​Lydia DeLeo & Jane O’Malley Deliver 'Results That Move You'

This Patch article is sponsored by Lydia DeLeo and Jane O’Malley of Compass Real Estate.

Lydia DeLeo and Jane O’Malley are passionate about helping their clients realize their real estate goals and dreams. With over 40 years of marketing experience, strong knowledge of the local real estate market and a focus on their clients’ unique goals, they pride themselves on being the local market authority.

The pair consistently ranks among the top real estate teams on Chicago’s North Shore, and they have a reputation for providing their clients with a highly personalized level of service, precise knowledge and distinguished care — and a bit of fun!

Patch caught up with Lydia DeLeo and Jane O’Malley, licensed brokers and real estate advisers at Compass Real Estate, to learn more about how their dynamic services and cutting-edge tools and resources are helping clients achieve their real estate goals.

Patch: How long have you been doing business in town?

Lydia and Jane: This past spring marked 20 years collectively that we have been in the real estate business. We are affiliated with Compass, originally founded by entrepreneurs Ori Allon and Robert Reffkin as “Urban Compass” in 2012 with the mission to “help everyone find their place in the world.” Compass expanded into Chicago in late November 2017 and has quickly become one of the fastest-growing brokerages in the Chicago area. Recognized for being highly innovative and solution-oriented, the company continues to lead the way with programs such as concierge services and providing bridge loans to assist both buyers and sellers in achieving their real estate goals and dreams.

Patch: What attracted you to the line of work you’re in, and how did you get started?

Lydia and Jane: We both had successful careers in corporate America prior to entering real estate. Lydia was a successful executive with Fidelity Investments for 14 years, and Jane managed one of the top performing executive suite spaces in the Midwest. Never did we dream of becoming real estate agents when growing up, but the moment we entered the profession we both knew it was our calling. It has been an exciting and wonderful ride, and we have cherished our client relationships and the long-lasting friendships we have made along the way.

Patch: If you had to sum up your business mission to a stranger in five words, what would those words be?

Lydia and Jane: Our tagline says it best: Delivering “Results That Move You.”

Patch: What’s the biggest challenge or most difficult moment you’ve faced in your job?

Lydia and Jane: COVID-19 certainly changed the paradigm for many, both accelerating trends we were already seeing in the marketplace as well as changing the trajectory for some. It also presented one of the more challenging moments in real estate, as we found ourselves having to forgo many of the traditional means we used to market our clients’ homes to a much more heavily virtual emphasis. We quickly pivoted, employing virtual tours for all of our listings, along with hiring a professional videographer and using a drone to showcase both the interior and exterior of each of our clients’ properties. We did a lot of FaceTime showings during this period, in addition to in-person showings for those buyers willing to venture out. In the end, we were able to successfully get our clients’ homes under contract. Going forward, we plan to make virtual marketing part of our strategy for all new listings we roll out.

Patch: What’s the most satisfying part of your job?

Lydia and Jane: The most satisfying part of our job is achieving our clients’ goals and objectives, whether it be for a seller or a buyer. For our sellers, we are here to get them the best price that the market will bear and to sell their home in an optimal time period. For our buyers, we feel a great amount of satisfaction when we find the home that checks all (or most!) of the boxes for them. Seeing happy sellers and buyers on closing days is when we genuinely feel most gratified in our role.

Patch: How would you say your business distinguishes itself from the others?

Lydia and Jane: We have a strong knowledge of the local real estate market and an approach uniquely focused on our clients and their specific goals. Our customers are our most valuable asset, and each marketing plan we develop is designed around what matters most to them. Our main goal is to partner with our clients and be their advocates throughout the home selling or home buying process. We are here to listen and understand their needs, assess and develop the best strategic approach and implement a multi-media use of the tools and resources available to help our clients achieve all of their objectives.

Patch: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given when it comes to success?

Lydia and Jane: Knowledge is power, and we truly embrace this notion by staying on top of the industry trends. We consider ourselves lifelong learners and are passionate about the industry and what we do. One of our favorite sayings, from a now-defunct retailer is, “An Educated Consumer Is Our Best Customer.” Therefore, when working with our clients, we spend a great deal of time assessing their needs, as well as keeping them apprised every step of the process. By educating and managing expectations from beginning to end, we are able to take much of the angst often associated with the process. Ultimately, we attribute our mantra for being the cornerstone to our success.

Patch: Are there any new projects or endeavors you’re working on that you’re extra excited about?

Lydia and Jane: We are always working on ways to enhance both our digital and print presence for purposes of providing valuable information and content to our clients as well as anyone interested. We recently enhanced our monthly newsletter to include more topical information on local real estate news, as well as the community. We also are in the early stages of creating a new website, which we plan to include a library of videos covering a range of topics centered on some of the more commonly asked questions we receive.

Lastly, and perhaps the project we hold most near and dear, is our local quarterly report we have been sending out to our neighbors and friends the last few years. The report is a hyperlocal marketplace overview of the market. In the past, it was a print-only piece we were sending out. However, we have since turned it into a digital brochure for ease of distribution. The complimentary report is available to anyone interested; we just need an email and address for purposes of sending out the report geared to their specific neighborhood.

Patch: Do you have any events coming up in your community?

Lydia and Jane: Events are on the back burner for now due to the pandemic. We are very much looking forward to the day that we will be able to move forward with community events and we have a few ideas up our sleeves when deemed safe.

Patch: How can Patch readers learn more about your work and business?

Lydia and Jane: Our purpose is to serve as a local resource in the community for any real estate needs. To find us, please check out the following:

Website: DeLeo-OMalley.com

Facebook: facebook.com/DeleoandOMalleyRealEstate/

Instagram: Instagram.com/deleo_omalley_northshore/

YouTube: DeLeo & O’Malley NorthShore

Contact Information:

Lydia DeLeo and Jane O’Malley: 847-682-7321
deleo.omalley@compass.com