Just weeks after winning REALTOR® Magazine’s 30 Under 30 awards, two Illinois REALTORS® met for the first time and discovered they had more in common than their ages and the awards.

Lemont-area REALTOR® Megan Beechen and Chicago REALTOR® Moses Hall bumped into each other during the REALTOR® of the Year Banquet in Springfield April 29. They saw each other again at the Illinois REALTORS® Capitol Conference April 30. Both joined their local associations in 2014 and take big picture views of their real estate careers.

Hall is the owner-managing broker for MoHall Commercial & Urban Development and a member of the Chicago Association of REALTORS®. He says: “I believe my commitment to truly serving my community through real estate made me stand out. In my business, I focus on revitalizing underserved communities. This includes but is not limited to developing real estate in vacant retail spaces, boarded-up homes and putting much needed professional services in these areas. I have been able to supply communities with medical services, small business advocacy and real estate development. Also, I teach children about real estate opportunities and the steps to opening their own businesses.”

Beechen is a broker for Realty Executives Elite and a member of the Mainstreet Organization of REALTORS® (MORe). She says: “I’m very involved in protecting the rights of private property owners and REALTORS®. I pride myself in being very involved with my local association, and Mainstreet is one of the largest associations in the country. I am the current chair of our Young Professionals Network (YPN) Committee, and I sit on the Government Affairs Committee and the Education Advisory Committee. Also, I am on the Realty Executives Great Lakes Region Executive Council and my office’s Community Outreach Committee. My title as a REALTOR® is far more than just a salesperson. We have so much to offer the people and communities we serve.”

How has winning the award helped you?

Beechen says: “This award has already done so much for my business. During the voting stage of the 30 Under 30 competition, every day I promoted myself as a REALTOR®. I was basically shouting it out everywhere I went to get votes and support. It paid off, and it was a great way to let people know I am a REALTOR®. Aside from that, this award has given me such confidence. And being involved in a network of such outstanding, incredible professionals in our industry is amazing in itself. I know I have a support system of other 30 Under 30 recipients who are happy to help me develop my skills and share their experiences and knowledge.”

Hall says: “The award helps me show children that achieving their dreams is possible. When children in lower income communities see that I set a goal and worked hard to achieve it, it will give them hope that whatever they put their minds to they can reach as well.”

Does winning the award change anything about your attitude or your business approach?

“Winning a 30 Under 30 award is just the beginning for me,” says Hall. “It has fueled my drive to dream bigger and to reach for what may seem unattainable. I look forward to what the future holds for my brokerage, MoHall Commercial & Urban Development.”

“Winning this award has helped me reflect on what I have done and what I hope to do in this career,” says Beechen. “It was a surreal experience that brought so much positivity to my life, personally and professionally. I will continue to hold myself to a very high standard and always act ethically and responsibly, because I am now so much more aware that there are people who strive to learn from me. I have always been a leader, but this award has really set that passion in motion for me. And now my professional goals are higher, too. I have achieved something I once thought was impossible. Now I’m thinking, ‘What else can I do?’”

More than a month after winning 30 Under 30 awards, Beechen and Moses say the memories are fresh in their minds.

“I was in the waiting room of an urgent care facility with strep throat,” says Beechen. “And when I got the email, I started crying. Right there, in the waiting room, with a bunch of strangers around me looking at me like I was crazy. After the tears, the excitement kicked in. I couldn’t stop smiling for days. Even though I was at home sick, they were some of the happiest days of my life!”

“When I received the news that I made 30 Under 30, my hands were literally shaking with excitement,” says Hall. “I was sitting in my Managing Broker Continuing Education course when I received the email notification. I immediately stepped out of class and called my parents to share the exciting news! I was truly overcome with joy as this was a dream come true for me. I remember getting into real estate five years ago and receiving REALTOR® Magazine in the mail each month. I promised myself that one day I will make it in this book because of the impact I have made in the communities I serve.”

Read about all of the 30 Under 30 winners from across the country.