Eight years ago, Anastasiia Hurtova moved from Ukraine to Chicago to study law. She had never visited the city but began learning about it and the surrounding areas one neighborhood at a time. She lived in Oak Park, Portage Park, Lakeview and then Ravenswood, where she still resides. Her love of history led her on walking tours across the city, during which she learned how different areas developed and grew familiar with the communities she now serves as a broker.

Real estate was part of Hurtova’s life from a young age. “My parents used to drive around neighborhoods looking at different houses,” she recalls. “Later they got into buying foreclosed homes and reselling them on the open market and eventually owning some condos they rented out.” Those early experiences inspired her long-term goal of becoming a landlord. After arriving in the United States, she was surprised by how much more common renting is here than in Ukraine, which motivated her to help more people become homeowners.

Before becoming an agent, Hurtova earned a master’s degree in law and worked in legal and business-development roles at Chicago law firms. Though she valued the experience, she wanted to run her own business, connect with people and work beyond an office. Real estate enabled her to do so while applying her background in law and marketing.

Now a licensed real estate broker with the Ben Lalez Team at Compass, Hurtova works with first-time buyers and sellers and expatriate clients throughout Chicago’s North Side neighborhoods. Her specialties include condos and single-family homes, and she studies construction, lending, inspections and remodeling so she can help her clients make informed decisions.

Hurtova stays active and open to trying new things. In her free time, she learns Italian, takes tennis lessons, practices trapeze at Foster Beach and explores workout studios around the city.