Meet Theresa Panzica of Law Office of Theresa L. Panzica

Today we’d like to introduce you to Theresa L. Panzica.

Theresa’s real estate experience spans over four decades. Being raised in the family real estate law office, she has been training for her current position from a very young age. From answering phones to being a summer employee in her teens, Theresa excelled in each role. In her early 20s, Theresa transitioned into a title company escrow closer and law clerk.

Sworn into the Illinois Bar in May of 2006, Theresa was able to immediately practice due to her work experience. She primarily focused on representation of purchasers and sellers, business entity formation, condominium association and some short sales.

When the real estate market crashed in 2008, short sales became the majority of the firm’s work. As the market recovered, the services provided by the Law Office of Theresa L. Panzica expanded to offer representation for all types of real estate transactions.

Theresa strives for perfection not only for her firm, but for her clients as well. Panzica holds various accolades including being mentioned in the Chicago Tribune, being named Chicago Agent Magazine’s Who’s Who in Chicago Real Estate for 2016, and being named a rising star in Top Agent Magazine in 2017. She is a proud member of the Chicago Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, Justinian Society of Lawyers, and the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association. Theresa loves being involved in her community and volunteers her time to speak at real estate related not-for-profits where she shares her real estate expertise.

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?
Although I have been in real estate for a long time, when I first opened my practice 11 years ago the real adventure began. At that time, we were at the height of the market. Two years later, we hit the bottom, and the recovery has been a long, slow process. My client base changes year after year, and we have to make sure we’re making the right changes to accommodate our client base.

My first 6 years, I had a skeleton support staff. Business was unsteady because I took on too much all at one time. I was unable to talk to clients or meet with them freely because I did not leverage much of anything. I answered every email almost instantly, but I could not even pick up the phone because I was handling everything on my own. My clients were not getting the best version of myself nor were they getting the best service. Clients value being able to access their attorney over the phone and I wasn’t doing well in that aspect.

For the past 5 years, I have been building my law firm to make sure my clients receive the best service possible. Currently, we have five attorneys on staff and three part-time support staff members, but are looking to grow even more to better serve our clients. Having this strong team behind me means we are always ready to answer any and all questions, we have regular communication with all of our clients, and I am able to handle client meetings, calls, classes, speaking engagements, and closings. When a client chooses an attorney with an attorney team like mine behind them, they can have faith in knowing their file will never miss a beat.

Law Office of Theresa L. Panzica LLC – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Our law firm uses a practical approach by providing systematic workflow methods, communication methods, and due diligence research rather than negligently relying on third-party statements. We provide extended hours for our clients including nights and weekends. Also, due to our extensive experience handling a high-volume files, we are able to provide practical advice on the process and are able to navigate our clients through issues that we see arising often and how they can avoid them. Our primary goal is to help clients navigate through the home buying and selling process in a calm, stress-free way. We do this by preparing them for the process and warning them of common pitfalls.

It is our firm belief that real estate is about families building wealth and security, and is one of the most exciting times in our client’s lives. Some firms lose sight of what we are truly doing – helping families buy or sell homes – and we feel so lucky to be able to practice law in an area that brings so much joy and excitement to our clients. We also make it a priority to build relationships with the other professionals involved in the transaction – home inspectors, insurance agents, appraisers, realtors – who also are trying to protect the client’s interest.

Although attorneys are not allowed to specialize in one area of the law, our firm does heavily concentrate on real estate transactions and are one of the only firms in Chicago to do so. It is important that consumers are selecting an attorney staff with a dedicated passion for real estate. This passion comes from the vast knowledge that can only be obtained by an attorney that concentrates in that area. My father’s firm also concentrated in real estate law, so we carry a name that is well-known in the real estate industry thanks to his initial hard work along with what my firm has done in his footsteps.

During the Great Recession, we primarily handled short sales. My father and I held Saturday classes about foreclosures and short sales, and we became known for our short sale expertise; however, prior to this, we mostly represented developers, buyers, and sellers. In the past 4 years, we have gotten back to handling all types of real estate transactions – not just short sales. I am inspired by the educational strategy and we are known for providing regular education. We hold events or have speaking engagements up to 5 times a week.  The topics are cutting edge, innovative, engaging, and inspiring to both the consumer and the real estate professional.  For example, our big industry class last year, Looks, Leads, and Lunch combined real estate with Nordstrom’s, Ash + Ames, and Hair and Make up stylists. And we are bringing new and exciting formats to the consumer this year, stay tuned for those to be announced.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment of my career is on going, our law firms growth has allowed us to continuously offer legal assistance without ever charging our fees upfront. Our business model is so important because it means we are able to help everyone, even if they are in a distressed situation. Receiving awards and building our clientele base is very rewarding, but nothing is more rewarding than knowing we are truly helping people.

I am so content with where we are now which allows me to be a better attorney, employer, friend to those in the industry as well as personally, daughter to my very supportive parents, mother to my three beautiful daughters, and wife to my husband (an attorney at the firm who’s focus is Spanish-speaking clients and closings). I am so grateful to be at a point where I am able to focus on growing our firm, building relationships with our clients and in the industry, and providing education to our community, both the public and the real estate industry.

Contact Info:

• Address: 2510 W. Irving Park Road Unit A Chicago IL 60618
• Website: www.panzicalawoffice.com
• Phone: 773-539-5970
• Email: contracts@panzicalawoffice.com

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