Born and raised in Romania, Olivia Motofelea moved to Chicago nearly 10 years ago. She had a degree in hospitality but was eager to make a career change. Thumbing through magazines featuring beautiful, luxurious homes at a doctor’s office, she realized what her future career would be. “I was always attracted to beautiful homes and enjoyed learning about different architectural styles and new construction,” Motofelea says. “I also had a genuine interest in helping people and making them happy, so real estate made perfect sense.”

Focusing on Chicago’s central areas, Motofelea specializes in first-time homebuyers, luxury homes and new construction. For the past four years, she has also been working in property management, which gives her an advanced understanding of property owners’ needs. She has also begun to branch out to Portage Park and Jefferson Park and recently sold a multiunit building in Logan Square that features 34 loft apartments.  “I am truly blessed to work in this industry. I love my line of work, and my passion keeps growing,” she says.

Always eager to make the homebuying and selling experience as productive and enjoyable as possible, Motofelea is very patient throughout the process with those she represents. “I don’t push my client to buy a home; my goal is to find the right home for the right client and keep within their preferred timeline and budget, so that I can establish a long-term relationship with them,” she says.

Her clients view her as a trusted adviser even after their business concludes. “So many of my clients connect me to their friends and coworkers who are relocating from out of town, because they know I will be patient and understanding, explaining how the transportation system and Chicago real estate work,” she says.

Energetic and athletic, Motofelea enjoys playing tennis and taking morning runs on Chicago’s lakefront. In her downtime, she can often be found cooking, grilling and making martinis for her family and friends.