A tried-and-true native of the Chicago suburbs, Preferred Rate Vice President of Mortgage Lending Richard Honquest knows everything there is to know about the Chicago mortgage industry. Starting off as an intern for a real estate investor in his college days, he was bit by the real estate bug right away.

Honquest originally started out as an IT headhunter, where he says he learned valuable communication skills and a sense of urgency. “I learned how to cold call, to recognize and understand people’s motivations, and get on top of things,” he says. These assets go hand in hand with his business style, which is lighthearted and predictable. “I do what I say and never leave a client hanging,” he says. “I will go above and beyond for any client I work with.”

In contrast to most lenders, Honquest worked as a Realtor himself for over 10 years. “It allows for me to truly know both sides of the business in a way that 90% of mortgage lenders do not,” he says. He has found immediate success with over $100 million in loan origination in his first two years as a lender, but his biggest accomplishment is having all of his business come from past clients and Realtor referrals.

Honquest is happy to be starting a family with his wife in the fall, with their first child expected in September.