The BG team expands: Please welcome Mara Walsh!

What did you do before starting in real estate?
I started my career out of college with NCR corporation selling computers and after one year in the Dayton area, I transferred to Chicago to be a part of the First Chicago (now Chase) account team. Initially I was nervous about moving to a much larger city where I didn’t know anyone. I still remember driving into the city for the first time on Lake Shore Drive. I saw the skyline, fell in love immediately and knew Chicago would be my home. To me Chicago is the perfect city, it has diverse neighborhoods and is a great place to make friends and raise a family.

Since moving to Chicago, I have worked as a sales executive for some of the largest technology and consulting firms in the world, including Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, Intel and Capgemini. I have been fortunate to work with Fortune 500 accounts, helping to solve some of their most complex issues. I regularly exceeded my quotas and was recognized on numerous occasions as one of the top-performing global sales professionals. Working in sales has provided me with countless opportunities to develop as a professional and to meet some of the most amazing, inspiring colleagues, partners and friends. I have lived in many parts of the city and the moves I have made over the last 25 years have created a passion for home renovation and interior design, so my move into real estate was a natural transition.

You have worked in marketing and sales for some of the largest and best companies in the world. What is the secret to your success?
I have always been a driven person and believe in the benefits of hard work. However, my career in sales has also taught me the value and power of strong relationships. Strong relationships are the key to success and happiness in business and in life. Working in sales has taught me to be an active listener, to focus on the best outcome, be creative and work to exceed expectations. It’s also taught me that all good relationships are founded on trust – trust that you understand the situation and trust that you will not rest until you deliver the very best results. My goal is to bring all this experience to the Busby Group and deliver the best outcomes and experience to our clients.

Which part of your real estate career are you looking forward to the most?
Real estate gives me the opportunity to combine my experiences with my passions – it doesn’t feel like work when you enjoy what you do. I love networking and helping people find what they want. I love the city of Chicago and what all the different neighborhoods have to offer. I love working with people to reimagine how a house can become their home. I am excited to be a part of each clients’ journey, and help make the process as seamless and easy as possible.

What drew you to the BG Team?
I met Julie through one of the charities we both support and we quickly became friends. As I contemplated a career in real estate, I found myself focusing most on the type of Realtor I wanted to be. Observing how Julie did her job and meeting her team of like-minded, talented, successful women I knew this was the team I wanted to be a part of.

What has been your biggest professional ah-ha moment so far?
Trust matters. I learned through my sales career that in a competitive market, a lot of organizations have what seem like similar offerings and solutions. What really differentiates you is how much time you invest to understand your client’s needs and delivering a unique and rewarding experience—and that’s based on a foundation of trust. Once you have earned their trust, clients will come back to you for new and different opportunities, will refer you within their network and sometimes become valued friends. Ultimately people want to work with people they like and trust—so it’s not about making a quick sale, it’s about working to deliver the right outcome for your client.

What are you most excited about in the coming year?
There are so many things I am looking forward to this year—this will be my third year completing America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride” in Lake Tahoe supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and we will be celebrating my husband’s 50th birthday with our friends and family—but, I am most excited about my new career in real estate. I am looking forward to bringing my experience, passion and energy to the team and learning from all the amazing women that I will be working with at Busby Group. I cannot wait to feel the joy and excitement of helping our clients find their dream home!

Where do you live in Chicago, and what is your favorite neighborhood?
We live in the Andersonville area and I absolutely love it. We are within walking distance of great shopping, numerous restaurants, breweries, distilleries, parks for our dogs, and, of course, the Lakefront! What more could you ask for? When I first moved to the city, I lived in Lincoln Park and the Lakeview area and, while I love Andersonville, I still spend a lot of time staying up-to-date on the shops and restaurants and watching the Cubs in my old neighborhood.

Lightning Round:

You are actively involved in a number of charities; can you tell us a bit about each one?
I am very involved in our local community and actively work with several charities supporting and protecting children. Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center (ChicagoCAC) and their partners are the front-line responders to reports of child sexual abuse, witness to violence and other serious maltreatment. ChicagoCAC is the city’s only not-for-profit organization that coordinates the efforts of child protection staff, law enforcement, family advocates, medical staff and mental health under one roof. Since the doors opened in 2001, the center has served more than 38,000 children and has helped begin their path to healing. I am on the Board and have also co-chaired Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center’s Annual Luminary Award Dinner the past two years. I also currently serve on the annual planning committee.

The past two years, I have participated in “America’s Most Beautiful Ride” around Lake Tahoe supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I am proud to be a part of this team and to once again help raise money for research to fight cancer and find a cure for blood cancers. Last year, our team raised over $180K and the Team in Training raised over $3.6M in one day. It’s an amazing accomplishment to finish the 100-mile ride and to know the money raised is going to such an important cause. The ride and view around Lake Tahoe is spectacular and riding with supporters, survivors and family members riding for past loved ones is truly humbling and inspiring.

I am also involved with KPMG’s Family for Literacy (KFFL) mission to eradicate childhood illiteracy by putting new books into the hands of children in need and developing the next generation of young leaders through reading. Literacy is at the foundation of lifelong learning, and access to books is necessary to build strong reading skills. This unique program is particularly effective because it harnesses the energy and enthusiasm of KPMG’s extended family—not only partners and employees but also spouses, children, interns, retirees, alumni and professional golfers/KPMG Brand Ambassadors, Phil Michelson and Stacy Lewis. KFFL has distributed over 5 million new books to low-income children in 100+ communities across the US.

Your friends joke that everyone in Chicago knows you somehow, what is your number one networking tip?
Yes, I do have several circles of friends and there tends to be a lot of overlap. I love meeting new people and I love connecting people, so I open my circles and introduce different friends who have similar interests to encourage networking. Everyone is busy, so I just make the extra effort to reach out and keep everyone connected.

Favorite Chicago restaurant:
I love food, so I have so many neighborhood favorites like Hopleaf, Budlong Chicken and Roots Pizza to some of my favorite steak restaurants including Maple & Ash and Joe’s Steak and Seafood. Let me tell you that Joe’s has the best bone-in ribeye in the city and of course, I love their stone crab!