If there is one thing that grounds René Firmin’s real estate career, it is her love of her home community on the North Shore of Chicago. Firmin transferred with her family several times to a variety of states. But once she found the town she wanted to call home, she knew she had to help other people find their special community, too.
“I knew the excitement and challenges of selling a home and finding not only a house, but a neighborhood that was the best fit,” Firmin explains. “It’s a learning process, and I wanted to be able to help other people through a potentially stressful time.” Soon, Firmin was immersed in not only her children’s school and local organizations, but also a thriving real estate practice. That involvement and support has helped her grow her large referral business. “I am truly grateful that not only did I receive referrals from my direct sphere, I had referrals from referrals from referrals,” she says of her business over the past year.
Her background in global sales with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, as well as in marketing for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, also gave Firmin an advantage when she entered real estate. “In addition to developing marketing and analytical skills, I learned valuable life lessons about listening and anticipating people’s needs,” she says.
In fact, if there is one skill that Firmin believes is vital, it is listening—or what she calls “active listening.” Active listening, she explains, “involves not only hearing what someone is saying, but also paying attention to other subtleties, such as body language. Residential real estate is very personal, and actively listening to our clients is one of the most important qualities a Realtor should have.”
Firmin strives to keep her clients focused on the goal while listening to and acknowledging all of their concerns, frustrations and excitement. The most-common praise she receives from her clients is that she is always “very calm and patient.” It is no wonder, she adds, “that I majored in psychology.”
When Firmin isn’t advising clients, she enjoys managing a busy household with three children, an active golden retriever and a husband with a busy travel schedule.
