RE/MAX Signature Homes
After brokering the largest commercial deal for RE/MAX and receiving the #1 Commercial Individual of the Year award in 2017 with her colleague Casselyn Tertell, Katie Barreto set her sights on achieving RE/MAX’s Platinum Club status.
She spoke about her goal to fellow brokers at meetings, and wanted to be held accountable for it. “When I saw them in the office, they would ask me how close I was to my goal. They encouraged me and pushed me to succeed.” Not only did she achieve this goal of Platinum Club status, she has also ranked among the company’s Top 100 agents.
Barreto, a broker associate in Chicago and the suburbs, works largely from referrals. A “resimmercial agent,” she handles residential and commercial buyers, sellers, lessees and investors. “I work with several property investors and have started not only buying and selling their homes, but also designing them,” she says. “I love seeing a house in total disrepair transformed into a gorgeous home!”
Prior to real estate, Barreto moved up the ranks at Career Education Corporation to national director of sales, managing 100 employees and $30 million in annual revenue. She knew if she wanted to continue to advance she needed to make a big move and take control of her career. In 2012, she began her career with RE/MAX, working part-time as a broker the first two years while building her client portfolio before transitioning to full time. “They say if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life and that has been so true,” she says.
Managing her own schedule allows her the flexibility to volunteer her time with two organizations close to her heart, as well as care for her father living with the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease. His strong work ethic and dedication to others drives her to set her own goals and volunteer priorities. While caring for him, she has continued to learn from him and he has taught her that laughter is truly the best medicine. Barreto is an advisory board member for Angelwish, an organization that grants wishes to children around the world suffering from chronic illnesses. She is also a trainer for the CARA program, which addresses poverty by giving individuals the opportunity to secure permanent employment through a comprehensive range of training, support and job placement services.
