Chicago broker Michaele Nicole Bey likes to play by the book, and it’s a strategy that works well for her. She’s one of the top-performing agents with Real People Realty and has built a 100% referral-based business of clients who trust her attention to detail and first-rate communication skills.

Bey has been a professional actress since before she became a real estate agent. While backstage at a production of “For Colored Girls” at Fleetwood Jourdain Theatre in Evanston, all of the actors were complaining about their day jobs, except one: A real estate agent. Bey enrolled in classes and passed the Illinois broker exam six weeks later, and the rest is history.

Born and raised in Evanston, Bey met her husband while showing one of his fix and flips to a client. He introduced her to the world of identifying rehabbed properties in over 15 Chicago neighborhoods. Now she serves Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, specializing in single-family homes and fix and flips.

Bey had $7.5 million in sales in 2021, and has been recognized by Real People Realty as one of their top-performing agents multiple times. Most recently, she was named one of Homesnap’s Top 5% agents for 2022.

While Bey’s clients love her expertise and personality, she says the real key to success in real estate is patience. “This business has many curveballs, and we work with a plethora of personalities. Things rarely go as planned or expected. Patience is definitely key,” she says. “Clients tell me I should be a lawyer or even a therapist because of the way I listen to them, and they feel like they can call me any time.”

Still working as an actress, Bey recently booked her first co-star role on a Showtime series called “The Chi.”