For Sara Linton, the path to a career in real estate was paved early on in life. “I always wanted to be a real estate agent. When I was young, my family moved from a small town to Columbia, South Carolina, and I loved our realtor, who had a zipline in her backyard.” From that early dream, Sara has always pursued an entrepreneurial path, starting out in startups before traveling the world, and eventually pursuing her lifelong dream of becoming a real estate broker.
Supporting renters, buyers, and sellers across Chicago, Sara’s focus is on the near north neighborhoods, including Lincoln Park, Lakeview, and Old Town. When asked why she focuses on these areas, Sara explains “I love the different architecture in those neighborhoods; everything from greystones to high rises, to single family homes. I love Lincoln Park’s proximity to parks and the lakefront. I enjoy the sense of local pride and community in Chicago — if there’s a Cubs’ game going on you can hear the same game on TVs as you walk through the neighborhood.” A dedicated traveler, Sara also appreciates the global influence on the city, especially when it comes to cuisine. “On the same block, you can find flavors from all around the world.”
As a broker, Sara is passionate about helping her clients find solutions to their challenges. “I don’t see the word ‘no’ as an obstacle,” Sara says, adding “there are always options. Changing the course doesn’t mean changing the end goal — where there’s a will there’s a way.”
Professionally, Sara has always focused on creation, starting her career as a marketing manager for startups in the alcohol and software spaces. Now, bringing that marketing experience and focus to her real estate business, Sara enjoys the fact that “there is no limit” to her business’s potential, and that as a broker, “you get out of your business what you put into it.”
With the challenges faced by real estate buyers and sellers over the last two years, Sara’s “where there’s a will there’s a way” philosophy has served her well. During the height of the COVID-19 lockdowns, Sara was able to navigate several deals, making sure that the homebuyers she represented were making the right choices in a time of chaos and uncertainty, as things changed daily. Sara helped keep her clients focused on the big picture while maintaining the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances, such as the need for more space and uncertainty in the job market. Her digital marketing experience helped, as she was able to provide virtual showings and keep deals moving forward even in unpredictable times.
Asked to reflect on what has allowed her to build a successful real estate business, Sara’s drive and consistency are evident. She advises new agents to “treat it like a business. You are your own boss, and no one else is checking in on you.” Sara holds herself accountable every day, and has focused on building a routine that works for her work style. She advises other agents to do the same: “Try different things and when you find what you like, go hard at it. What works for other people won’t necessarily work for you.”
As you might expect given her background, Sara is an expert marketer, creating webinars, market updates, and hosting lunch and learns to engage and educate buyers and sellers alike. Her in-depth market knowledge, digital marketing expertise, tenacity and high level of professionalism ensure that buyers and sellers alike enjoy a seamless experience.
Outside of work, Sara enjoys exploring all that the Chicagoland area has to offer in terms of cuisine, culture, and outdoor life, whether that’s checking out new restaurants, walking through a neighborhood festival on a summer day, taking in a baseball game, spending an afternoon in a museum, or running along the lakefront. Sara also travels as much as she can, taking advantage of the opportunity to immerse herself in the culture of new places.
Sara recommends the Chicago Ideas Week and the Chicago Architectural Center’s Open House Chicago, a “free public festival that offers self-guided history and architecture trails throughout Chicago, talks and programming, and behind-the-scenes access to architecturally, historically and culturally significant sites across the city.”
To learn more about Sara’s philosophy on all things real estate, you can connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn. Ready to find the brokerage that will be right for your growing real estate business? Want to learn more about our Lincoln Park office? Let’s connect!