Connie Dornan began her real estate career at a property management firm before working alongside developers in the city. Now she’s a leading real estate broker consultant for @properties, specializing in residential homes on the North Shore. She’s enjoyed making her clients’ dreams come true throughout her 15 years in the industry. “My clients are an extension of my family,” she says. Dornan’s innate ability to get to know their personalities sets her apart, and her keen attention to detail never fails to make them return.

Many of Dornan’s clients come from the city, hoping to find a home in the suburbs. She excels at playing the matchmaker role, often connecting clients to a dream location they would have never thought of before. “During the course of the home-finding process, if I get a sense that these people are more ‘Glencoe’ or ‘Glenview’ or ‘Evanston’ buyers, I make the recommendation, and — more times than not — I hit the bull’s-eye,” she says.

“It is an honor to be recognized among a group of professionals who strive to positively impact our industry as it continues to evolve. In the time that I have worked as a real estate broker, I’ve not only learned so much about community issues, life and the impacts of government on families and individuals, but also gotten the opportunity to be part of the major life decisions people make for themselves. It is a very rewarding job, and this nomination has been a gratifying recognition of my work as well as the work of my nominated peers.”

Finalists: Dawn McKenna (Dawn McKenna Group – Coldwell Banker), Mary Summerville (Dream Town Realty)