Sara Hulsebus O’Connor

Regional Account Manager
Greater Illinois Title

As Regional Account Manager for Greater Illinois Title Company, Sara O’Connor works with professionals from every realm of the real estate industry. “I serve the whole spectrum of real estate professionals: real estate brokers, attorneys, commercial and residential lenders, builders, and developers,” she says. With over 16 years in the industry serving as a mortgage loan officer for a decade before entering the title industry, O’Connor has a wide range of experiences she’s able to draw on and leverage for her clients – an invaluable trait for someone with a clientele as diverse as hers.

As someone who needs to forge relationships with real estate professionals from all corners of the industry, O’Connor has come to rely on her own instinct for networking and penchant for customer service as two of her most valuable skills. “When I meet someone new, right away the first thing I do is think of others or a professional organization I can get them involved with in order to help them grow their business,” she says. To O’Connor, effective networking that leads to new and profitable relationships isn’t just necessary for getting the job done, it’s also a reason to keep working hard and stay inspired, and she says that watching her clients enjoy continued success is the most rewarding part of her job. “Nothing makes me happier than to see my clients grow because of introductions I have made to others,” she tells us.

This others-first mentality has earned O’Connor a great measure of respect from not only her clients, but also her peers. She was elected secretary for the Chicago chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors (WCR), a nationwide network of real estate professionals that seeks to advance women as professionals and community leaders. With her networking and people skills, O’Connor is a natural fit for this role, which has focused on helping some of the best and brightest women in the industry form relationships and help each other advance their careers since 1938.

At the end of the day, whether in her career or in a volunteer capacity for the WCR, O’Connor has made a name for herself simply by caring for others. Her personal motto is “no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care,” and she firmly believes that no manner of experience or technical know-how can make up for a lack of understanding or empathy. O’Connor knows a lot and cares a lot, which has proven to be a winning combination for both her and her clients.

 

Thanks to AtWater Apartments for letting us use their beautiful location for our photo shoots.