Melanie Giglio-Vakos

Senior Vice President, Sales
Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty

The Chicago Association of Realtors has ranked Melanie Giglio-Vakos among its top 1 percent of producers for the past six years, and awarded her its gold medal for more than $40 million in annual sales. Looking back, Giglio-Vakos credits her own difficult homebuying experience with pushing her to enter the profession. “I was fortunate to be able to purchase my first home at a young age, but it was an awful experience,” she remembers. Fifteen years ago, she became a Realtor to help others avoid the same pitfalls. “I knew I would be good at listening to clients’ needs and placing them in their dream property or selling their largest investment. That is the key to success in real estate,” she explains.

Salesmanship is second nature for Giglio-Vakos, who recalls running the most profitable lemonade stand in her neighborhood as a child. “Selling is in my blood!” she laughs. She describes it as the art of building long-term relationships rooted in trust. She excels at working with newly built homes. “Explaining to people how their home has been constructed excites me,” she says. “The builders I’ve worked with over the years recognize that my team and I are especially skilled at development work, and consistently go above and beyond to sell their projects.”

Giglio-Vakos and her colleagues pride themselves on their hands-on approach with their largely referral-based clientele. “We explain how we plan to accomplish their goals and make certain they know we are available 24/7 throughout the process, and also well beyond closing,” she says. Her clients know they’ll always get straightforward answers from her team. “I don’t believe in sugarcoating the truth. I believe in transparency and candor. I approach every client relationship and transaction with the same commitment, dedication and care.”

Giglio-Vakos serves as a mentor to new agents in the industry. She is mother of one, and says her family is her life and inspiration. Giglio-Vakos is also a breast cancer survivor, and volunteers with Imerman Angels, an organization that pairs cancer patients with cancer survivors. “Imerman Angels gave me incredible support when I needed it most. I give back to IA because I could not imagine going through that journey without Jonny Imerman and his organization.” In her free time, Giglio-Vakos loves sitting in the front row at Billy Joel concerts, which she has attended for the past 20 years. At the end of the day, her own career proves a wealth of inspiration: “I’m inspired when I can help people move on to the next chapter in life, because I know I’ve played a part in the joy they feel when they cross the finish line!”

 

Thanks to AtWater Apartments for letting us use their beautiful location for our photo shoots.