A good real estate agent knows your secrets and keeps them. Like the fact that you need oversized closets to house your massive shoe collection. That you're a hoarder or a minimalist. Whether you prefer long, luxurious baths or speedy showers. That you're an accomplished cook looking for a big kitchen or that everything you eat comes from a take-out container. An exceptional real estate agent understands what you want and is as determined to help you find it as if the search were for his or her own home. You can expect that level of dedication from Monique Sandberg, Realtor® Associate of Prudential Preferred Properties, when you enlist her services to buy or sell a property. Not only is Monique a positive go-getter who is always looking out for her clients, she's also community-focused, down-to-earth and a genuinely fun person to be around. The fun comes, in part, from Monique's own history with motorbikes, fashion and beer.
Monique may have been a Chicagoan for nearly 20 years, but her roots are in Valparaiso, Indiana. She and her two brothers spent their childhoods outdoors riding motorbikes, which her brother raced in competitions around the state. "Our grandfather owned the land behind our house, so there was plenty of room to roam," recalls Monique. "We were always the house where the neighborhood kids came to play." Monique's dad owned the local auto repair business and towing shop. "That's where my entrepreneurial sense came from," Monique explains. "My dad always wanted me to drive a big car when I was in high school for safety reasons. I learned that I could put seven or eight people in my car and drive to a concert and collect gas money to cover my expenses." Self-confidence and fearlessness came from her mom. "My dad was responsible for all of the towing in the region, so sometimes my mom had to load up the motorhome with the kids and the bikes and drive us to my brother's racing competitions by herself. She taught me to take the initiative to do things yourself."
During high school, Monique worked at the local independent department store—a combination grocery store, hardware store, and furniture store. "One minute I was selling shotguns and the next I was selling gold jewelry," she laughs. The challenge of working in retail appealed to her, so Monique made her way to Purdue after graduation to study retail management. This degree exposed her to all sorts of classes, ranging from buying and supervision, to foods and nutrition. One professor in particular taught Monique a valuable lesson. "I had a negotiation class with Dr. Fineberg," she recalls. "On our first day, he said to everyone that we'd need to take responsibility for ourselves—both in this class and in the world. He told us that how we worked together mattered. That really made a strong impression on me."
Right after college, Monique moved to Chicago and put her degree to the test. For the next eight years she worked in men's and women's fashion ranging from The Gap in Water Tower Place to Ann Taylor on Oak Street. "I watched the stars walk down Oak Street for years," Monique says. Right about the time that she had her fill, a new opportunity presented itself. At that time, the craft beer industry was taking off around the country. So Monique put her marketing skills to work as a sales rep for a New York brewer that specialized in a Belgian fit beer flavored with orange and coriander. As she brought samples to bars and liquor stores to pitch the product, Monique started to learn the peculiar ropes of working with beer distributors.
The work she did pounding the pavement without any marketing support didn't go unnoticed. Sam Adams snapped her up as a sales rep for an Oregon ale nine months later. "They sent me for training in Boston," says Monique. "I had to learn a lot about beer, and beer and food pairings. I worked my tail off." Then Goose Island came knocking and made her an offer to join their team as one of their sales reps. "It appealed to me that they were a young, dynamic group of entrepreneurs," says Monique. Pretty soon she was gaining respect and making a name for herself in what was a male dominated business. During her seven years at Goose Island, Monique earned her street credibility and the nickname "Mother Goose." Several years after she had left Goose Island, she happened to bump into an engineer and plant manager for Bell's Brewery in Kalamazoo, Michigan. His response was, "I can't believe I've finally met you. You are an icon in the business."
While she was working at Goose Island, Monique bought her first piece of property—a one-bedroom condo in Andersonville. "I made a huge leap of faith and I bought from plans," recalls Monique. "When I moved in, there were still no doors and everything was covered in drywall dust." She got involved with the condo association immediately and started working with the developer to make sure he finished the punchlist that he promised to complete. "While on the board, I held all positions including handyman," says Monique. "I learned how to keep radiators from clanking, how to fix sewers that had fallen apart, and how to deal with the electrical problems that arose when our parapet wall was hit by lightning." While this was going on, Monique was sharing her knowledge and experience with friends who were starting the process of buying their first property. "I became a cheerleader for buying property, encouraging my friends that they could do it too," she explains.
Pretty soon, she found herself looking for properties with her friends, traveling to showings with them and helping them make their decisions. All the work she was doing to help her friends become homeowners inspired Monique to consider a career in real estate. She knew Chicago's neighborhoods well from driving around everywhere and selling beer to the local shops and restaurants. And she certainly knew sales. Eventually she took the leap, leaving Goose Island and going to study at the Chicago Association of Realtors. After hearing a lot of war stories from seasoned real estate agents, Monique passed her test and jumped right into work in Lincoln Square at Century 21 Sussex & Reilly.
Real estate was a perfect place for Monique to land: it balanced her people skills and sales skills with her love of homes. Ironically, Monique's first client as a real estate agent came from a relationship she had built in her previous job. "I was at an open house and one of the first people to walk in was a bartender I dealt with when I was in the beer business," she recalls. "It was her first purchase and she was nervous, so we looked at about 80 properties in four months. I saw a lot of myself in her. She was a tough customer, but working with her helped me learn the market." Monique's experience in building maintenance comes in especially handy. Her eye is trained to find structural flaws and maintenance issues when looking at a property, which makes her a great advocate for her clients. Working with clients brings back the excitement of buying a new property over and over again to someone who genuinely loves the process of renovating, decorating, and home improvement. "You won't find People Magazine in my house," says Monique. "Just Dwell, This Old House, and Better Homes & Gardens." Not too long after she got her real estate career going, Monique found herself a new place to live. She moved to a two flat right in the neighborhood that gives her plenty of space to garden.
After working as an agent for Koenig & Strey for a time, Monique is now with Prudential Preferred Properties. She is also the exclusive sales representative for the Fountain View property, a new environmentally friendly residential building that will soon be built north of Giddings Plaza. A combination of first-floor retail and residential space, Fountain View will have 18 two and three bedroom units. "These units are perfect for people who want to stay right in the neighborhood, but still want the amenities of a single family home," explains Monique. The development team plans to make Fountain View Lincoln Square's first LEED-certified green building. LEED is a rating system introduced by the U.S. Green Building Council that helps architects and builders create sustainable buildings that have a positive effect on communities and the people who inhabit them. "I'm fortunate to be involved with a conscientious developer on this project," says Monique. "I believe that a building can be a citizen, and Fountain View definitely will be a good citizen of the neighborhood." Groundbreaking is due to take place in Summer 2007 and the project is slated to be ready for occupancy in 2008. Visit www.fountainview-lincolnsquare.com for more information.
Ever since the day she first arrived in Lincoln Square, Monique has been an active part of the community. She joined the Chamber immediately, has served as a board member, and is now the Chamber's Vice President. Last year she received the Board Award for Distinguished Service in recognition of all of the volunteer work she does to keep the community going. Shortly after she moved into her new place in Lincoln Square, she threw a barbecue and invited all of her neighbors so that she could get to know them. "I firmly believe that it enriches your life to be involved with your community," says Monique. "I need to be part of that." Monique loves living in Lincoln Square and is happy to help others find a home here. "Lincoln Square is like a little village," she says. "You have easy access to downtown, but you really don't have to leave. I also like that I can have a back yard and a garden here."
So if you're looking to buy or sell a home and you want to work with an ambitious real estate agent who will always keep your needs in mind (and under wraps), contact Monique Sandberg. Although she specializes in homes in the Lincoln Square area, she's perfectly capable of finding the right property for you wherever it may be. What's most important to Monique is finding the place that is right for you. "I don't want you to be a client one time, I want you to come back," explains Monique. "It's much easier to do the job correctly the first time, so that I become the resource that you trust."
Monique Sandberg
Prudential Preferred Properties
1620 West Belmont Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
312.513.5021
www.fountainview-lincolnsquare.com
www.AllChicagoLofts.com
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