Eight years ago real estate agents Michael Golden and Thaddeus Wong left a small brokerage firm in Bucktown to start @properties. More than $7 billion in property sales later, the co-founders of one of the fastest-growing companies in Chicago are returning to Bucktown with the opening of @properties’ fifth city location.

@properties, the largest independently-owned real estate brokerage firm in the city, has acquired residential brokerage firm J A Smith + Assoc. Inc., located at 1959 W. Cortland St., at Damen Avenue.

Jan Smith, founder and managing broker of J A Smith + Assoc. Inc., will join @properties as a broker-associate. @properties will expand the former J A. Smith office from 1,500 square feet to 3,000 square feet, providing space for up to 60 real estate agents. The newly branded office will reopen in July, according to Golden and Wong.