For Kieron Quane, real estate has always been about connection. When she first started in the business, it was about deepening the connection she had with her mother. Now over thirty years later, having built two thriving businesses—first as part of a mother-daughter duo, and now a solo agent—it’s about all the connections she’s made with her clients; the kids of her clients, whom she is thrilled to be helping now; and the clients she’s yet to meet.     

Kieron has spent more than half her life and most of her career as a real estate agent. Even before then, she grew up around the industry. Her mother got her license in the late 1970s. Kieron saw firsthand the level of commitment a career in real estate required, which made her own transition into the business very natural and easy. 

While she seemed primed for the business at an early age, she had no intention of becoming a REALTOR®. After graduating from University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign with a degree in speech communications and a minor in marketing, she got a job working in the marketing department of a commercial insurance company in Chicago. As it happened, Kieron’s mother had recently partnered with an agent who was launching a speaking career. She hired Kieron as her marketing manager to handle her speaking engagements.

As Kieron found herself gravitating toward the sales side of the real estate business, she decided that if she was going to get her license, it would be for the ability to work with her mom. 

“When the opportunity came to work with my mom, I didn’t hesitate,” says Kieron. “She has a strong moral compass, extreme patience, and a giving heart.”

Kieron and her mom formed a mother-daughter team that spanned two decades, many shifts in the market, and several community-based initiatives. Their philanthropic efforts, having established a wish-fulfillment program, won them the RE/MAX of Northern Illinois Humanitarian Award.

But both before and after her mom retired and she became a solo agent in 2015, Kieron’s career has been marked by her passion for helping people. In fact, every market shift Kieron has found herself in taught her a new way to help people. She got into real estate in the early ’90s when new construction and relocation were bustling in regard to Abbott Labs in Lake County. She rode the robust wave of the 2000s into the 2008 crash, which she says was the most challenging time for her.

“The hardest part of my job has been whenever I’ve had to sit at someone’s kitchen table, share the statistics, and show them that every penny of equity they had was gone and there was a big gap to cover to sell their home,” Kieron says. “Short sales became a tool I could recommend to help people keep their dignity over the loss of a home. That era of the housing market deepened my drive to treat my business as a customer-experience driven one versus simply production.”

Kieron’s success over the years has been a result of her ability to pivot according to the market while keeping her clients’ needs as her main focus. Her most recent pivot occurred with the post-COVID market flux. 

“The past few years have been full of challenges: we were selling so rapidly that agents, along with our clients, had to react immediately. I had to try creative ideas and think outside the box to get deals together,” Kieron explains. “After 2021, I redesigned my business model. I stopped cold marketing (e.g., mass mailings, paying for online leads, and advertising) and put my focus on my past clients, friends, and sphere. I have found the quality of my clientele has increased—there is loyalty and trust from the onset, and that is very fulfilling.” 

 

Another constant in Kieron’s business is her focus on giving. She is an active “giver” through the @Gives Back program with @properties, which she utilizes to support a variety of charities. Her favorite thing to do is to donate to small, GoFundMe campaigns. She also has a big heart for animal rescues and adopted her last three dogs from local rescue organizations.

While Kieron remains passionate about helping her clients achieve their goals, she plans to eventually do more coaching and training within the industry. But she says she won’t be going down that path for some time as she is fully enjoying her business, connecting buyers and sellers and facilitating transactions that leave all parties content.   

Outside of work, Kieron and her husband, Steve, empty nesters to two adult kids, enjoy being outside as much as possible—whether golfing on a Sunday afternoon or taking a long walk through the Lake County Forest Preserves with their dog, Boomer. Kieron’s goal for 2023 was to walk 2023 miles—something that Boomer absolutely loved. The couple also enjoys going to live music events—be it at Independence Grove, local venues, or large arenas—and are fans of the 1980s hair bands, especially Guns N’ Roses and Def Leppard. Traveling overseas, yoga, and college football are some of Kieron’s other big passions.   

As she continues to enjoy her personal and professional passions, Kieron is comforted by the fact that real estate has no age limit, as she loves nothing more than to help people accomplish their dreams. 

“I entered real estate to work with my mom, but I have stuck with it because I really enjoy helping people,” she says. “I have met some amazing clients, many of whom have become friends, and I am honored to be their REALTOR® for life.”