I'm proud to be part of the Chicago arm of the Schiller @Properties Team based in Elmhurst, IL. With sales of $147+ million in 2021 and more than $1 Billion lifetime sales, the Schiller Team consistently ranks in the top 10 in Chicagoland sales volume every year.
After graduating college, I worked as an assistant to several of the most successful fashion and beauty photographers in Chicago, including the internationally famous Victor Skrebneski and Dennis Manarchy. Within a year I moved to Los Angeles to apprentice with a top fashion photographer from Australia. Unable to resist my attraction to beautiful homes, I got my real estate license in 1986, but after selling my first home I accepted an offer to enter the home furnishings business. This put my college coursework in art history and interior design to practical use. Combining these creative impulses, I spent the next two decades creating beautiful living spaces, photographing people and events as a hobby and developing a serious green thumb - my friends call me The Orchid Whisperer. I also love cooking for family and friends…that's a pretty rounded portrait of me.
I've been in sales for over 35 years and my work experience gives me, I think, a unique understanding of real estate both as an investment and as living space. Previously a Series 65 Financial Planner then a Home Furnishings and Space Planning Professional, I've learned both the financial aspects of real estate investment and how to turn empty spaces into functional, beautiful homes. Working in carpentry over summers during high school and college, rehabbing two of my own condos and being generally handy means I can help my clients recognize construction issues and projects that may need to be tackled before or after the deal is done. In short, I can help a lot in the process or as little as you may prefer. It's up to you how many of my skills you employ to your advantage. It's all part of the package when you hire me.
True, my business is bringing together buyers and sellers, landlords and renters, but anyone with a license and access to a multiple listing service can do that. My goal, of course, is to get the job done swiftly and at the best possible price for my clients. I listen and learn your motivations and goals first, then guide you through the transaction to eliminate the anxiety that often comes with large financial decisions. Done right, we have fun in the process and leave no money on the table. That's my goal with every client.
