“When I got an Easy-Bake Oven as a kid, my first thought was, ‘How can I monetize this?’” recalls Chloe Reynolds, licensed broker at Compass. “Even then I was ambitious and had a mind for business. My weekends included constant bake sales and lemonade stands.”

Chloe, who hails from Orange County, California, always dreamed of becoming a REALTORⓇ. She admired and was inspired by some of her friends’ parents who were successful REALTORSⓇ. “I noticed that they were always at our games, had bubbly personalities, and made a great living,” she says.

Chloe’s natural interest in people led her to study subjects that would serve her well in life and work. After high school, she moved with her father to Kalamazoo, Michigan, where she attended Western Michigan University and double majored in psychology and sociology.

“I love learning about what makes us tick as humans and why we do the things we do,” she explains. “For a while I wanted to be a psychiatrist, but I know that because I am sensitive and empathetic, it would have been a difficult career path for me.” 

In 2012, with her degree in hand, Chloe moved to Chicago and began a career in risk management, settling large liability claims for Fortune 500 companies. Her natural empathy, though, made the job extremely hard on her, and she decided to shift careers after helping to settle a particularly tough case.

“We were at fault and owed the other party millions of dollars. The person on the other side almost lost their life and suffered life-changing injuries,” Chloe explains. “The case settled for so little money it completely broke my heart. Afterwards, the CEO dedicated a blog post to congratulating me on a job well done, and I knew then that I was in the wrong career.”

So Chloe resigned, started bartending to pay the bills, and soon obtained her real estate license. “It was the best decision I’ve ever made,” she says.

Chloe’s first few years as a REALTOR® were a challenge, especially as she was a solo agent, but she was determined to succeed. Lacking the support of a team or mentor, Chloe actively sought opportunities to learn and grow, especially from veteran agents.

Knowing in her gut that this was the career for her, Chloe’s persistence knew no end. “Back then, I was taking Ubers to and from showings for other REALTORS® for only five or ten dollars net because I was hungry for the experience,” shares Chloe. “I would bartend at night, and try to sit at two open houses each and every Saturday and Sunday, staying up for hours after my shift to study the MLS sheets. I wanted to be taken seriously, and I felt the quickest way was to learn as much as I could as quickly as possible.”

While she wished she had a mentor, Chloe realized she had many strong, independent, and successful women role models in her life. 

“I’m lucky to have had extremely powerful, successful, strong, and heart-centered aunts in my life. They are such an inspiration to me,” she says.

Chloe became the successful REALTOR® she is today not only through her hard work, but also, notably, by leaning into her natural aptitudes. 

“Caring is my superpower. You can’t teach someone to have a big heart or to care. It’s intrinsic,” she observes. “Yes, this is a business, but my clients love working with me because they can feel how much I care about them.”

Chloe’s innate desire to serve and care for others has manifested in two ways in particular: (1) the extra attention she pays to first-time homebuyers, and (2) in her passion for providing mentorship and connection for newer REALTORSⓇ. Because she felt alone early in her career, Chloe wants to provide resources to agents with the goal of raising the service-level across the industry.

“I had such admiration for REALTORSⓇ while growing up that, to be frank, I was disappointed in the level of professionalism I experienced when I entered the industry,” says Chloe. “Compass YP has been an amazing way to help educate and inspire new, young agents, and I’m so honored to be its founding president.”

Looking forward, Chloe aims to continue growing her network, serving more clients, and expanding her impact.  

“I can honestly say I am in my dream career,” she says. “The importance of helping people buy and sell homes has never felt stronger since we’ve lived through the pandemic. I think it made the world realize that having a space you feel comfortable in is of the utmost importance. It’s truly an honor to help facilitate that for people.”