You could say that real estate was Sarah Elder Lyons’ birthright. A 33-year resident of Chicago who now specializes in the North Shore market, Lyons grew up in a family that owned a lumber company in Iowa for 63 years, with her father, grandfather and great-grandfather all licensed civil engineers. “My dad was also an architect and designed and built homes,” adds Lyons. “And my family invested in real estate by buying farms and rental properties.” Having grown up in the business, Lyons knows how to make the process a smooth one for her buyers and sellers, and she provides VIP service. “When you hire Sarah, you get Sarah,” she says, “not someone else on a team.”
Although she has a strong family connection to the real estate business, Lyons also spent 10 years in advertising and marketing, which gives her another leg up on the competition. She especially loves marketing via social media. “I’m very visible on social media,” she says. “I use social media as my modern-day electronic scrapbook, not to mention that it’s free advertising.”
When told that she has a big heart, something she hears often, Lyons is deeply gratified. “I really care,” she shares, “sometimes too much, if that’s possible. While production numbers and commission income are important, I believe in quality service over quantity. I enjoy knowing about people’s lives and stories and being a cheerleader for them.”
One of her proudest moments was selling a historically significant home built by the late Art Nielsen Sr., of the Nielsen Ratings, one of the largest sales in Cook County last year. She has also been honored to work with several members of the Chicago Bears — including Robert Quinn, Alec Ogletree and Taco Charlton.
Although Lyons has been recognized by RealTrends magazine as being in the top 1.5 percent of Realtors, her proudest achievements are all in the family. Her youngest daughter just graduated from Tulane University Law School, and she recently welcomed the birth of her first granddaughter. Her oldest daughter is a singer, songwriter, producer and country musician whose business Lyons has helped to market. She quips, “I may have her start writing songs for my listings.”
