Real estate is in Sarah Elder Lyons’ blood. She grew up watching her father and grandfather design and build in her hometown of Mason City, Iowa, for Mason City Lumber Company, a business the family has owned since the turn of the century. Now she gets to help make her clients’ homeownership dreams come true on the North Side of Chicago and the North Shore.

Lyons, an agent with Compass Real Estate — Winnetka office, lived in Chicago for years, falling in love with the city and learning all the reasons Chicago is the greatest city in the world. She then moved to Chicago’s North Shore to raise her family and has resided there for 30 years. All three of her daughters graduated from New Trier High School and went on to successful careers: a country music recording artist who just has played Chicago festivals such as Windy City Smokeout and LakeShake and is now working on AMC’s largest production “Interview with the Vampire” and “MayFair Witches”; a global insurance and finance executive at MetLife; and a Tulane law student who recently made the Maritime Law Review.

Named among the Wall Street Journal’s Real Trends Top 1.5% of 1.6 million brokers in the U.S. in individual sales volume, Top 5% of agents by the North Shore-Barrington Association of Realtors and Chicago Magazine’s Top Brokers, Lyons assists first-time to luxury buyers and sellers, as well as clients relocating from out of state.

Solution-driven, she lives by the motto: “I can fix it.” She also knows each client is unique, and works tirelessly to make sure they get the time and attention they deserve, embracing the opportunity to educate them on comparative market analysis and the buying and selling process as a whole. With energy and enthusiasm, she gives each client the VIP treatment and genuinely cares about their happiness.

Before switching to a career in real estate 17 years ago, Lyons excelled in the advertising, marketing and sales world. This included time spent working for BBDO, Fallon Worldwide and Dun & Bradstreet. “This knowledge has helped significantly in my real estate career,” she says. “Creating a marketing plan for my clients is one of my favorite aspects of the job.”