“It can be very painful to put your degree in the drawer, but it can also be a way to discover your real path in life,” says Leopoldo (Leo) Gutierrez, REALTORⓇ at Redfin. “You shouldn’t put boundaries on yourself.”

Leo, who is from the city of Maturin in Venezuela, briefly attended the University of Florida to learn English and obtain a tennis scholarship to a US university, which he did. But ultimately, he chose to move back home for personal reasons. He went on to earn a degree in civil engineering, so as to follow in his father and grandfather’s footsteps, from Santa Maria University. But before he could begin his engineering career, he decided to move to Chicago because of the cultural and political unrest in Venezuela.

“I moved here just six years ago,” explains Leo. “Having to start a new life in a new country due to all the political situations happening in my country made me realize that we shouldn’t take anything for granted and how to appreciate all the little things in life.” 

To add to the challenges he faced, because the US has different construction codes than Venezuela, Leo wasn’t able to leverage his education to launch a career here. So to make a living while considering his future options, he worked in the restaurant industry and coached tennis at the Lakeshore Sport and Fitness Center in Lincoln Park. In the meantime, as a hobby, whenever his friends were looking for places to rent, he’d send them options he found—Leo’s mother owned a real estate brokerage in Venezuela, and he was able to lean on his experience with her business to help his friends, and in so doing, stumbled into his future career. 

“A few different friends who I helped find rentals told me I would be good at being a REALTORⓇ. I always heard my real estate agent mom negotiating on the phone. I think that helped me with my communication skills,” Leo says. “Since it was hard to validate my engineering career, I decided to give real estate a try. After working at it for a few years now, I can say I’ve found my real passion.”

In 2020, Leo earned his real estate license and launched his career without much of a network, aside from a handful of friends. To grow his connections, build his expertise, and encourage referrals, Leo started helping to source rental leases. Those opportunities gave him the foundation to move into residential purchases and sales.

“Being a REALTORⓇ is hard, but imagine being an agent without knowing many people,” Leo explains. “I did pretty well as a leasing agent, but I eventually decided I was ready for the next step.”

Even though he’s only been an agent for a few years, Leo instantly understood the positive impact he could have on people’s lives. He still gets chills of excitement when he’s handing the keys to new homeowners.

“I had a couple who were buying their first home, and they weren’t young,” he recalls. “At closing, they told me, with tears in their eyes, that they had been saving up [money] their whole lives for that moment.”

“That was an eye-opening moment for me,” he adds. “I truly understood the weight I have on my shoulders as an agent, and how important it is to truly represent your clients.”

Outside of serving his clients, Leopoldo enjoys serving up aces on the tennis court. Growing up, he competed in junior tennis and was not only ranked number one in his state for over four years, but he was once ranked among the top-five in his country. Now he plays in USTA leagues in Chicago, and in 2022, his team won the District League Championship. He credits tennis with teaching and giving him the personal discipline and perseverance he utilizes every day, and he credits his family for the love, support, and belief in him he needed to peruse his career: his wife, Katherinne; mother, Nataly; father, Leopoldo; brother, Jorge; grandfather, Jorge; and beloved grandmother, Narda.

“I’m very grateful to have most of family in Chicago. They are all very important to me. I know many immigrants are very far from their families, so I’m super grateful to have so many family members close by. It’s a blessing.”

“Immigrating is very hard,” notes Leo, “but I’m happy I discovered my passion in life after struggling in a new country. You need to keep your mindset positive and work hard for every dream you have.” 

“Success is being able to come home every day feeling happy about your job and everything you’ve achieved in life,” he continues. “Success is also feeling grateful for having the best wife and sharing the same goals together, seeing how far we’ve come, and being excited about our next chapter.” That chapter includes their recently adopted dog, Maya. “She keeps us busy all the time!” adds Leo. 

As Leo continues to grow his business and knowledge of the local markets, he works hard every day for his clients’ dreams and his own: he and Katherinne hope to continue investing in properties to grow their portfolio. 

“I feel real estate is already part of all my career dreams and goals,” Leo says. “I don’t see myself doing anything else.”