Tired of traveling week in and week out for his corporate job, John Lyons decided to start his own real estate business. Lyons could not have predicted how well his background would prepare him for a career in real estate. After graduating from Indiana University in 2001, he took a job selling copiers at Minolta Business Solutions. After building a successful track record there, he was hired by BrainLAB Inc. to sell image-guided surgical systems. He quickly rose to become one of the top sales representatives for the company. Seven years later, he was hired by IMRIS to serve as the Midwest director of sales for the company’s intraoperative MRI and integrated operating room solutions.

Now Lyons has a new outlet for his sales abilities: real estate. A Chicago Association of Realtors Top Producer and recipient of Baird & Warner’s Founder’s Club award for the past four years, Lyons had a record 2018, selling more than $11.7 million in real estate. This marked an 18 percent increase over his 2017 numbers. “I was able to accomplish this through daily prospecting and providing a high level of service to my clients,” he says.

In testimonials, Lyons’ clients say he is patient, trustworthy, personable, knowledgeable and professional. “Each and every client is so different,” he says. “It’s important to truly understand their needs so you can best serve them. Listings build trust, which is so incredibly vital in our business.”

A member of the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce, Lyons assists clients in a variety of neighborhoods, including the Near North Side, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Uptown, Ravenswood, Logan Square, West Town and the Loop. He is quick to admit the best education he ever received was from his six years of service in the United States Marine Corps.
Lyons donates $200 per transaction to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Lurie Children’s Hospital. “I am running the Chicago Marathon in 2019 for Lurie Children’s Hospital,” he says. “I have a lofty goal this year: to qualify for the Boston Marathon a second time. Since the beginning of the year, I have been spending at least four hours a week training for the Oct. 13 race.”