Grace Goro Kaage always felt real estate was her calling. “I grew up in real estate,” says Kaage, a broker with @properties. “My dad managed the Koenig and Strey office on Clark, and I remember agents in that office acting as my favorite babysitters back then. Real estate is home to me.”

Recognized in 2018 as one of the Most Influential Residential Real Estate Brokers in Chicago by Crain’s Custom Media, Kaage works on Chicago’s North Side and in the surrounding suburbs. “My goal is to help my clients build wealth through real estate, and I work very hard to find great deals that are likely to appreciate due to location or that can be improved to add value,” she says. “I am passionate about design, renovation and custom builds, so I’m really drawn to buyers who are looking for ways to build equity into a property after the purchase and to sellers who want to improve their homes in order to command premium pricing.”

With a client base composed primarily of referrals, she ensures customer satisfaction through frequent communication and thorough research. “If I help you buy a house, I have every intention of helping you sell it, so I do as much as humanly possible to make sure my clients are comfortable at all times and their interests are protected,” she says.

With over eight years of experience in the industry, Kaage has built a large network of contractors. She is also well versed in modern marketing techniques, including aerial drone footage, digital floor plans and 3D tours. “Millennials are the largest generation of homebuyers today,” she says. “As a millennial myself, I know what they’re looking for and market my listings accordingly.”

Kaage is the current chair of the Chicago Association of Realtors’ Young Professionals Network, and in 2018 her team was again recognized as a CAR Top Producer Team. She’s also the founder of the Prostate Cancer League, an organization created six years ago following her father’s second cancer diagnosis. “My dad was my hero and such a presence in our industry that I still meet people today who knew him,” she says. “He’s the reason I’m in real estate today.”