With backgrounds in interior design and advertising, Tanya Hamilton and Michele Miller are consummate experts at staging luxury homes. Hamilton, who has a degree in interior design from Florida State University, started her career in design before transitioning to facility planning and then on to property management. “My design background is an asset when working with buyers to help them determine the potential of a property and whether it will fit their needs,” Hamilton says. “Design is also a benefit when advising sellers on the most effective and economical improvements to make when preparing their property to go on the market.”

For Miller, who spent more than 20 years in advertising, the segue into real estate was just as seamless. “I was always researching properties and markets and attending open houses even when I wasn’t in the market to purchase,” he says. “I was also ready for a change and liked the idea of having my own business.”

Specializing in the Gold Coast, Streeterville, Old Town, River North, West Loop, Fulton Market, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Lincoln Square, Hyde Park and Rogers Park neighborhoods of Chicago, as well as the northern and western suburbs, Hamilton and Miller bring a keen expertise to the luxury market and building relationships. “Many of my transactions are condominiums, so having property management experience is a plus when educating buyers on the differences between buildings by comparing their financials, amenities, rules and regulations,” Hamilton says.

Miller, a graduate of Barat College in Lake Forest, has intimate knowledge of several of the city’s neighborhoods. “I have lived in many different areas of Chicago throughout my 35 years in the city, including the Gold Coast, Wicker Park, Rogers Park, Hyde Park, Lakeview and Highland Park, where we have a second home,” Miller says. “My in-depth knowledge of these areas stems from participating in the communities and nonprofit organizations, as well as riding through these neighborhoods on my bicycle.”