Growing up in Chicago’s suburbs, Malarie Starosta received her first bit of real estate education from her late father, a licensed Realtor and welder in high-rise construction. Before becoming licensed, she worked at a Gold Coast boutique hotel, nannied, bartended and served as a labor and delivery coach. Each role sharpened her compassion for people and her ability to read a room.
In 2017, Starosta made the bold decision to call around to several real estate brokerages posing as a prospective client — gauging how each treated people — and started her real estate career with the office where she felt most seen. That is what she believes every person buying, selling or renting deserves. Now an experienced broker and member of Home Collective, a top-ranked Compass team with more than $400 million in closed transactions and over 350 clients served, she covers all of Chicago, but specializes in Lincoln Park, West Town, Edgewater, Lakeview and the Gold Coast. Her clients range from first-time buyers to investors and luxury buyers. Most of the people she works with are referrals from past clients.
Starosta’s work with every buyer begins with a three-step process, which sets expectations and benchmarks up front. Her process with sellers consistently nets above-market returns, and clients describe her as direct, kind and genuinely invested — no performance, just results. The Chicago Association of REALTORS® has recognized her team among the top 1% of producers for the past seven years. Additionally, The Wall Street Journal and RealTrends have ranked Home Collective among the top 1.5% of teams nationwide by volume.
A member of national and local Realtor associations, Starosta is now expecting her second child. In her spare time, she volunteers with her team at Nourishing Hope and Humble Design. In addition, she enjoys Chicago history, vintage finds and lakefront walks with her bulldog.
