As an economics major at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Liz Catalano took a real estate course her senior year and first realized she had a passion for the industry. She later joined the world of real estate investing after the financial crisis of 2007 and remains an active investor. “Using my analytical skills to help others begin a new chapter in their lives is exhilarating to me,” she says. Catalano, a Realtor with d’aprile properties, is an expert negotiator, certified staging consultant and pricing strategy advisor. She also speaks fluent Polish.

The Chicago native grew up in the western suburbs and currently lives with her family in the south suburbs. She has mastered the intricacies of the city and suburban markets, and she utilizes a process-driven approach to provide her clients clarity and confidence in their real estate decisions. As a full-time agent, multiunit investor and property flipper, Catalano is well-rounded in the industry and has seen it all. “There’s no situation I don’t know how to handle,” she explains. “My clients choose to work with me because I am an expert in the industry, I have a set process and I approach each client’s real estate needs with a customized plan of action.”

For the past several years, Catalano’s average sales price-to-list price has consistently been over 100% and her average time on market is 22 days. She was recently named a top producer with d’aprile properties for the fifth year in a row, and she was also recognized as a top national agent with Homesnap. “These awards represent the trust my clients place in me to advocate for them to reach their most important goals,” she says.

When not working, Catalano volunteers for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, a very personal cause as her youngest son has Type 1 diabetes. She is also obsessed with playing pickleball and traveling the world. Her next traveling adventure will be a 320-mile bike ride from Cleveland to Cincinnati with her family.