We met Aaron while trying to sell one of our real estate properties. What started as a real estate/client transactional relationship has turned into something much greater – Aaron is one of our most admired friends that we look up to. He has insatiable drive to continue to grow and make the world a better place. We’re honored to highlight him in this spotlight post where he speaks to he is involved in his community and in giving back.
Section 1: Tell us about your organizations
- Tell us a bit about the organizations you’re involved in.
I’m involved in several organizations, both professionally and as a volunteer. I am a Realtor with Dream Town Realty in the Chicagoland area. In addition to my work, I volunteer with organizations such as Rotary International, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, The Chicago Association of Realtors Global Real Estate Council, and I am the president of my homeowner’s association. I have also been a Young Professional Committee member for the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center and a United Nations Association Engage an Embassy Fellow.
In my real estate business, I help clients navigate the complex process of buying, selling, and investing in properties. My interest in urban planning and development led me to real estate, where I can apply my passion and knowledge to assist clients while maintaining a flexible schedule for my family and volunteer commitments.
- How’d you get started & why’d you get involved?
Upon transitioning to full-time real estate brokerage work after working in first for a real estate developer and then a moving company, I decided to reclaim my passions for global affairs. My journey began in 2015 when I attended a Chicago Council on Global Affairs event featuring Garry Kasparov. Subsequently, I was selected as a Young Professional Ambassador for the Council, which offered me incredible networking opportunities and allowed me to engage with global real estate.
In 2018, I created a podcast called Inside the Skev, which focuses on the people and organizations in my local area of Skokie and Evanston, IL. This experience developed my interviewing skills, expanded my network, and led to in-person events that brought community leaders together. I have also launched a second podcast called the Real Estate Diplomat, which explores global real estate through a geopolitical lens.
My involvement in organizations like Rotary International, the Chicago Association of Realtors, the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, and the United Nations Association has allowed me to pursue focused work with local and global connections.
- What’s a commonly held belief about your area that you passionately disagree with?
I challenge the common belief that real estate agents are just salespeople. Instead, I see agents as consultants providing valuable guidance and support throughout the process. Personally, I view myself as an ambassador for my local community and its connection to the world.
- What has fundamentally changed about your work from when you started until now?
The biggest change in my work since I started is the evolution of my self-perception. I now aspire to be the ambassador for my local community, sharing it with the world, and bringing the world to the community.
Section 2: Tell us about yourself
- How do you want to be remembered?
I would like to be remembered as a 21st-century renaissance man—always learning, sharing, and connecting.
- If resources (money, network, time, etc.) were infinite, what would you do?
If resources were infinite, I would create a media project that showcases the value of immigrants to Chicago by exploring their homeland and how their cultures are infused in America, and vice versa, to break down barriers between people.
- If you were going to write a book, what would it be about?
If I were to write a book, it would be about the power of network and knowledge, and how taking the steps to engage can make one part of the global conversation.
- What do you think the world will look like in five years? What do you want it to look like?
In five years, I believe the world will be forever changed by artificial intelligence, global conflict, and space travel. I hope for a world where we can harness AI to solve humanity’s problems and avoid destructive global wars.
Section 3: Tell people how they can get involved & learn more
- What’s one question you wish we would have asked but didn’t and how would you have answered it?
What was the spark for your passion, and how did you take the initiative to pursue it?
- Where can people find more information about the organizations you’re involved in & how to get involved?
For more information on the organizations I’m involved in and my podcasts, visit my personal website (https://www.aaronmasliansky.com/) the Rotary Club of Evanston website (https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2372), the Chicago Council on Global Affairs website (https://globalaffairs.org/), Chicago Association of Realtors Global Real Estate Council (https://chicagorealtor.com/groups-and-networks/global/); the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center Website (https://www.ilholocaustmuseum.org/); and the United Nations Association Chicago Chapter website (https://www.unachicago.org/). Each website has resources on how to get involved and support their respective causes.