Serving the Chicago Real Estate Community since 2001. I hold several designations that signify my dedication to education to better serve my clients. I am an Accredited Buyer's Representative, a Certified Residential Specialist, Certified Negotiations Specialist, Accredited Staging Professional, Residential Finance Specialist and an E-PRO Certified Realtor. I specialize in first time home-buying and selling, historical bungalows,estate sales, new construction/conversions and modest investments. I offer extensive counseling sessions for beginners, refresher courses for the experienced, and I am always email and internet friendly important to today's busy lifestyles.
"Julie spent about two hours the first time I met her educating me on..." Read More
"Julie spent about two hours the first time I met her educating me on how we'd work if I chose to do so and made sure I'd feel comfortable asking questions (trust was of utmost importance). From the get go she set high expectations for herself and then she exceeded them. Her experience was invaluable (handling last minute paperwork which is how we were the winning offer on my current home).
She made sure to answer any question I might have and in the few occasions it was not her expertise, she got me in touch with the right person. She's well connected and the people she recommends (the whole time I was free to work with others) are great as well. Julie is the kind of person who has made an art out of being a Realtor (read her mission statement), she put my needs as a buyer before hers which also meant taking the time to understand what they were. Also she saved me from making a couple of uneducated decisions.
Julie always had time for me and was prompt getting back to me."
"Julie acted as our buyer agent for our Downtown Chicago condo search...." Read More
"Julie acted as our buyer agent for our Downtown Chicago condo search. She exceeded my expectations at every turn. Here are a few high-lights
- During our initial meeting she prepared an amazing byer folder that included explinations on all aspects of the buying process including references for lawyers and mortgage companies. We ended up using most of Julie's references as they were very competitive and proffessional
- Attentive: Julie listened very carefully and produced high quality homes for our MLS review. Once we made a comment about a home characterstic, she did not override it for her searches, at least no without noting that it was inconsistent with our requirements and explaining why she felt it was worth including in the search.
- Once we narrowed down our "must visit" homes. She created "high-energy" home visits that allowed us to see 15 homes each weekend day.
Our closing went off without a hitch and we now own a beautiful condo on Belmont. Julie Rocks!"
Response: "A true representation of today's type of buyers. I learned so much from them."
Julie is Awesome!!! - tricia (Mar 03, 2009)
tricia sold a home and would recommend using Julie for your home purchase. Comments:
"I placed my condo on the market right before it REALLY took a dive. ..." Read More
"I placed my condo on the market right before it REALLY took a dive. I live in another state; not only did I have tenants, but got new ones 2x. The process was long, but I knew Julie would sell my condo, even in a very tough market. She keeps abreast of current market conditions & events that affect both real estate and mortgages. She is technologically current, and takes advantage of all the internet marketing possibilities. In my transaction, she always put my best interest first, & handled it with diplomacy, honesty & superb integrity. There were some tough moments, but she remained calm, cool & classy at all times. Julie is the best! My lawyer was also very impressed with her & her real estate savvy. If I ever buy in Chicago again, she will be 1 of the first calls I make. Do not hesitate to hire her; you will LOVE her."
Response: "We really worked hard to get this sold. This seller was such a joy to work with given the difficulities we faced."
Julie Woodward Trenker - Casimir Finley (Aug 26, 2008)
Casimir Finley sold a home and would recommend using Julie for your home purchase. Comments:
"Julie was a great realtor to work with – and helped me get a great..." Read More
"Julie was a great realtor to work with – and helped me get a great price and manage the sales process under challenging circumstances. After several years overseas with my career, I decided to sell my condo back home since I’d outgrown it. Because I was still overseas, I needed an agent who would go beyond the “everyday stuff” to protect my interests and make the transaction happen smoothly. Her advice on pricing my unit was spot on and not only was Julie great at handling everything, but she anticipated issues before they became problems. Even my tenant had great things to say about her…so friendly and warm she has the gift that those with whom she speaks have a special joy in listening to her and feel completely confident in the experience.
Following this experience she has ****isted me and serveral of my friends and family members in the direction of purchasing of residential properties. I recommend her highly, she is intellectual agent on target with the markets and the consumer."
Response: "A truly savvy seller." This review has been confirmed by the reviewer.
best house ever! - victoria cabrera (Aug 25, 2008)
victoria cabrera bought a home and would recommend using Julie for your home purchase. Comments:
"Julie was extremely knowledgable and made the home-buying process..." Read More
"Julie was extremely knowledgable and made the home-buying process very easy and understandable. The "manual" that she put together for us is chock-full of information that covers every step of the way.
While it took us months to get into our first home, I never felt that Julie was frustrated or bored with us. In fact, she was very sympathetic and kept us motivated to keep going.
On walk-thrus, Julie offered helpful advice and pointed out many things that we as first-time home buyers did not know.
Overall, we are very very pleased that we found Julie and that she made our entire experience so exciting and easy.
THANKS!"
Response: "This was one of the sweetest couples I had the pleasure to work with. Their budget was small, but their dreams were big. They epitomized why I love my job, which is helping people realize their dream."
Buy/Sell Review - Joel Leiker (Jul 28, 2008)
Joel Leiker sold a home and would recommend using Julie for your home purchase. Comments:
"Listing my place to sell:
Julie did a great job getting my place..." Read More
"Listing my place to sell:
Julie did a great job getting my place on the market and doing the necessary background work to ensure that my sale was listed at an appropriate market value.
Buy:
Julie did a good job in quickly working with us and the seller of the place/agent to get this done.
Follow-through on my sale:
Where I think services fell short were followup and communication throughout the completion of the sale of my place. I was forced into constant contact with my buyers lender, agent and lawyer as things were falling apart quickly. I could have used ****istance in this process as my lawyer often mentioned that my realtor should be doing this or should have been aware. Once Julie was aware of what was going on she stepped in but it was too late at that point because it was so late in the process. In the end it worked out so that was good."
Response: "Transactions always work smoother when tasks are left to the professionals. Less people involved, the less likely there will be frustration, confusion and misunderstanding. In a stressful situation like buying and selling real estate simultaneously, it can be difficult to relinquish control."
"In moving to Chicago from out of town, my fiancée and I were very..." Read More
"In moving to Chicago from out of town, my fiancée and I were very nervous about buying the "right" home, especially since we were first time home buyers.
After vetting a number of agents, we landed on Julie and were sold instantly.
Besides holding our hands and supplying us with copious amounts of information, Julie took the time and effort to make sure we got exactly the house we were looking for. Most other agents would have gotten frustrated and given up on us with all the waffling we went through, but Julie was never anything but encouraging. When it came time to make an offer on the house, Julie actually encouraged us to make a LOWER offer than we had planned. She is tremendously professional, friendly, likable, helpful, and ultimately useful in the age of the internet. I would recommend Julie to any person considering buying a house in Chicago."
Response: "This couple kept me on my toes and I loved it!"
Relocation to Chicago - Ron Alesi (Apr 08, 2008)
Ron Alesi bought a home and would recommend using Julie for your home purchase. Comments:
"We met Julie by a referral. She's not the 1st RE person we dealt with..." Read More
"We met Julie by a referral. She's not the 1st RE person we dealt with in Chicago. I was relocated from New York and only had 5 days to "check out" the area. During our visit, we met a RE person who showed us around "a liitle" . When we returned to NY, I contacted her to ask for help in finding an apartment to live in until I sold my home back east. She replyed that she "didn't do apartments" and mailed me a newpaper. That's when we met Julie over the phone. She ran with it and found my wife and I and 2 (small) dogs an apartment in Arlington Heights near my job. Who knows where we would have ended up with a newspaper as a guide. Julie spent the next several months with us and showed us the area. We had the luxury of some time until we made our choice. Julie showed us Port Barrington near the Fox River. We loved the area and made our choice of neighborhood. We ended up purchasing a home in a sub-divison called Riverwalk. Julie is the best and the only person we ever offer as a referral."
Response: "This was one of my most complex relocation transactions. Terrific experience."
Julie is great! - Tracy Sanchez (Feb 06, 2008)
Tracy Sanchez bought a home and would recommend using Julie for your home purchase. Comments:
"I have used Julie to purchase a number of properties and recommend..." Read More
"I have used Julie to purchase a number of properties and recommend her highly. She is well informed, does her research for each home purchase/sale, and sets a high standard for other realtors to follow. If you want an agent that will go the extra mile for you and does what is in the best interest of her client, hire Julie."
Response: "This buyer knows her stuff so being unprepared was never acceptable."
Julie is the best. - michael (Oct 04, 2007)
michael bought a home and would recommend using Julie for your home purchase. Comments:
"Julie is the most professional realtor that we have delt with. She..." Read More
"Julie is the most professional realtor that we have delt with. She made us feel as if we were her only clients. Julie spent countless hours on the phone, email and in person helping us purchase our home.She is a tough negociator and will always look out for your best intrest. We will use Julie in all of real estate transactions and continue to refer our friends to her."
Response: "Michael had to shop for a home while his wife resided out of state. This required some thorough data and a clear, objective perspective for this couple to feel confident with their choice."
Julie was helpful and very supportive! - Beth Swanson (Sep 24, 2007)
Beth Swanson bought a home and would recommend using Julie for your home purchase. Comments:
"As first time home buyers, my husband and I were nervous and not sure..." Read More
"As first time home buyers, my husband and I were nervous and not sure what to expect. Julie had answers to all of our questions and was always available to us when we needed her. I could not imagine going through that process without her. We will definitely be working with Julie again in the future."
Response: "Time was a sensitive factor here. I was glad to learn so much from them."
I've Recommended Julie 4 Times! - Jennifer Siegel (Sep 23, 2007)
Jennifer Siegel bought a home and would recommend using Julie for your home purchase. Comments:
"I've worked with Julie twice now and she's been great. She sold my..." Read More
"I've worked with Julie twice now and she's been great. She sold my last condo in 3-days, and helped me find two places that were very "me". I' ve recommended her to 4 of my friends,and they have all equally successful experiences with her!"
"We were extremely pleased with Julie's performance during the selling..." Read More
"We were extremely pleased with Julie's performance during the selling of our condo. Julie was a referral from my brother, who was equally impressed with her performance during the buying process, and could not say enough great things about his experience. So, when it came time to sell our condo, we went back to Julie and she handled the entire transaction as a true professional. My spouse & I are previous homeowners and have dealt with numerous realtors; nobody even comes close to the level of communication possessed by Julie. She constantly provided status updates throughout the process and gave us her undivided attention. Julie went the extra mile by giving our property maximum exposure; not easy considering our condo was on a less-traveled one-way street. Not only is Julie knowledgable, she is tenacious when dealing with the other parties...something you WILL definitely appreciate. If you are looking for a no-nonsense realtor who actually listens; you will not be disappointed."
Response: "These clients were not going to expect anything less than perfection. I valued the experience." This review has been confirmed by the reviewer.
(37 homes sold)
Sold on: 2008-08-22 Sales Price: $190,000
3347 S. Wood St. (map it)
Chicago, IL 60608 Represented: Buyer
Sold on: 2008-07-18 Sales Price: $280,000
497 Pheasant Chase Dr. (map it)
Bolingbrook, IL 60490 Represented: Buyer
Sold on: 2008-07-18 Sales Price: $165,000
530 W. Washington Blvd (map it)
Oak Park, IL Represented: Seller
Sold on: 2008-05-28 Sales Price: $270,000
40 E. 9th St. (map it)
Chicago, IL 60605 Represented: Buyer
Sold on: 2008-09-10 Sales Price: $317,000
2448 N. Fairfield Ave. (map it)
Chicago, IL 60647 Represented: Seller
Sold on: 2008-06-03 Sales Price: $442,500
1851 W. Chase Ave. (map it)
Chicago, IL 60626 Represented: Buyer
Sold on: 2008-07-01 Sales Price: $355,000
5219 N. Winthrop St. (map it)
Chicago, IL 60640 Represented: Buyer
Sold on: 2007-11-06 Sales Price: $324,900
2332 W. Huron (map it)
Chicago, IL 60612 Represented: Buyer
Sold on: 2007-07-20 Sales Price: $188,000
817 E. 41st St. (map it)
Chicago, IL 60653 Represented: Buyer
Sold on: 2007-06-30 Sales Price: $325,000
1212 N. Wells St. (map it)
Chicago, IL 60610 Represented: Buyer
Sold on: 2007-06-29 Sales Price: $134,000
420 W. Belmont Ave. (map it)
Chicago, IL 60657 Represented: Seller
Sold on: 2007-06-28 Sales Price: $260,000
525 N. Ada St. (map it)
Chicago, IL 60622 Represented: Seller
Sold on: 2007-06-13 Sales Price: $320,000
1500 W. Monroe St. (map it)
Chicago, IL 60607 Represented: Buyer
Sold on: 2007-05-15 Sales Price: $404,900
5556 N. Sheridan (map it)
Chicago, IL 60640 Represented: Buyer
Sold on: 2006-11-15 Sales Price: $400,000
6015 N. Mozart (map it)
Chicago, IL 60659 Represented: Buyer
Sold on: 2006-11-17 Sales Price: $360,000
1817 N. Newcastle Ave. (map it)
Chicago, IL 60707 Represented: Seller
Sold on: 2006-12-31 Sales Price: $166,900
4537 S. Drexel Blvd. (map it)
Chicago, IL 60653 Represented: Buyer
Sold on: 2009-02-06 Sales Price: $175,000
4045 N. Kimball (map it)
Chicago, IL 60618 Represented: Seller
Sold on: 2006-07-20 Sales Price: $410,000
1036 N. Taylor (map it)
Oak Park , IL 60302 Represented: Buyer
Sold on: 2006-06-08 Sales Price: $341,000
1333 W. North Shore Ave. (map it)
Chicago, IL 60626 Represented: Buyer
Sold on: 2009-03-16 Sales Price: $495,000
1635 W. Belmont Ave. (map it)
Chicago, IL 60657 Represented: Buyer
Sold on: 2006-05-15 Sales Price: $370,000
2358 W. Bloomingdale Ave. (map it)
Chicago, IL 60647 Represented: Seller
Sold on: 2006-10-30 Sales Price: $230,000
1452 N. Talman (map it)
Chicago, IL 60622 Represented: Seller
Sold on: 2009-09-24 Sales Price: $90,000
3303 N. Drake Ave. (map it)
Chicago, IL 60618 Represented: Buyer
Sold on: 2009-10-23 Sales Price: $230,000
4736 N. Magnolia #G (map it)
Chicago, IL 60640 Represented: Seller
Sold on: 1969-12-31 Sales Price: $0
(map it)
, IL Represented: Seller
Sold on: 1969-12-31 Sales Price: $0
(map it)
, IL Represented: Seller
Sold on: 1969-12-31 Sales Price: $0
(map it)
, IL Represented: Seller
Sold on: 1969-12-31 Sales Price: $0
(map it)
, IL Represented: Seller
Sold on: 1969-12-31 Sales Price: $0
(map it)
Chicago, IL Represented: Seller
Sold on: 1969-12-31 Sales Price: $0
(map it)
Chicago, IL Represented: Seller
Sold on: 1969-12-31 Sales Price: $0
(map it)
Chicago, IL Represented: Seller
Sold on: 1969-12-31 Sales Price: $0
(map it)
Chicago, IL Represented: Seller
Sold on: 1969-12-31 Sales Price: $0
(map it)
Chicago, IL Represented: Seller
Sold on: 1969-12-31 Sales Price: $0
(map it)
Chicago, IL Represented: Seller
Sold on: 1969-12-31 Sales Price: $0
(map it)
Chicago, IL Represented: Seller
Sold on: 2009-11-30 Sales Price: $390,000
453 N. Green St. (map it)
Chicago, IL 60642 Represented: Buyer
What year did you become a real estate agent?
2000
How many years have you been in Real Estate?
7
What is the average home price in your market?
250-500,000
Are there any new developments or trends in your area?
What is new to the scene is hotel/condo investment properties.
Why do you enjoy being a real estate agent?
I love working with buyers just starting out,especially women who have made the decision to invest in their financial future.
For working with sellers, it's the thrill of staging their property and amazing them with quick results!
What is the most challenging issue you face as a Real Estate Professional?
Lack of cooperation from either a buyer or seller. It is definitely a team effort. Your results are based on what you are willing to invest, both time and money.
Tell us one of your client success stories or an interesting moment in your profession.
I have plenty. Among my favorites is getting incredible deals or really successful terms to a purchase agreement for my first time homebuyers. I become really excited when I know they will make a great return.
What is your best characteristic?
I take a personal investment in my clients. I know the challenges of homeownership and the fears of getting started. My objective is to make it as painless as possible.
Who or what inspires you the most?
Single Moms raising children on their own. My mother was doing just that and remained a renter all her life because of the mental and financial limitations. I strive to break the cycle for women who feel that they can't do it on their own.
What is the best advice you ever received?
Never give up.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Where I am at right now.