Barbara and Hilary O’Connor never thought they’d become a team in the real estate industry. Barbara previously worked as a high school teacher and an instructor at United Airlines, while her daughter Hilary was an attorney. But since making the switch, the bond between this mother-daughter duo is stronger than ever.

Barbara is the president and founder of Barbara O’Connor & Co., the president of brokerage services at Dream Town Realty and the managing broker of Dream Town Realty Lincoln Square. Hilary is currently a partner and vice president at Barbara O’Connor & Co. The team serves the entire city of Chicago and the northern suburbs, working with both buyers and sellers from various walks of life, each with their own unique interests and needs.

Within the past year, the team has worked to include more commercial transactions in its portfolio. In fact, their primary goal in 2018 was to expand into different markets both in location and transaction type, and breaking into the commercial market was a key factor in reaching this goal.

Barbara’s patience is one of her biggest strengths and a key reason why clients enjoy working with her. For Hilary, her direct and honest communication has allowed clients to have full knowledge of what to expect when certain issues arise. In turn, the pair works well together because they balance each other’s unique skills and interests. “We are a successful team because we have complete trust in each other, and where one of us lacks a skill or piece of knowledge, the other one is there to complement and fill in the gaps,” they say.

Throughout her time in the industry, Barbara has earned several accolades, such as being named one of the Most Influential Residential Real Estate Brokers by Crain’s Custom Media and a top real estate professional by The Wall Street Journal. She is excited to have brought her daughter along on the journey, and they both look forward to watching the other succeed in the future.