"'You're only as good as your last transaction,' as they say. However, to truly succeed and build a real estate business, you must invest in it and the relationships you forge. Building strong relationships has been instrumental in my business with both clients and agents alike, so I strive to make each one the best it can be," says Coya J. Smith, designated managing broker and owner of RE/MAX Properties in Western Springs. "This is the advice I impart to those I mentor and follow myself, which led to the recent opening of our Burr Ridge office in the Village Center at the BMO Bank building."

Over her thirty-seven years in the industry, Coya has amassed expertise across the full spectrum of real estate. Her career has seen renewed passion with the recent opening of their new, second RE/MAX office in Burr Ridge. She is actively building out a team of dynamic agents, further enhancing her dedication to the field.

"In my career I have overseen the marketing and sale of billions of dollars in real estate across various sectors, including residential (new construction, relocation, luxury homes) and REO (foreclosures, property management), and as a managing broker/owner,” she says. “Having come full circle, my agents and clients can confidently rely on my knowledge and experience.”

"I've always admired independent, successful women and desired that same independence for myself,” Coya shares. She started working at age fifteen, moved out of her house after her high school graduation, and has been on her own ever since.

"I couldn't rely on others, so I ensured my success was in my own hands," she adds. "Equally important to me was the opportunity to mentor and support others in whatever career path I chose."

Coya launched her real estate journey in 1987 at Coldwell Banker in LaGrange, where she quickly earned Rookie of the Year accolades. She specialized in the residential luxury home market and executive relocation. Prior to entering real estate, Coya focused on raising her son. She chose real estate as a career when her son started school, as she wanted a profession that provided flexibility for her family.

“I wanted a career that allowed me to spend time with my family and to connect with new neighbors and professionals for networking and building relationships,” she explains. “As a REALTOR®, I could be home in the evenings and continue [doing] customer service, engaging with people every day at a comfortable pace.”

In the 1990s, Coya made the transition from Coldwell Banker to RE/MAX Properties in La Grange, where she focused on expanding her business. During this period, she was approached to handle a foreclosure for Fannie Mae. It was a time when foreclosures were not widely understood. This opportunity prompted her to develop a specialized team and recruit agents capable of managing all aspects of foreclosures, now recognized as REOs. She was among the pioneering women who established a team in this niche, well in advance of the housing crash in the mid-2000s.

In 2008, Coya took a significant step by launching her own brokerage, Smith Partners & Associates. For nine consecutive years, her firm ranked in the top 1 percent among firms recognized by the Mainstreet Organization of REALTORS® and CAR®, achieving the remarkable milestone of closing over 600 transactions annually.

When the opportunity to acquire the RE/MAX franchise where Coya had been an agent came available, she saw that the acquisition and aligning herself with RE/MAX would broaden her business as an owner. “This allows us to cover all fields of real estate, as well as offer agents growth and our clients name recognition,” she explains. 

Coya's leadership and focus on collaboration, technology, and treating others with respect and kindness—a guiding principle throughout her career—are key to her success in managing the office and supporting agent growth. Her role allows her to share her past experiences and help others through her insights. In fact, Coya's experience and perspective have been vital to both her business and her people in navigating and adapting to the ever-changing landscape of the industry, its new laws, the impact of social media. By encouraging collaboration within the industry and leveraging the latest technology and tools, she aims to expand her agents' reach; and as her efforts align with both her personal and professional goals, she fosters an environment of growth and innovation. 

Coya’s enthusiasm for her work with the new office in Burr Ridge reflects her passion for supporting others, and as Coya measures her own success by the achievements of those she mentors and leads, we have no doubt she will continue to drive her agents toward ever greater success.