From the moment you start to speak to Jena Radnay, you instantly think of the word “spunk.” This number one real estate broker on the North Shore is energetic, light-hearted, opinionated, honest, and, with a work ethic like a black stallion, is always striving to bring the best to her clients.

And on top of that, she is truly grateful. “There isn’t a day that I don’t look at my Jena Radnay sticker on my steering wheel and say ‘Wow, I am doing what I love with people who trust me. How did I get this lucky?’”

“COVID changed everyone,” Radnay says. “Everyone has gotten so used to hitting the ‘easy button.’ People got lazy, everything can be delivered to your doorstep. And sadly, what I see the most is people just not caring about their jobs the way they used to. They figured out how to press the easy button and do the minimum versus the maximum. It drives me crazy.”

“I now find myself constantly overseeing incompetence. For example, I tell the gutter cleaner to make sure all gutters are cleaned before listing a house, to only then see that they forgot to do the detached three-car garage. Being able to get them to come back fast is almost impossible. Then it takes another two days to get back onto their schedule. ‘No,’ I say, ‘come back today as that is what you were hired to do.’ So, the lesson now is for me to check their work before they leave.”

This persistence is one quality that sets Radnay apart from every other real estate broker. She views her role as more encompassing than just a broker and considers herself a consultant.

“I always expect something to go wrong,” she laughs. “And that’s why I offer so much more than the typical broker. I am a guru of real estate way beyond just the transaction.”

Practically speaking, just what does that mean? When Radnay gets ready to put a house on the market she prepares a comprehensive plan of everything that needs to be done to prep a home for sale. “My job is not just the real estate selling piece. It’s everything in between. And I know there’s definitely no one else who matches my level of detail. I really take pride in making sure it’s done right.”

She continues, “I think it comes down to the fact that times have changed and now more than ever, it’s all about service and problem-solving for clients before they’re even thinking about it. I’ve got everything handled down to an Excel spreadsheet of every single cost that was put into a house.”

But what really is distinctive about working with Radnay is that she has the inside skinny. “I have an incredible wealth of information. Because I get to meet with so many people, I know what’s coming on the market before it’s listed. I also make a match for my seller too, so they don’t need to do the dog and pony show to sell. Sometimes sellers would rather sell privately and fast than expose themselves to everyone coming through their house and hearing that the kitchen is awful.”

“There’s an added value when you work with me because I’m aggressive, and I know how to get in front of a house before anyone else can even see it. People trust me, they know I have integrity, I don’t play games and I know how to keep private information confidential. What you see is what you get.”

“So I guess it comes down to this,” Radnay says. “If you want everything done right with no worries about your real estate, I am your ‘easy button.’ That is exactly how I want people who work with me to see what I bring to the table!”

Jena Radnay is with @properties in Winnetka. For more information, call 312-925-9899 or visit jenasellshomes.com.