Hello, Chicago!

This week on the podcast, I sat down with realtor Celeste Chicas, a valued member of the Mark Buckner Group here at Compass. She was kind enough to share her story, from being a child watching her father build family homes in Honduras, to becoming an agent here in the city of Chicago. I’m sharing the transcript of that conversation with you today, so please enjoy.

Mark Buckner: I'm here with Celeste Chicas, and want to share a little bit about her and launching her at the Mark Buckner Group.

Celeste Chicas: I'm Celeste Chicas, a realtor with the Mark Buckner Group here at Compass. I'm originally from Honduras, and I moved to the United States when I was 15. I moved to Chicago shortly after 2015, and have been here since. My first language is Spanish, and I love that. That lets me be of service to the Hispanic community here in Chicago.

Mark Buckner: So Celeste, tell me a little bit about how you got your work ethic.

Celeste Chicas: Actually, I've been working two jobs since college. So my first job was at an accounting firm when I was 16; I translated at an accounting firm for the Hispanic community in a small town in Alabama.

Mark Buckner: And why'd you go to work so early?

Celeste Chicas: I had to help my parents, being immigrants who had just arrived to the United States. We all had to work - we honestly didn't have a choice.

Mark Buckner: How did you know you needed to go to work?

Celeste Chicas: My mom didn't speak English when she first arrived; I was probably the only person in the family that spoke English at the time. Besides that, my dad was sick at the time, so pretty much I was the only one that was able to do the work.

Mark Buckner: Wow, that's a heavy load. It's a heavy weight to carry, especially at 16. So how did that impact you in your work today?

Celeste Chicas: It made me extremely responsible, and definitely build-up that work ethic that I know I can provide to my clients.

Mark Buckner: Sure. So you moved to Alabama when you came here; what brought you to Chicago?

Celeste Chicas: When my dad passed away, I decided I needed a fresh start, so I knew my mom took a weekend trip here shortly after to just get my head away from the whole situation. Honestly, I just fell in love with Chicago I saw the skyline - I just knew I had to move here.

Mark Buckner: What's your favorite neighborhood in Chicago?

Celeste Chicas: I'd say every neighborhood in Chicago has its own unique style, and they're all very fun. I enjoyed visiting, exploring every single one of them, but my favorite is Logan Square. It was the first neighborhood I lived in when I first moved here, and I've seen it grow so much in the past few years. That is still my favorite today.

Mark Buckner: Tell me a little bit about why real estate?

Celeste Chicas: Real estate has been my life since I was a kid; my dad built three of the houses that I lived in from scratch, so I was always part of the construction. I felt like part of the construction team, so it's been part of my life since the beginning. Besides that, of course, it's just such a fun job - the funnest that I have.

Mark Buckner: So what was a valuable lesson about construction that you learned from your father?

Celeste Chicas: He built a home for us, so for me, it wasn't really about real estate - it was about making that home, and being part of making home for his family. Honestly, I didn't really have the concept of real estate, I would just have to come sit in a home when my dad built.

Mark Buckner: Home is important too, yes. How does that translate to you helping with your clients?

Celeste Chicas: Well, I want to give them that sense of home as well.

Mark Buckner: So Celeste, tell me about what skills you learned working as a legal assistant.

Celeste Chicas: Working as a legal assistant, I learned how to problem-solve. Clients would come to our office during the attorney review period with issues with the contract, and we were able to take him from beginning to end and pretty much do all the negotiation process. From there on, I would say that was one of the main skills I learned. Also, I translated contracts in Spanish and English, and I feel like I was able to utilize my Spanish skills as well.

Mark Buckner: It sounds like you also really learned how to problem-solve there, but also how to serve your clients.

Celeste Chicas: Absolutely. Serving our clients is our main focus.

Mark Buckner: So tell me, now that you've been working as a broker at The Mark Buckner Group, what was one of your favorite experiences with a client?

Celeste Chicas: I would honestly say one of my favorite experiences with a client was one I currently work with. It's a young immigrant woman who is buying her first home. It has my favorite because I am able to help her through the process, and to be honest with you, it's such an honor to be part of our American Dream.

Mark Buckner: So tell me, when you entered the field, what was your biggest mistake in real estate?

Celeste Chicas: I have to say my biggest mistake was thinking I could do it on my own, not being part of the team. I needed the guidance of a mentor, and I realized that very quickly. I had a lot of questions, and I had nobody to answer them. Compass has been amazing; my clients love it, I love it, the technology is amazing, and from amazing feedback for my clients. So, my clients are happy, I'm happy.

Mark Buckner: Awesome. Do you have questions, need help? Give me a call at 312-957-7745. Thanks for listening!

As always feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about buying or selling in the Chicago area. Myself, or a member of my team would be happy to guide you through the process.

I’ll see you next week!

Mark Buckner