Kayed “Edward” Hassan came to this country when he was 15 years old, didn’t speak English, and was thrust into high school by day and working in a factory by night with his father until they had enough money to send back to Palestine for the rest of the family to come to Chicago. Shortly after a stint in the US Army during Vietnam, Edward owned a variety of businesses and eventually ended up with a convenience store that happened to come with the building; a few storefronts and apartments. After selling the business a short while after turning it around, he kept the real estate and became a Landlord. From there, he never looked back; continually buying and selling properties on the south and west sides of Chicago, and often taking his son Ramzi with him during the summers. By the time 2002 rolled around and Ramzi became a junior at DePaul University, he not only decided what he wanted to do but also exactly who he wanted to do it with. Ramzi moved back home his senior year and took night classes so he could work alongside his father and start to strategize and build the business. At that point they started to diversify into development, re-development, property management, and investment real estate while making sure they are responsive to the communities in which they develop. With a true family first philosophy, Amanda Hassan (Edward’s daughter) worked at the firm while getting her MBA and Derek Hassan (Edward’s younger son) joined the business back in 2013 and is currently an asset manager. A welcoming family atmosphere for all of Edwards Realty Company’s team members makes for a functional and inviting work environment.
