Lauren Caruso's communication degree prepared her for the tough conversations and relationships necessary to find success in residential real estate. (Jim Slonoff photo)
Lauren Caruso is just getting started in a business that's always been part of her life.
"My whole family is in real estate," said Caruso, a member of the Diedre Rudich team of Compass Realty and daughter of commercial real estate developer David Bossy and general contractor and interior decorator Debbie Bossy.
But before joining her parents and siblings in the business of buying and selling properties, Caruso earned a degree in communications from the University of Notre Dame. She then learned the ropes of interior design while working with her mom.
"This was the best move for me to make," Caruso said of her decision to become a licensed broker two years ago.
She said the industry combines her vast knowledge of Hinsdale, her experience in interior design, her exposure to the building process and the thrill of helping someone find the right home.
"I love finding the perfect place for someone," Caruso said.
Born and raised in Hinsdale, Caruso said she has firsthand knowledge of the village and the surrounding communities.
"That's a big benefit when doing real estate," she said.
But that doesn't mean her work is confined solely to her hometown.
"We are everywhere in the western suburbs," Caruso said of her real estate team, known as "The Diedre Collective."
While the excitement of finding a couple or family their next home tops Caruso's list of what she loves about her job, she also knows that not all real estate transactions are happy ones.
"Some people are in a difficult spot in life when they need to move," Caruso said. Whether out of necessity or desire, every real estate transaction involves a certain amount of emotion. Caruso said she's attuned to each client's fears, doubts and dreams.
Caruso said every successful real estate agent is in the business of not only marketing and selling homes, but marketing and selling themselves.
"You need to grow your network," she said. That means building relationships throughout the community. That's especially important in a community like Hinsdale, where real estate agent are abundant.
That's where her experience in interior decorating comes in, Caruso said. She's not only able to offer decorating advice to buyers and sellers, she's willing to do much of the work herself.
"There's nothing that I wouldn't do to help a client get a house ready," said Caruso, who has painted walls and loaned out furniture from her own home to stage a house for sale.
"I'm not afraid to get dirty. I'm willing to put in the hard work," she said.
She's also not afraid to show clients a variety of available properties, even if she suspects the house isn't the right fit.
"Look at as much as you can," is Caruso's advice to those shopping for a new home. She advises clients to enter a search with an idea of what you're looking for, but don't limit the search to homes that check all of those boxes.
"Look at things that don't match your list," she said, noting that sometimes buyers discover things they never knew they wanted or rethink features that they once thought were must-haves. "You never really know what you want until you start looking."
- by Sandy Illian Bosch
