Sarah loves selling real estate on the North Shore | Chicago because she believes wholeheartedly in the value of the community. Her family has thrived and she is blessed to call it home. It is her goal to help you and your family find the happiness and success that is possible in this community.
Sarah grew up in Mason City, Iowa, where her great-grandfather founded a lumber company in 1903. Her family helped build the town, and her dad was a Civil Engineer and Architect. Sarah's childhood was spent in new construction projects and developments; surveying land, holding measuring tapes, reading Architectural Digest, and watching her Dad design amazing homes for people. Property development and real estate are in her genes. After graduating from the University of Iowa, she went on to work in advertising, marketing, and sales for BBDO, Fallon Worldwide, and Dun & Bradstreet. This base of experience helps her create quality advertising, marketing, and photography for her sellers' listings and is an important point of difference in her work. She is a seasoned broker with 18 years of experience in the real estate industry having worked for Coldwell Banker (5 years) and @properties Christie's International Real Estate (9 years) Compass Real Estate (4 1/2 years) then returned to @properties Christie's International Real Estate June 2023 when they made her offer she couldn't refuse!
For the past 30 years, she has raised a family, been an active community volunteer, and participated in all aspects of community sports and performing arts. Sarah knows all the programs the North Shore has to offer to families! Her community leadership experience includes Chairman of the Board for The Joyful Noise Preschool at The Kenilworth Union Church, PTA President Greeley School Winnetka Chair of the Winnetka Public Schools Foundation Phone-a-Thon, Chair of Washburne Graduation, Member of the Board of Directors of the Children's Theatre of Winnetka & was a producer for Fiddler on the Roof and Oliver. She taught Sunday School at The Kenilworth Union Church for 12 years and currently sings in the church choir, participated in the New Trier Parent Board Association for 4 years, and has been an active member the past 18 years on the Rush University Women's Auxiliary Board of the North Shore. Last year, Co-Chaired the 2022 Cooks Tour helping raise $240K for Rush University Hospital & formerly an advisor for Simpson Academy for Young Teen Moms.
Her family has been active in various sports and performing arts programs to name a few: New Trier High School Varsity tennis, soccer, lacrosse, crew/rowing, and basketball teams, New Trier Musical Theatre programs: Choir Opera. Semester at Sea. She has had 3 Daughters graduate from New Trier High School and have gone on to attend/graduate from: Vanderbilt University, Boston University The University of Texas-Austin, and Tulane University of LAW In 2022, she was blessed with a new Grandaughter.
Sarah was awarded in 2021-2022 the high distinction of being one of Wall Street Journal's RealTrends "Top Real Estate 1.5% of 1.6 Million Brokers in America." She has been recognized by Chicago Agent Magazine as a Who's Who in Chicagoland Real Estate 2019-2023, Chicago Magazine Top Chicagoland Agent 2021- 2022 & Sheridan Road Magazine as Power Women of the North Shore 2020-2022. Top 5% by the North Shore Board of REALTORS® 2021.
Her view on life: work hard - play hard, never ever give up, live your best life, each day a special gift from God. An example of her hard work ethic she has run the New York Marathon 2X, Chicago Marathon 2X, and Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathons 3X. She equates finding or selling a home to a marathon; it is a journey that requires perseverance, patience, and hard work to achieve your goal of finding the best home for your family.
Fun Fact: her daughter Elizabeth Lyons is a Country Musician - opening for many of the big artists such as Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Blake Shelton, Sam Hunt, Hunter Hayes, and Little Big Town. One of her favorite country songs is Miranda Lamberts: The House That Built Me because it speaks to how important your home is to you. Home is where your heart is.
