Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Kresse.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Emily. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Mine is a classic story of hurry up and wait! I graduated from high school at 16, college at 19, and law school at 23. However, passing the bar in 2007 found me at the beginning of the recession and an oversaturated legal market. I was unable to find a true position as a lawyer for two years after graduating, and did everything from nannying to organizing closets to pay the bills! The positions that were ultimately available during that time were representing banks in all forms of loan workouts; i.e. foreclosures, short sales, deed in lieu, etc. Not exactly the glamorous type of law John Grisham had promised!
By luck or by default, I ended up in the REO (bank-owned real estate) department at my firm, which afforded me the opportunity to learn every aspect of title work and real estate transactions. I did that for about 6 years, and while I was ultimately happy and comfortable working for my previous employers, comfort is not the best breeding ground for growth and professional development.
As such, I took the plunge and started my own firm, The Kresse Group, in 2016. I’ve never looked back! A healthy dose of ‘ignorance is bliss’ and the realization that a steady, predictable paycheck was not going to magically appear on my desk has kept me on my toes and motivated in an exciting and fulfilling way. I absolutely love being my own boss, cutting out the middle-man, and working with my clients and agents directly.
Real estate excites me, and I enjoy working in an area of the law that is typically collaborative, with a finite goal in mind, and an end result that leaves all sides satisfied. Life may not always take the path you’ve intended, but if you remain flexible and open to possibilities, great things can happen!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Real estate is cyclical, so the hardest part has been trusting during the slow times that business will pick back up. Luckily, I’ve always been very good with budgeting, and when referrals are down, I just take that time to step up my networking efforts, attend as many relevant functions as I can, and reach out to contacts that I haven’t heard from in a while.
Please tell us about The Kresse Group.
The Kresse Group is mainly a transactional real estate law firm, representing buyers and sellers of residential and commercial real estate. We can handle all ancillary matters such as drafting leases, formulating LLC’s and Corporations, evictions, code violation defense and property disputes.
I often receive feedback from agents and clients that my responsiveness and availability far surpasses previous experiences that they have had. I truly am available 24/7 and can provide a level of customer service that I think you can’t always find with a bigger firm that doesn’t specialize in one area of the law.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I absolutely love to cook, and my mom allowed me to experiment in the kitchen from a young age. Some of my favorite memories are of honing my culinary skills on a willing audience of family and friends!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kressegroup.com
- Phone: 312.772.3769
- Email: ekresse@kressegroup.com
- Instagram: emily_kresse
- Facebook: @thekressegroup
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