Meet Lourdes
Real estate was part of the story long before the license.
Lourdes Arencibia has called Wilmette home since 1987. Her understanding of real estate began even earlier. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, her father was involved in condominium conversions, renovations and property flips, and Lourdes learned firsthand how much can be revealed by looking beyond a home’s surface—at its condition, possibilities and long-term value.
Before becoming a residential broker, Lourdes spent 12 years in mortgage brokerage and another 12 overseeing a family-owned real estate portfolio. She handled maintenance, renovation, operations and property decisions firsthand, including repositioning one property as a co-working space. She also renovated and flipped properties herself, building on that early exposure and developing the practical perspective she brings to clients today.
That hands-on understanding of renovation now extends to the work she does with clients, helping them think through remodeling ideas, home preparation and improvement priorities from a real-estate perspective.
Advice first. Transaction second.
Lourdes believes a client should understand the reasoning behind a recommendation. That may mean explaining why a seller should spend money—or why they should not. It may mean helping a buyer see past an unfortunate renovation, or pointing out that a seemingly simple project may be considerably less simple than it appears.
“Sometimes the most useful thing I can say is: I wouldn’t do that.”
The goal is not to create more work, spend more money or force a transaction. It is to help a client make a sound decision about the property in front of them.
