The past year has been a big one for Dawn McKenna. A real estate professional for nearly 15 years, she was named the No. 1 Individual Agent in Illinois among all brokers by The Wall Street Journal. She also officially launched the Dawn McKenna Group in downtown Chicago and Naples, Florida. “One of the biggest benefits of my group is the huge network of buyers, sellers, builders, and investors,” McKenna says. Her team has local experts providing maximum exposure in Hinsdale, La Grange, Western Springs, Lincoln Park, West Loop, Gold Coast, and Naples. “Each member of my group brings a unique skill set to the table, and they all share my vision,” she says. Expertise is especially important in the current market, where buyers are both knowledgeable and discriminating. “If your home is not priced right and doesn’t look current, it most likely will not sell quickly,” McKenna says. “There is a lot of inventory in the luxury space and there is demand, but buyers these days do not want to do any improvements. “The Hinsdale market has always been a league of its own,” McKenna adds. It’s the closest luxury location to all airports and Chicago with three train stations in a 10-block radius. Plus, it’s walkable: shopping, schools, parks, and trains are accessible by foot. With her new team, McKenna is expanding into other hot markets, like the West Loop. Naples is similarly is home to top-of-the-line luxury properties, amazing restaurants, and friendly people—aligning well with the Chicago markets McKenna knows so well. McKenna specializes in luxury homes and has an incredible database of premiere clientele that includes athletes and industry leaders, and her interior design background puts her on the most-loved list for so many clients. “I always had an active imagination, and I love dreaming about what a property can be,” she says. The most important advice McKenna has in the current market is to think about resale. “People often overlook the eventual resale of their home,” she says. “Your home is where you can make or lose money. So, while it is important to love it, it needs to be a smart move financially. It may be the most expensive thing you ever buy.”
Dawn McKenna Group, located at 8 E. Hinsdale Avenue in Hinsdale, 630-546-3763, dawnmckennagroup.com.