My name is Irina Allison and here is my story. I was born and raised in Russia. I was a 19 year old girl who spoke 27 words of English when I came to the US in 1997. I graduated from Webber International University, Florida, in 2000 with a BS in Business Administration with a specialty in Hotel & Restaurant Management. Today I am a successful woman and a business-owner. I started in the hotel industry as a front desk receptionist and worked my way up to managing departments in 5 hotels in the US and also worked in the marketing division in one of the hotel chains in Europe.
In 2004, I met my future husband, Lorn Allison, a great man who inspired me to start my own business and believed that I had a potential to soar on my own. That year, I graciously left a 5 year hotel management career to start my journey as a real estate agent. After spending a year working for one of the major real estate firms, I obtained my own managing broker license and started my own business. Since then I built a successful Real Estate company, APEX Real Estate Brokerage, that focuses on residential real estate sales and investments in Illinois.
I am a mother of two amazing girls, Sofi and Ava, very creative souls who are my world, goal and purpose in this universe! I am a wife to Dr. Lorn Allison, a great partner, amazing father, holistic doctor and a person with a unique perspective who challenges and inspires me daily and who truly is my rock.
Where am I today? April 2024 marks a 20 year milestone of my Real Estate career. I have sold hundreds of properties; helped hundreds of people to become homeowners, guided many of my clients to become investors. I have made millions for my clients reselling their and their children’s homes and investments while building their wealth through real estate and simultaneously assembling a successful rental portfolio of my own. Today, I am a respected female entrepreneur, knowledgeable broker-owner, seasoned investor, coach for my landlord clients and cultured negotiator.
What do I do when not selling real estate? Besides reading more about real estate, and perfecting my negotiation and marketing skills through books, classes and webinars, I love to garden barefoot. In the summer, I grow a whole tomato forest with a variety of tomatoes because I love making my own salsa and pasta sauce. Beekeeping and gardening are my mental escape from real estate. I love to explore the trails on my property with my German Shepherd. I love to run and do yoga. Cooking for my family with music in the background is my favorite Mom chore. Despite my persistent attempts, I am a horrible baker as I can never follow a recipe. Thanks to my Mom, I am a much better cook than baker as I like to throw an extra ingredient or two in a dish and create the food I see in a picture. I really enjoy reading – nothing like a few pages of a good book on a Sunday morning with a gigantic cup of good coffee. I love deep sea fishing in the Florida Keys where our family likes to spend some of our down time.
What do I cherish? My family! My Mom, my Dad, my brother who all live in Russia; my husband and my kiddos, and the entire Allison family I luckily married into and my amazing friends life graciously blessed me with.
What can I do for you? Let me start by saying this – I believe that my job is not just to sell your house or sell you a house. My goal is to create a life-long relationship with You as a person and eventually with Your entire family. My aim is to build a referral base because you TRUST ME with Your business, family, friends and everyone You know! My objective is to help You find THE DREAM HOME, sell your property for TOP DOLLAR and set a record in your neighborhood for the highest priced property ever sold, and help you become a SUCCESSFUL INVESTOR. My purpose is to become Your ONE STOP SHOP. Whether you have a general question about real estate, need a contractor referral for a project in your home, need guidance on building a real estate portfolio or simply a suggestion on a wall color for your living room, because this is what a true relationship is about.
I want you to know – I LOVE what I do from the very bottom of my heart! I THRIVE when…
- My clients walk away from their real estate closing with a fat $$$ check,
- A 1st time home buyer cries happy tears because she bought her very first home at 24 years old,
- A 32 year old investor client calls to tell me he quit his boring job because the rental portfolio I helped him build produces enough monthly income and it has replaced his 9-5 job income.
My MISSION is to set the highest standard for you of how real estate business should be done!
Passionate About Helping People Build Wealth Through Real Estate!
Irina Allison,
Broker, Owner, Investor, Landlord, Entrepreneur