A career in marketing paved the way for Julie Stanczak, a broker with the Lake Group at COMPASS, to become a successful Realtor—a move she is grateful to have fallen into nearly 20 years ago.

“My husband’s family owned investment properties in Chicago, and I decided to get my license outside of my 9-to-5 job to help out,” Stanczak remembers. “But once I got into it, I loved it so much, I decided to make real estate my focus. I loved the interaction with clients and helping people at such an important time in their lives.” No slouch in any area of her life, Stanczak— in addition to running a marathon, moving abroad with her family for a three-year stint and renovating an over 100-year-old house—has built her business while also raising three active kids and their dog in Oak Park.

“I love the neighborhood feel—the block parties, bumping into friends while walking to dinner, living down the street from your kids’ teachers,” she says of Oak Park, where she has resided with her family since 2004. In addition to Oak Park, Stanczak works in other suburbs and the city of Chicago. “It has an old-school, small-town feel, yet you have one of the greatest cities in the world 10 minutes away.”

Clients often remark on Stanczak’s patience and drive, which she says fuels her return business. “Many of my clients become repeat clients for life,” she shares. At no time has this been more true than in the current competitive market, one in which her clients have had the upper hand in many challenging multiple-offer situations. Leveraging a hard-earned network and being a part of one of the top teams in Chicago has been a major boon she is able to use to her clients’ advantage.

As she widens her reach and serves more clients, she never loses sight of her motivation. “For me, it’s not just about getting a certain number of contracts each year” says Stanczak. “It’s ultimately about my clients’ and their overall satisfaction.”