With dual degrees in accounting and finance from DePaul University and a Master of Business Administration in managerial leadership from Northern Illinois University, Bill Kekatos brings a wealth of expertise — along with 30 years of experience — to borrowers. “I take every loan transaction seriously and dedicate my efforts to each one because I know that, behind each stack of papers, there is a family with dreams and hopes eagerly waiting to get the keys to their future,” Kekatos says.

In 2019, the Illinois Mortgage Bankers Association nominated Kekatos as its Loan Officer of the Year in the large banks category, and he ranked among the top 10% of Fifth Third Bank’s mortgage professionals. “It was by far my best year ever in the mortgage business,” he says. “I was able to beat my personal loan volume goal and continue to consistently receive a high satisfaction survey client score even in challenging times.”

Driven to success at an early age, Kekatos started working for a small independent mortgage lending company while he was still in college. “Having been in the business for decades, I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly,” Kekatos says. “This has taught me to keep calm in stressful situations and anticipate and identify a lot of issues before they become major problems.”

A seasoned industry veteran, Kekatos believes in providing his clients with as much information and knowledge as they need to attain a holistic view of the process. “From getting prequalified to offer negotiations, mortgage strategies and the loan process, I provide the solutions my clients need from the beginning to the end of the transaction,” Kekatos says.

With a diverse array of pastimes, Kekatos is a history and architecture enthusiast and also enjoys fishing and skeet shooting. He supports numerous charitable organizations and community food pantries.