As the son of an architect, Andrew Perkins has been around new construction since he was a child. He decided to get into real estate 22 years ago, after working in the field of investment banking.

Perkins has lived in Chicago for 24 years and jokes that the COVID-19 pandemic made him earn a Ph.D. in Zoom, as he’s done listing appointments and even property value assessments via the videoconferencing software. In fact, he considers his biggest professional accomplishment in the past year to be the ability to sustain working relationships with clients and co-workers during quarantine.

Meeting a new client as a referral is “truly the best accomplishment,” according to Perkins. He works hard to form strong relationships with his clients by listening to both their concerns and their enthusiasm during the homebuying and selling process. He helps them lay out their goals and then carefully guides them through the emotions associated with a potentially stressful process. “I enjoy what I’m doing,” he says, “but I also want to make sure I take care of my clients while making the process fun and exciting for them.”

“I sit down and ask my clients about their goals. If they are selling a property, I like to see the property and send them some comps,” Perkins explains. “For buyers, I ask what type of property they are interested in and if they have a neighborhood preference.”

Perkins also loves taking buyers to neighborhoods that are outside of their “box,” or comfort zone. “Initially, they aren’t too sure. But then it’s exciting to go into a neighborhood they didn’t think they’d initially be interested in and see the possibilities,” he states. “I want to show clients, whether selling or buying, the possibilities and then make those possibilities a reality.”