It was during her 20 years of raising three kids and buying and renovating five family homes that Bree McKenzie, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Realty, discovered her passion for real estate. Now, six years after happening upon a real estate opportunity that she wasn’t expecting, McKenzie says, “When you find your passion, it just shows, and I love all things real estate.”

A home renovator for all those years and a Lake Forest native, McKenzie spent years embracing the Chicago and North Shore areas and loved taking a home from drab to fab through her own vision and talents. After her children had grown up, she happened upon the opportunity to become a broker and never looked back after passing her broker exam on the very first attempt.

“Renovating homes was my passion, and selling properties goes along with that for me,” McKenzie remarks. “I may have started later on in life as a broker, but I have found a career I’m so proud of.” The winner of multiple years of BHHS’ Leading Edge Society and Honor Society awards, including 2021’s BHHS Leading Edge designation, McKenzie has also been on the company’s million-dollar and multimillion-dollar lists many times.

“I’m attentive, knowledgeable, helpful and creative,” boasts McKenzie. “Plus, I think outside the box and go that extra mile for all my clients.” In COVID, her personality was shining through video listings and virtual showings, with her netting full-price offers. “I started taking my own videos of listings and posting them on YouTube. Those properties sold very quickly.” McKenzie works through a detailed process with her clients and helps them get pre-approval, but also aligns lenders and other support to make the process simple.

“I want the best for all my clients,” McKenzie declares. “I want to be doing this for a long time.”