For me, it all comes back to home.
I love to cook and to host, and I've always wanted a place where people feel welcome the minute they walk in. I grew up in the South, where my parents taught me hospitality, and it's still how I live and how I work. That's a big part of what pulled me into real estate: I get real satisfaction from helping people find the home they've been picturing.
I've been fascinated by architecture and design since I was a kid. My family moved often, and I loved the adventure of a new place. I'd sketch floorplans and work out what went where, but mostly I was curious about the kind of life a home could make possible. I bring that same curiosity to my clients, and I'm good at seeing what a property could become when that isn't obvious at first.
Chicago's architectural history is a big reason I love this work, especially the craftsmanship in its pre-war buildings. My husband and I recently renovated our own vintage condo in East Lakeview, the neighborhood I know best and where I do most of my business.
Before real estate, I led a large sales and marketing support team at American Airlines. It taught me to keep a level head under pressure, which matters more than you'd expect, because buying or selling a home gets complicated and it gets emotional. My aim with every client is simple: understand what they actually want, then beat it. Market knowledge counts for a lot, but being kind and earning someone's trust is what people remember.
After more than twenty years in residential sales, I'm a Real Estate Advisor at Engel & Völkers Chicago and Principal of the Wade Marshall Group. What drew me to Engel & Völkers was the combination: a boutique culture, marketing that actually looks good, and a global network I can lean on when a client's search reaches past the city.
I've been fortunate, and I believe in giving back. A portion of my income supports the Center on Halsted's homeless youth program, Howard Brown Health Center, and Chicago-area food banks.
Outside of work, my husband and I love hosting friends, working our way through Chicago's restaurant scene, traveling, and spending time with our dog, Minnie Mae.
Engel & Völkers Chicago
We're a team of full-time advisors who believe real estate is, at its heart, a people business. Anyone can close a deal. What sets the work apart is everything around it: helping people through a major life change with as little friction as possible.
Most of our clients aren't simply buying or selling a property. They're relocating for a new job, right-sizing after the kids move out, settling an estate, or finally buying the place they've wanted for years. Those moments carry weight, and they deserve an advisor who treats them that way. We ask a lot of questions early on, and we're honest even when the honest answer isn't the easy one. We stay reachable when it matters most.
Being part of Engel & Völkers gives that work real reach. The boutique culture means you're never a number, and the global network means we can put a home in front of the right buyers well outside Chicago, or connect you with a trusted advisor anywhere the brand operates. Strong marketing is central to how we work, and it shows in how a home is presented and who ends up seeing it.
We also know this city's housing stock, especially the prewar buildings and architecturally distinctive homes across the North Side and the lakefront. That's the kind of real estate that rewards someone who knows how to read it.
Our culture lines up with Engel & Völkers' values of competence, exclusivity, and passion. It isn't the right fit for everyone, and we're okay with that. We're built for people who want to work with the best, and to be the best themselves.
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Real Estate Advisor | License ID: 475.129060