Taking an old-school approach to serving clients, Mary Black wows her clients through her property expertise and vast experience. Black, a real estate broker with RE/MAX Suburban, is licensed in Illinois, Florida and Wisconsin, serving buyers, sellers and investors in all three states. She’s most recently been specializing in flipping and short-term rentals and is looking forward to transitioning into the downtown Chicago market.

Her dream had always been to find a career that she was so passionate about that it didn’t feel like work. “As a broker and real estate investor, I can say that I’ve manifested that into a reality,” she says, noting that after 27 years in the field, she works almost exclusively with referrals, first-time buyers and sellers, and repeat clients. “I love the bonds that I’ve been able to form through this process and being able to nurture these relationships as my clients’ lives and real estate needs evolve over time.”

While Black earned her license in 1994, she received an early real estate education from her father, Joe Fragale, who began his own career as an agent and investor nearly 60 years ago after immigrating from Italy to the United States. “He taught me that hard work is good work and if you commit to something, you have to give it your all until the end,” she remembers. “He has always included my brothers and I in the real estate process.

Appreciated for her candor and willingness to get her hands dirty, Black embraces every opportunity to commit to a project, whether it be flipping her own investment property or negotiating on behalf of her clients. “In the end, it all pays off when the magic happens,” she says. Taking a “work hard and play harder” approach to her career, she remarks, “I like to have fun and keep it light, but when a difficult situation arises, I am up for the task.”

Black can be found supporting local businesses from restaurants to furniture design and anywhere in between.