage of the low rates.”

“Regardless of what the state of the economy is, people always need a place to live,” Ladendorf said. “Baylee and I have built our business on making sure that we take excellent care of our clients. We make sure they get the home that is good for them at the right terms.”

“Just because the market’s slow doesn’t mean we’re slow,” Ladendorf added. “We just have to work harder.”

Not surprisingly, two people who have spent their lives in Pekin are among its most vocal cheerleaders.

“Pekin is a great place to live, to raise a family, and to do business,” Ladendorf said. She lists amenities like education, a huge park system, lakes, low crime, and short commutes among Pekin’s pluses. And as major employers like Epic Medical and a new AI data center move to the area, the need for housing increases.

“Baylee and I work closely with the city trying to bring more housing into Pekin,” Ladendorf said.

Confidence and commitment to Pekin is evident in the realtors’ community involvement. Ladendorf serves on the Pekin Public Library Board, Patient Advocacy and the League for Carle Health Pekin Hospital, and is active in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and St. Vincent DePaul. She is highly involved in the Peoria Area Association of Realtors. Gambetti is a past chairman of the Pekin Marigold Festival, serves on the Pekin Chamber of Commerce board and supports downtown revitalization through Pekin Main Street.

“We’re committed to making the city the best in can be for the next generation,” Gambetti said.

The Ladendorf and Gambetti team includes agents Jenna Oswald, Grace Wyman, and Amy Collins, with administrative support from Jenny Wernowsky, Katie Sales, and Rhonda Blair. Ladendorf said her grandson will join the agency in the spring. Other local members of the “REMAX family” include Tee Rynerson, Sandi Myers, April Barrett, Norma Rossi, and Nate Thomas. 

“The client comes first at all times,” Ladendorf added. “When young agents join us, we make it very clear that they should be prepared to walk away from a deal if it is bad for their client.”

“We really value the relationship that we form with our clients,” Gambetti said. “It doesn’t end with the real estate transaction. We have made a new friend and created a lifelong relationship with many of our clients.”

Residential and commercial real estate buyers, sellers, and anyone just wanting to talk about Pekin, can contact Ladendorf at 309-241-5610 and Gambetti at 309-241-7700, or online at https://ladendorf-and-gambetti-pekin-il.remax.com/. Follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LadendorfGambetti.