@properties Expands West with New Elmhurst Real Estate Office

@properties, the largest Chicago real estate broker and the largest independent real estate firm in Illinois, announced it is opening an office in Elmhurst, the company’s first major move into Chicago’s western suburbs. @properties co-founders Michael Golden and Thaddeus Wong said the firm initially will lease office space near the Elmhurst Metra station, and will soon find a permanent home in the city’s downtown.

The firm has already recruited more than a dozen Elmhurst real estate brokers, including the Gracik Makinney Group, which produced more than $33 million in residential sales volume over the last 12 months. The top-producing team, which includes Tom Makinney and Maria Gracik, brings more than 30 years of combined experience in residential real estate. Previously, the Gracik Makinney Group was affiliated with Coldwell Banker, where it was the firm’s No. 1 team in Elmhurst. The team has also been ranked among Chicago Agent Magazine’s top 10 agents in DuPage County.

@properties plans to house approximately 100 agents in its Elmhurst office within the next two years, according to Wayne Kouf, the firm’s vice president of brokerage services. With Elmhurst as a base, @properties will serve surrounding communities in DuPage County, including Villa Park, Lombard, Oak Brook, Western Springs, Glen Ellyn and Hinsdale.

“We’ve been looking to expand west for a while, and Elmhurst presented the perfect opportunity to do so,” said Michael Golden. “There is demand from clients, who want more service, and from established agents who want to take their business to the next level. We have the resources to serve both groups.”

“We’re bringing Elmhurst and the western suburbs something they’ve been missing in terms of more dynamic marketing and advertising,” said Thaddeus Wong. “And as a local firm, we’re excited to serve the region from this location. We expect to develop as strong a presence here as we have done on the North Shore.”

Established in 2000, @properties grew from a four-person brokerage firm in River North to the largest residential broker in the city of Chicago in under a decade. The firm expanded its brokerage business to the North Shore in 2009 and quickly became the second largest real estate firm in the area. Last year, @properties opened offices in Glenview, Libertyville and New Buffalo, Mich.