Helping people find their place in Chicago has made Jean Metzler finally feel at home in the city she moved to long ago.

Metzler, a Realtor with Compass, moved from Detroit to Chicago at the age of 12. Other than four years of college in California, she has lived in a variety of city neighborhoods ever since.

An accredited buyer’s representative, Metzler has worked in real estate for 19 years following a lengthy career in corporate communications. She believes that the marketing, persuasion, negotiation, client service and people skills she developed in the corporate world, plus her enthusiasm for real estate and her Northwestern University Master of Science in communication degree, have uniquely positioned her to succeed in real estate. “I know how to find the right property for my clients and how to get deals done, even when the circumstances or people surrounding the transaction are difficult,” she says. “Plus, I really like what I do, and it shows.”

Metzler is proud to say she has never failed to sell a property that the owner wanted sold, although a handful of sellers didn’t like existing market conditions and put their listings on hold until the time was right.

Fair and reasonable while also a fierce advocate for her clients, she is an expert at managing expectations and anticipating obstacles, having seen just about every imaginable scenario throughout her career. Even though most years her individual sales numbers are on track with those of large teams, she is not trying to be a volume producer. “I intentionally choose to work with only a select group of clients each year in order to maintain a personal and boutique brokerage approach,” she says. “When clients hire me, they get exceptional client service, broad experience and true resourcefulness.”

Outside of work, she likes to volunteer with her family at the Ronald McDonald House, spend time with her dog, Ringo, and cheer at her son’s baseball games.