Kerry Turgeon has made a career of helping buyers find their dream home in both of her favorite places - Hinsdale and southwest Florida. (Jim Slonoff photo)
Kerry Turgeon's real estate clients tend to fall into one of two categories. And whether they're young adults planning a move from the city or empty-nesters looking for a warm retreat, Turgeon has been in their shoes.
As a young mother herself, Turgeon made the difficult decision to leave the city for the suburbs. She said she understands the doubts that buyers might have, but she also knows the many things that make Hinsdale the right choice for her and so many homeowners.
"I show them the houses, but I also show them the restaurants, the shops and the parks," Turgeon said. "I know everything there is to know about Hinsdale."
Turgeon turned to real estate as a way to use her years of sales experience while also spending more time at home with her three children. She started out helping friends with their moves and steadily built a business in the town she has called home for 18 years.
Fourteen years after selling her first home, Turgeon still gets a thrill when the final papers are signed.
"I love at the closing, the excitement people have," said Turgeon, an agent with Baird & Warner in Hinsdale.
Turgeon recently obtained her real estate license in Florida and splits her business between the western suburbs of Chicago and warm destinations to the south, including Naples and Marco Island.
Having vacationed in southwest Florida her entire life, Turgeon said she knows the area. And as a lifelong resident of the Chicago area, she knows what buyers are looking for in a warm-weather getaway.
While her Florida buyers are often empty-nesters looking to relocate or purchase a cold-weather escape, most Hinsdale buyers are young people moving their families from the city to the suburbs. They're typically looking for space to work from home and space for their children to grow and play, Turgeon said. But not just any space will do.
"It has to look pretty," said Turgeon.
Buyers are drawn to a modern decor, with plenty of grays and whites.
But buyers in either of Turgeon's primary markets don't have a lot of time to contemplate a purchase. To get into a home, buyers have to be ready to move, with a pre-approval in hand.
"Hinsdale homes will last a day or two," Turgeon said.
Southwest Florida homes, on the other hand, are often spoken for within hours of hitting the market. An onsite showing agent helps to facilitate long-distance showings via Facetime.
"You can't see everything in a video," said Turgeon, whose on-site associate can tell buyers things like what the neighborhood looks like and how the property smells.
Her website allows her buyers to create searches for the exact property they hope to find, whether in Illinois or Florida.
"The minute something comes to market, you're notified," she said.
Frequent trips to Florida are part of Turgeon's hands-on approach to real estate. She said her customers know she's always just a phone call, an email or a quick flight away.
- story by Sandy Illian Bosch
