“I can remember being about five and going into my parents' friend's house and asking if I could have a tour,” says Anna Moisé of Keller Williams Premier Properties. “My mom thought I was being rude, but her friend just laughed and showed me around.” 

“My interest in the layout of people’s houses never waned,” she continues. “I wanted to know if they had stairs, or lived in a ranch house like the one I grew up in,” she adds. “Where were all the bedrooms? What was in the basement? I loved seeing how furniture was arranged, the paint colors . . . all that stuff.”

Like many a REALTORⓇ, Anna, who grew up in Villa Park with her younger sister, gained early exposure to sales on account of a parent’s job. Her mother and father, both children of Italian immigrants, were each raised in crowded, two-bedroom apartments with multiple siblings, and worked hard to have a better life. Her dad sold cheese, Italian imports, and restaurant supplies to Chicagoland pizzerias and restaurants for fifty-five years, finally retiring at age eighty-one.

“I can remember going with him to visit his customers as a young kid,” Anna says. “He has such a gift with people and sales always seemed so easy for him. His colleagues called him ‘the Legend’ for good reason. He’s become my mentor.”

Watching her dad deliver products late into the night, and even on Christmas Eve, set the standard for the hard work and customer service Anna provides today. 

After high school, Anna attended Illinois State University and spent the early years of her working life in corporate accounting, as well as serving as an assistant VP in human resources. She worked in these roles until she met her husband and they started a family.

“I got married and had kids later in life; I met my husband when I was thirty-two,” she says. “I saw that we had the same family values and could be good parents, if that was God’s plan for us.” 

Anna would spend the next ten years at home with her kids. When it came time to return to work, she drew on her personal experiences with real estate transactions—both bad ones—as inspiration. She was forced to short sell her first condo upon getting married and the sales process was not as good as it could have been. When she bought a house with her husband a few years later, they found mold on move-in day.

“I knew I didn’t want either of these experiences to happen to my family and friends, so I decided to become a REALTORⓇ,” says Anna. “I’m an extrovert, and I determined going back to accounting or working nine-to-five wasn’t an option. I was nervous about not having a steady paycheck, but I took a leap of faith. I knew real estate would allow me to still be a classroom mom for my kids, go on field trips, and walk with them to and from school every day.”

Having to balance everything involved in being a mom of young children while launching a new career was arduous from the start. In her first year, Anna had difficulty finding clients and came close to quitting. A turning point came when she overheard the parents of one of her daughter’s friends say they were looking to sell their house. She volunteered to be their agent, but they didn’t seem enthusiastic to work with a rookie.

“The next day I took a chance and told them that I’d been an at-home mom for ten years and really wanted to make it in real estate so I could help my husband support our family,” Anna says. “I asked them, ‘Will you please give me a chance? I promise I’ll do my best.’”

She closed that sale, and as she was leaving their closing, another prospect called and asked Anna to sell her condo. 

“My dad always said, ‘Once you sell one, they’ll just keep coming,’” she says. “That event proved him right.”

In the five years since, Anna has grown her business and expanded her network. Leaning on the lessons of client care learned from her father, she has found a rewarding career in real estate.

Anna says, “I find it thrilling to be able to help people close one chapter [of their lives] and open another—from first-time buyers to seniors downsizing and relocating to a different climate, to others going through a divorce, to people who have lost a parent and are now tasked with selling their home. People just want you to listen to and empathize with their story.”

When not serving her clients, Anna prioritizes family time with her husband, a recently retired police officer, and their two children, Daniel (14) and Alexa (11). The family busy themselves with PTA events, Alexa’s dance competitions, hosting their kids’ friends at their house, and visiting their happy places: the various Disney parks and Babcock’s restaurant in Lombard (photos courtesy of Anna). They also support local charitable organizations like St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Outreach House. 

Looking forward, Anna aims to grow a successful team and begin investing in properties over the next few years. She also hoping that her son will continue to help her navigate social media and create videos for her listings. Who knows, after college he may join her team on a more permanent basis.

“I’ve worked extremely hard to get where I am, but I have not forgotten the journey to get here,” says Anna. “When I get down or negative, all I need to do is look at pictures of my family and remember my goals. Five minutes later, I’m ready to get back to work.”