When Gretchen Gullo entered the real estate industry 30 years ago, her longtime interest in homes and properties inspired her career transition. Yet the endless opportunity to help others, especially families, in Chicago’s northwest suburbs is what kept her in real estate. “My background was in child development and family studies, and I had been executive director for two nonprofit agencies that cared for children,” she reflects. “My love of working with parents as well as loving real estate made me take the plunge and never look back.”

Clients appreciate Gullo’s faith, candor and expertise, but they also value her integrity and willingness to listen. “I work hard to understand what they really want and stay on their page, not mine,” she explains.

Most of her clients originate from referrals from her network of past clients, friends and neighbors, a position Gullo feels honored to be in. Although she has won many awards, she doesn’t focus on them; instead, her greatest satisfaction is in getting clients to the closing table and handing an excited buyer the keys to their new home. “Awards are nice, but they never replace person-to-person relationships and treating every client as if they were your first. I still try to live by that advice I received from a favorite mentor,” she says, adding that she treats every seller’s home as though it were her own.

As she conducts business, Gullo seeks opportunities to care for families in her personal life by mentoring young mothers through the MomCo organization. She also serves as the elder liaison for her church’s trustee board. She unwinds by spending time outdoors and cheering for the Cubs and Blackhawks.