We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ioanna Paraskevopoulos. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ioanna below.

Alright, Ioanna thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

I always loved this city, first of all, and loved its architecture, exploring its neighborhoods, learning about how buildings are built, and what makes communities thrive. My prior work focused on public policy and how to calibrate policy in a way that creates the right conditions to allow neighborhoods and residents to thrive, so I’ve always been interested in this work, just from different angles.

A few of my friends are real estate agents and investors, and I’ve been talking to them for a few years about investment ideas I’ve had. Eventually, I decided to get my real estate license so that I could start taking steps to bring my ideas to life and help others do the same.

Studying and taking the test took about 3-4 weeks. Then I worked with my broker at Coldwell Banker Realty to get onboarded and start up my business as an agent. From there, it has just been all about spreading the word that I’m open for business – website, emails, advertisements at community events, and most importantly, word of mouth.

Ioanna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was born and raised in the Gaslight Clifton neighborhood of Cincinnati, where I now live with my son. I have a B.A. in Philosophy from Columbia University and a J.D. from Northern Kentucky University. Although I spent a few years working and studying in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Belgium, I found that I missed Cincinnati’s historic architecture, tight-knit communities, walkable neighborhoods, and vibrant art scene.

When I returned to Cincinnati after having worked at the U.S. Department of State, I was honored to serve as Vice Mayor Mann’s Chief of Staff. During that time, I got to know all of our neighborhoods and the importance of thoughtful community and economic development to maintaining and growing our City in a balanced way.

In 2019, I co-founded the nonprofit Action Tank to provide free policy research and technical assistance to residents, especially community and neighborhood groups, advocating on behalf of their neighbors.

Whether you’re buying or selling, I am here to provide you with exceptional service and expertise. I understand that the process of buying or selling a home can be complex, and I am committed to making it seamless.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Relationships and word of mouth is definitely the best source of new clients. From people I already know from school, other jobs, and community service – having people who already believe in me or who are referred by people who do is the #1 way I have found customers.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I was in Washington, DC and decided to start a family, I realized that I had to be close to my family to feel like I could make it work. It was a crazy decision in a lot of ways because I had a great, stable job with the Federal government and jobs in Cincinnati don’t pay as much. But being close to my network was non-negotiable. So I convinced my boss in DC to let me work from Cincinnati for seven months, including my maternity leave time. And I moved home one month before my due date. I bought a house and furnished it and rented out one of the rooms. After I gave birth and was mostly recovered, I spent my free time networking (with my baby in tow!) until I found a new job at City Hall. And I started the new job on the day I was supposed to start back in my DC office. It was definitely a pay cut, but it was worth it to be closer to my roots.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ioannasellscincy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ioannasellscincy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ioannaparacincyrealtor/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ioannaparaskevopoulos/

Image Credits
Headshots by Brandi Mays