CLEVELAND, Ohio — McDowell Real Estate was established in 2015 by husband-and-wife team Chaz and Kayleen McDowell, with five agents and one staffer.
Ten years later, the couple has expanded with 180 real estate agents, 12 staff members and six locations, including Mentor, Solon, Ashtabula, Little Italy, Portage Lakes and Medina. Their expansion has also taken them to Southwest Florida and Western Pennsylvania. Since the opening, the McDowells have separated but continue to be partners in the company.
This drive made them the 2025 Top Workplace in Northeast Ohio for the midsize category. Just like last year — and the year before that.
For the 2025 Top Workplaces list, cleveland.com and the Plain Dealer compiled more than 180 stand-out Northeast Ohio employers based on employee surveys. Find the full list and stories on the top three winners in each of four categories at cleveland.com/top-workplaces.
According to sales data, in 2024, the company sold 2,320 homes, which brought in approximately $556 million.
Chaz McDowell emphatically believes that hiring dedicated and experienced people is the key to success, especially in real estate.
“I mainly attribute our success to our positive atmosphere and high standards for our realtors,” he said. “When Kayleen and I opened McDowell, one of the most important things we wanted to establish was a positive work environment where our Realtors didn’t feel like they were constantly competing against others within the brokerage and establish a family atmosphere between the agents.”
The focused on recruiting highly motivated and experienced Realtors. That way, clients “know they are working with one of the best-of-the-best in the area to help them with one of the largest purchases in their life.”
The owners have created a fast track for their Realtors to be as successful as possible. In most cases, they double their volume and build a team within a year of joining the company, while still maintaining a work/life balance.
“We provide each agent with their full-time administrator so that the realtor can spend less time filling out mounds of paperwork and more time with their clients and generating more business,” Kayleen said. “Also, we help them to generate more business and grow their sphere via multiple lead generation sites.”
On average, about 35% of agents’ business is company-generated, according to the company. The company also helps them build a team.
“We have a family-like atmosphere, all our established team,” Kayleen said.
McDowell holds appreciation events for all employees and agents, and top-producing Realtors receive a yearly trip to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico or the Caribbean.
Tyler McHugh, vice president of operations, suggests that the family atmosphere and the way agents are empowered drive him every day.
“Supporting each other’s goals and creating an environment where people genuinely enjoy coming to work is paramount,” he said. “Watching our agents grow, succeed, and hit goals they never thought possible—that’s what drives me every day. It’s more than real estate; it’s about building something meaningful together.”