Tim Bouaphanh

For Chicago Realtor Tim Bouaphanh, the process of helping people find their dream home has all of the adventure of a treasure hunt. “I love exploring this city, and discovering the hidden gems in its many diverse neighborhoods,” Tim explains. “But being able to share a discovery with someone looking for that very kind of home—that’s even better!”

Tim’s own road to Chicago was quite an adventure in itself. In 1980 he immigrated to the US from Laos with his family, refugees in the wake of the Vietnam War. They first settled in Michigan, later moving to the small town of De Leon Springs in Central Florida, where Tim began to thrive. After graduating high school he moved to Atlanta, attended Georgia State University, and began a successful career in restaurant management. He moved to Chicago where he worked with some of the biggest names in the food service industry, Graham Elliot and Billy Dec. At the time, he didn’t know that his real destiny lay just around the corner.

“I was doing research on different neighborhoods to find a new place to rent, and I found that I really enjoyed that process, loved traveling around the city. I actually got into real estate during the housing crisis. Everyone I knew thought it was a risky move, but I saw it as a strong learning opportunity that would pay off big in the long run.”

Tim has been a Realtor over ten years now, serving clients all over Chicago and its suburbs. An impressive 90 percent of his business comes from referrals or repeat clients, who praise him for the personal attention he gives them and for his deep knowledge of the local market. One couple summed up their experience with Tim like this: “As first time buyers, we had a lot of questions and Tim was patient and full of information….He knew the questions to ask when we didn’t. I would highly recommend Tim Bouaphanh to anyone looking for a new home.”

As a longtime resident of Chicago who has made a hobby out of getting to know the city he loves, Tim can find pretty much any kind of home a client happens to be looking for. Moreover, he treats them as he would any friend. “I’m honest, and easy to work with. I’m very familiar with Chicago’s neighborhoods and I’ve built strong relationships with people throughout these communities, so I can also recommend any kind of professional a client might need.”

When he’s not working, Tim of course participates in the life of his community, contributing to fundraisers such as Dining Out For Life to increase HIV awareness. In his leisure he loves biking around the city, going to the beach, or just staying home and watching movies.

Recently, Tim suffered the personal loss of his father and younger sister to Covid, and of his mother to cancer. This has fortified the importance of family to him , which is so important in both personal and business dealings. He looks to expand his licensing in the state of FL to remain even closer to his siblings and extended family there…