When Ben arrived in Portland, he was told by several people that “Portlanders don’t like outsiders.” Well, Ben's not from here. Ben comes from a place that rates high in food culture, architectural history, and questionable politics. It’s called Chicago, and he misses it a lot and loves being born and raised there. That being said, Ben declared he was not going back. Ben came to Portland for a visit and couldn’t get it out of his mind. The proximity of Mt. Hood and all its wonders, such as the food carts, the waterfalls, the Gorge . . . are all just a few of the beautiful aspects of this state that spoke to him.

Ben moved here in July 2013. In the first year of living in Portland, he wondered if he would stay, despite the aforementioned qualities of Portland and Oregon in general. The more he worked and had some introspective moments, the more he realized, “I’m staying because of the people. Portland and its people are nice—plain, old, nice, and proud. They are open and welcoming. They ask, “What made you want to move here?” knowing that they want to share their own reasons for living here. The air here is literally and figuratively clean.” Ben has had multiple conversations with people about their love for Oregon and all it has to offer.

Ben went to college for business, dropped out, went back to school, and finished with a degree in healthcare (nursing to be exact). Then he went back to finish his BS in Business Administration with a minor in International Finance. While working in some of the busiest emergency departments in Chicago, Manhattan, and San Francisco, he was always searching for more. He co-founded a sports uniform business that supplied basketball uniforms to approximately forty-five schools throughout the city of Chicago. After selling his shares to the other co-founder, he obtained his real estate license in Chicago in July 2007. Ben became Rookie of the Year for his company and fell in love with all things real estate.

Now he's here and has purposely waited to obtain his Portland REALTOR® license until he felt he could speak to his clients about the neighborhoods, schools, personalities, and quirks of Portland. Ben strives to share his knowledge and newfound love for Portland and its people with others and help them feel at home in their newfound city. Ben also invests in real estate by owning and managing short-, medium-, and long-term rentals.