Why I Started Madison Abodes after 11 Years at Redfin

In 2014, Redfin asked me to open their Wisconsin market. It was an incredible opportunity, and over the next eleven years, I built something I was genuinely proud of. I served as the Wisconsin Market Manager and State Broker, growing our team to 45 agents across Madison and Milwaukee. Later, as a Product Liaison, I worked directly on the proprietary tools and data that set Redfin apart.

But as the corporate footprint grew, I found myself increasingly removed from the actual practice of real estate. I realized my true passion wasn't scaling a massive corporate operation — it was working directly with local buyers and sellers.

My 20+ years in residential real estate gave me a clear view of what was working in the industry, and exactly what could be improved. Madison Abodes is my answer to that. It is designed to combine the institutional, data-driven power of a modern tech brokerage with the high-touch, hyper-responsive service of an independent local firm — all while passing the structural savings directly to you.

The data piece

An agent's experience and local knowledge are important. But timely, relevant data can provide an impactful and objective perspective: how long homes are sitting in a specific neighborhood right now, what percentage of offers are going above list price in a given price range, which direction the market has been moving in the weeks before you make an offer or list a home for sale.

I built the data tools on this site — market trends, neighborhood analysis, school district comparisons — because I believe buyers and sellers deserve access to that information directly.

Transparency

Our fees are right there on the website, and our listing agreement and buyer agency agreement are available to review before you ever speak with me. Our market data is also freely available — no newsletter, no email capture.

I also prioritize making sure clients know exactly what is happening on their behalf. When communicating with another agent during a negotiation or key moment in a transaction, I share the actual texts and emails — not a summary, not my interpretation. It's a small thing that turns out to matter a lot. People want to know what's being said on their behalf.

Madison, Wisconsin

I think Madison is simply the best city in the Midwest. A university town and state capital surrounded by lakes, with a very strong economy and highly educated workforce. Pioneering biotech companies like Exact Sciences and Promega attract talent from around the world, as do the two largest local employers, Epic Systems and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

For lifestyle it's hard to beat — music, restaurants, outdoor recreation, and Badger sports. Madison has also prioritized bike infrastructure and is widely considered one of the best biking cities in the U.S.

Many neighborhoods in Madison have their own identities and local culture. Marquette and Atwood have strong progressive and artistic roots — I recently saw someone in Atwood wearing an "I Just Love Corporations" t-shirt. Dudgeon-Monroe has beautiful tree-lined streets filled with 100-year-old stately homes and a distinct Trader Joe's energy.

Browse Madison neighborhoods →

Madison Abodes isn't trying to be everything to everyone. It's built for buyers and sellers who want an experienced, responsive broker, real-time data, and transparent fees. If that sounds like what you're looking for, please contact me.

— Brian Callahan, Broker Madison Abodes

Have questions about buying or selling in Madison?