About Us
Sonia Del Real - President
Born and raised in Chicago’s Southeast side, Ms. Del Real is the daughter of Mexican immigrants, the oldest of three siblings, and the parent of two adult children. She is a product of Chicago Public Schools and the first in her immediate family to graduate from college earning a BA in Business Leadership from DePaul University, and an MBA from Roosevelt University’s Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate.
Ms. Del Real is the Founder and President of Third City Consulting, LLC and a licensed Illinois real estate broker, with over 20 years of experience working directly with Latino families helping them make decisions related to homeownership and asset building. She also has extensive experience in previous roles at Chicago State University and Chicago Public Schools, working with college bound first generation students helping them navigate the matriculation and financial aid process.
She is a founding board member serving as Vice Chair on the Latino Real Estate Investors Council: a non-profit designed to provide advocacy and growth opportunities for both affordable and market rate housing providers and real estate investors by encouraging responsible ownership and management practices.
Her passion for community, real estate, and the upward mobility of Latinos is demonstrated through her previous volunteer roles on several nonprofit boards including, Mujeres de HACE Advisory Board, Prospanica Chicago, Corporate Real Estate Network (CORENet), the Real Estate Investment Association (REIA), and the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Public Policy Committee. She is an active member of the Chicago Association of Realtors and the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) Government Affairs Committee.
Yanira Gonzalez - Project Coordinator/Liaison
As a child, Yanira was never seen without a book in her hands. The love that she had for reading expanded to an adoration for writing, and she began to immerse herself in her craft during high school and college where she worked as an editor and writer for a number of publications.
Not only is Ms. Gonzalez skilled in writing and general communications, she is also deeply enamored by the human spirit and extremely passionate about uplifting marginalized communities by providing equal access to resources that ensure success. From her work on publications dedicated to giving the disenfranchised a voice, to her involvement with non-profit organizations like the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement and the Latino Real Estate Investors Council (LREIC), Yanira has channeled her passions for communication and humanity into almost everything she does.
As the Project Coordinator/Liaison for Third City Consulting LLC, Yanira creates marketing material and other promotional communications for the LREIC, which are intended to secure sponsors, grow membership, and promote the organization's mission and vision. She hopes to continue to advocate for Latino representation in real estate, and in all aspects of society.
Extraordinary Latinas
$19.99
According to the 2021 State of Hispanic Wealth Report, Latinos are nearly two times more likely to be entrepreneurs than any other racial or ethnic group. Latinas specifically are leading the charge as they outpace not only other Latinos, but all other non Hispanic entrepreneurial women. In 2017 and 2018, Latinas made up 93% of growth in women-owned employer businesses.
As co-author of Extraordinary Latinas, Ms. Del Real shares her own story of strength and success, and relays what informed her career path and her decision to become a business owner. Ms. Del Real inspires fellow Latinas and other communities of color to overcome all odds and obstacles and become the best versions of themselves.
Are you looking to be empowered? Get your copy of Extraordinary Latinas and bask in tales of resilience, courage, and action that have driven positive impact and paved the way for other Latinas to follow.