Going through her own homebuying experience led Catherine Pabatao into the real estate industry, having loved every part of the process, from property-viewing to negotiating, conducting research and everything in between.
Pabatao considers herself a lifelong student and loves the research aspect of the real estate business. She says her hunger to learn and look at the world as her classroom has helped her connect with people from all walks of life.
“I feel people buy real estate because something is motivating them beyond the house and area,” she says. “I like to figure out what that is. Sometimes the clients do not realize it until after I probe them. I like to ask questions to get them to crystalize what is important to them.”
She takes a consultative approach with her clients before working together to ensure they are on the same page. She says this helps manage expectations. She’s also a client advocate and will do what it takes to help them make the best decisions throughout the process.
Pabatao leads a four-member team of professionals, who have been recognized by the Chicago Association of Realtors for multiple years as a Top Producing Team. The group is committed to the success of their clients, embodies a “whatever-it-takes” attitude and lives by their motto, “Your success is our success.”
Pabatao is the youngest of five children. Her parents immigrated from the Philippines in 1976. It was their sacrifices and hard work that inspire her to this day.
“I admire my parents. They taught me the value of hard work and getting an education,” she says. “They owned a few convenience stores and had us work in them. I knew at a young age that I wanted to work for myself one day. My parents have always been a source of my inspiration. They came here because they wanted a better life for us. I am forever grateful for that.”
Newly engaged this year, Pabatao is mom to her daughter, Taylor, who is now a junior in college. Outside of work, she’s a Sunday school teacher at her church and after a more than 20-year hiatus, has started drawing again as a creative outlet.
