From first-time buyers to repeat clients, one-bedroom condos to luxury-level homes, Carol Nevada Duran and her daughter, Andrea Duran Allen, have handled it all as brokers. With 50 years of combined real estate experience, Duran and Allen of Berkshire Hathaway Home-Services Chicago serve clients within the city and surrounding suburbs.
A resident of Chicago since 1976, Duran left her merchandising career and entered the real estate industry in 1986. She has since expanded her original Lincoln Park, Gold Coast and Old Town-centric business to include all Chicago neighborhoods. “Most of my recent clients are longtime clients or referrals from longtime clients,” says Duran, who is a Graduate, Realtor Institute; Certified Residential Specialist and Accredited Buyer’s Representative.
Joining forces with her mother after a career in commercial real estate, Allen translates the knowledge and skill set she acquired while managing condo buildings to the residential market. “We didn’t plan on teaming up, but through consulting on each other’s transactions, we realized that we have a similar process and work ethic,” says Allen. “Having two people gives our clients even more service than we can provide individually.”
Building lasting relationships is one of the highest priorities for both brokers. “Our assistance does not end with the transaction. We provide recommendations before, during and after the deal is complete and keep in touch well beyond closing,” Duran says.
Priding themselves on their flexibility and responsiveness, they take an educational approach, guiding buyers and sellers through the process by tailoring their technique to match client preferences. “We have learned to provide what our clients need by listening carefully and communicating regularly and frequently so they trust us completely,” says Duran.
Duran and Allen are dedicated Pilates practitioners and are both fond of entertaining. Allen invests time in her children’s school community and is part of a self-described “football family” that never misses a Chicago Bears game.
