If she were asked to identify the ideal stepping stone to a career in real estate, Leslie Levy would point to her time spent in social-services counseling. Today, after 12 years in the industry, she believes the experience she gained from guiding people through difficult times was the perfect training. “I love what I do,” she enthuses. “I simply love helping people. This career is really an extension of my role as a helping professional.”
Serving both Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, Levy also attributes her success as a Realtor to her passion for preparation. “The skill of being prepared has been most instrumental to me because it provides my clients with security and makes transactions run smoothly,” she says. “Even in those occasional roller-coaster situations, I usually have a few options and resources available to get us through it.”
Levy approaches her career from an “outcomes-focused position,” prioritizing each client’s specific housing goals rather than simply selling an available product. “I work to create meaningful relationships,” she says. “At the end of the process, the client is happy and will refer me to their sphere.”
Levy learned about real estate from her father, a real estate investor. She followed in his footsteps and began investing, and then eventually expanded into sales. “Getting into sales offered a career and lifestyle where I could have flexibility and be present as a mother and be personally responsible for my earnings,” she adds.
In addition to spending as much time with her husband and children as possible, Levy is a servant leader and is active in the local chapters of The Links, Incorporated and Jack and Jill of America. She is also president-elect of the newly chartered Women’s Council of Realtors, South Suburban Network, which has given her an expanded opportunity to speak to other women in real estate. “I’m proud to use this platform to share my personal experiences with other women,” she says, “and hopefully show that you can be an active parent and a top producing Realtor at the same time.”
