Realtor in the city — it sounds like a TV show, but for Daniel Cozzi, it was a lifelong dream. “I thought that was the coolest thing anyone could do; however, I was a little nervous about committing to starting my own business,” he recalls, noting that he first pursued his passion for teaching and earned a master’s degree in education a few years after completing his undergraduate degree in marketing and advertising.

Cozzi says his experience as an educator and in business development has served him well as a real estate agent. “Years in retail taught me how to work with the public and connect quickly,” he says, “while my education taught me how to effectively relay the buying and selling process to my clients.”

As a broker for d’aprile properties, Cozzi works with clients from Chicago, Evanston, Burr Ridge and everything in between. Minus a short stint in Washington, D.C., he’s lived in and around Chicago his entire life. That gives him an edge. “I have a strong understanding of the city and its suburbs,” he declares. “It’s one of the things that make me great at my job.”

Cozzi was inducted into Chicago’s Top Agent Network in 2020, marking his landing among the top 10% of agents in the Chicagoland area, and that’s after only four years in the business. He was awarded d’aprile’s prestigious Black Key award for sales excellence in the brand for 2020. He’s also a member of the Chicago Association of Realtors and National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals.

Cozzi says his success as an agent hinges on his attention to detail, his knowledge of the industry and, most importantly, the deep connection he makes with his clients. Earing their trust, referrals and lifelong friendship makes it all worthwhile, he notes. “Preparedness is the most important part of the process for me,” he explains. “I’m a conductor who needs to keep the train safely moving in the correct direction, and I take that job very seriously.”