You know you’ve reached expert-level when you take a difficult job and make it look easy. That’s what Lori Rowe, a broker with Coldwell Banker, brings to the table when she takes on a new client.

Her skill prompted one of her clients to comment on Rowe’s “effortless intelligence” and another to note: “She teaches me something every time we look at houses together.”

That’s no small task with the savvy luxury buyers she assists in the Northwest suburbs and Lake County. Roughly 70% of her business is made up of repeat customers and referrals. “Not only do my clients and friends refer me business, but agents across Chicagoland — many from other companies — refer me great people,” she says.

Her referral network frequently stays within the family, making her a part of their “story,” she explains. “On several occasions, I have worked with three generations,” she recalls. “I have had the privilege of meeting clients when they were toddlers, watching them grow up, finding them a condo, seeing them get married, finding them a house, seeing them start a family, finding them a bigger house and so on … all while helping their parents, grandparents, siblings and extended family. That’s what makes me tick!”

She brings a personal touch to each transaction and pivoted like a pro in 2020. The flexibility paid off, making it her best year to date. “During the official shutdown, my staff and I made weekly visits to my listings,” she notes. “We gift-wrapped toilet paper with a card that said, ‘If I can find this, I can find you a buyer!’ We delivered puzzle books, candy and sidewalk chalk for the kids, so they would know they were my top priority and that we would get through this together.”