From Chicago to the North Shore to the western suburbs, Michael LaFido, a Realtor, best-selling author and consultant to other Realtors, is intimately familiar with thea Chicagoland luxury market. He brings over two decades of experience in marketing luxury listings and differentiates himself by thinking like a marketer instead of a real estate agent.

LaFido is a big believer that the “best marketer beats best agent” when representing both buyers and home sellers. LaFido oversees a team of agents who work with buyers and sellers of all price points throughout Chicago and the Chicagoland suburbs. Outside-the-box creativity has earned LaFido a reputation both with his clients and in the industry. He mastered this technique early in his career when he owned a small business for power-washing and staining decks and fences. “There was stiff competition, and I had to figure out ways to get consumer attention and differentiate my company and services from the competition, which prepared me for real estate and marketing unique and luxury homes,” he says.

Clients appreciate both LaFido’s creative marketing and his first-class customer service. Most of his new business comes from referrals from past clients, as well as real estate agents from all over the world with whom he’s built relationships. Voted one of the top three real estate coaches in America by his peers, LaFido was also recognized as luxury real estate’s “MVP” (Most Valued Partner) by Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate, and the USA Property Awards recognized him for best property marketing.

LaFido is the founder of the Luxury Specialist Designation (LUXE) and the CEO of the real estate consulting company Marketing Luxury Group. In May, he released his latest book, “Secrets of Top Luxury Agents,” which Stefan Swanepoel, executive chairman of T3 Sixty, describes as “a roadmap to success in luxury real estate. Direct and invaluable.”