With a combined 60 years of real estate experience, Jennifer Ames and Karen Arenson are a force in Chicago’s luxury residential market — not because they aim to be the biggest, but because they are committed to being the best. As co-owners of the local Engel & Völkers franchise, with shops in the City, Chicago’s North Shore, and in Sawyer, Michigan, they’ve built a brokerage rooted in excellence, collaboration and purpose, where advisors thrive through high-touch mentorship and an unwavering commitment to integrity.

Ames and Arenson have earned national acclaim, marked by their distinction as private office advisors, an elite designation held by the top 1% of Engel & Völkers professionals worldwide. Yet their greatest pride is in the culture they’ve created. “We lead with generosity,” Arenson insists. “Our mission is to give — our knowledge, our experience, our time — so that others can grow.”

Ames’ and Arenson’s shared passion for service shines in every corner of the brokerage. From thoughtfully designed shops that feel more like luxury boutiques than traditional offices to customized coaching that empowers advisors at every career stage, the duo has redefined what it means to run a modern brokerage. The result is a thriving, values-driven community where collaboration is the norm, not the exception.

“We know firsthand what it takes to succeed,” says Ames, a third-generation Chicago real estate professional and founder of one of the city’s top-producing residential teams. “We find true joy in helping others achieve that same level of excellence on their own terms.”

Together with Paul Lazarre, their business partner, Ames and Arenson are charting a unique course that prioritizes service over ego, substance over flash and people above all else. For professionals who aspire to lead with heart and operate at the highest level, Engel & Völkers offers a place to do great work and feel great while doing it.