For Elise Rinaldi, broker associate with @properties, her move to residential real estate came after several years of commercial real estate and relocation for executives in the New York metropolitan area. When she saw ho-hum real estate agents having moderate success in the field, she knew she could put her whole heart into it and really build something special. “I jumped in after only living in Chicago for two years,” she remembers. “It was one of my best decisions.”

Rinaldi is known to clients for her confidence and professionalism built on a foundation of analysis and data. “I make it a point to truly understand each client,” she explains, “and I craft an individual plan for them to help accomplish all their objectives.” Now 16 years into her career and well-versed in countless North Shore neighborhoods, Rinaldi is the winner of many honors and accolades, having ranked among Crain’s Notable Residential Real Estate Brokers and being a 2019 and 2020 North Shore-Barrington Association of Realtors top 5% award winner.

Among Rinaldi’s most important traits are what she calls “street smarts.” “ I am very aware of my environment and of human behavior,” she says. “I tend to navigate the world in an intuitive way — a ‘perfect combination’ for the real estate industry. I deal with clients on a very personal level that crosses finances, relationships and egos. Knowing how to interact with different personalities is what makes me exceptional at this.” Easygoing yet politely direct, Rinaldi finds her New York years show in the form of a confident candor, honest advice and competitive negotiating that all make her highly effective in getting her clients where they want to be.

“It’s about overcoming difficult situations,” she remarks of her drive to bring every client success. “I have always embraced challenges.” Sixteen years in, Rinaldi never stops learning, never slows down and always sees repeat customers — owning her business and her energy like a true boss.