@properties Opens New Arlington Heights Office

@properties, the No. 1 residential brokerage firm in Chicago and on the North Shore, is making a major push into the northwest suburbs, adding an accomplished local real estate veteran to its management team and opening of a new office in downtown Arlington Heights.

@properties co-founders Thad Wong and Mike Golden announced that Stephanie Szigetvari, who has 31 years of local real estate experience, has been hired as vice president of brokerage services and will be a key figure in the firm’s expansion in the area.

The new @properties office is at 31 S. Evergreen Ave., in a high-visibility location near the intersection of Arlington Heights Road and Northwest Highway. A temporary space on the second floor will house brokers and staff until the permanent, ground-floor office opens in September.

With Arlington Heights as a home base, @properties will look to gain substantial market share in a region that includes the surrounding towns of Palatine, Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights, Wheeling, Buffalo Grove, Long Grove, Rolling Meadows, Des Plaines and Park Ridge. The combined areas see nearly $4 billion in annual residential transaction volume, according to sales data from BrokerMetrics, LLC.

The expansion is part of a broader initiative for @properties to add between $1.5 billion to $2 billion in sales in Chicago’s west and northwest suburbs over the next two years, according to Wong and Golden.

Szigetvari comes to @properties from Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, where she was managing broker for the firm’s Arlington Heights office, which handled nearly $500 million in sales last year, according to BrokerMetrics. She was also district manager for Coldwell Banker offices in Long Grove, Libertyville, Park Ridge and Schaumburg.

At @properties, she will focus on agent development, office operations and building @properties’ brand throughout the northwest suburbs. She will work alongside @properties managing broker Lisa Cokefair.

“Strong local leadership is really important to us, and Stephanie is someone who is highly respected in the local industry and in the community. She will be a phenomenal brand ambassador for @properties as we expand our regional footprint,” said Wong.

A lifelong resident of Chicago’s northwest suburbs, Szigetvari began her real estate career in 1987 with Century 21 in Lake Zurich. She was Rookie of the Year as an agent and was a perennial top producer before transitioning to the management side of the business in 2009.

“I have always been impressed by @properties’ growth, their marketing and technology and the caliber of their agents. They have an exciting brand and culture that is a breath of fresh air, and I see them as a perfect fit for the communities in this area,” said Szigetvari.

“We have big plans for expansion this year, and Arlington Heights is the ideal place to kick things off. It’s a big marketplace, and it’s one that hasn’t seen a lot of innovation from a residential brokerage standpoint. @properties is going to raise the bar for both agents and consumers. We’re going to offer better service and a better overall experience,” said Golden.

Szigetvari is a member of the Mainstreet Organization of REALTORS® and serves on its Professional Standards Committee. She lives in Kildeer with her husband, and has three adult children and three grandchildren. During her free time, she enjoys yoga, gardening and traveling.

About @properties

Established in 2000, @properties is the No. 1 residential brokerage firm in Illinois and one of the top 11 residential brokers in the U.S. @properties has more than 2,450 licensed brokers in 26 offices throughout downtown Chicago, surrounding suburbs, southwest Michigan and Lake Geneva, Wisc. For more information, visit www.atproperties.com.