Amy Sunshine marks 25 years in Chicago real estate

Chicago broker Amy Sunshine is celebrating 25 years in the business, reflecting on a career built on referrals, long-term client relationships and a leap of faith that helped define @properties' rise. Her milestone also spotlights how personal service and consistency have carried her through market swings, crises and growth in one of the city's most competitive real estate markets.

Why it matters: - Amy Sunshine's 25-year run shows how relationship-driven brokerage can build staying power in Chicago real estate. - Her career tracks with @properties' rise from a little-known startup to one of the region's largest brokerages. - The milestone also highlights the value of long-term client trust in a market shaped by repeat business and referrals.

What happened: - Sunshine is marking 25 years as a Chicago real estate broker in 2026. - She joined @properties in 2001 after one year at an established firm. - The move felt risky at the time because @properties was still a small startup with little name recognition. - Sunshine has remained with the firm through its growth and later partnership with Christie's International Real Estate.

The details: - Thad Wong recruited Sunshine to join @properties. - Wong told Sunshine that if his expected baby was a girl, the family planned to name her Ella Sunshine Wong. - Sunshine had just welcomed a niece named Ella Sunshine, which made the timing feel personal. - Early clients sometimes misheard the brokerage name and thought she was saying ABT, the appliance store. - Sunshine said it took convincing to move clients to an unknown brokerage, but those first clients stayed loyal. - Her business has been built mostly on referrals and repeat clients. - Sunshine has guided clients from first bachelor pads to million-dollar family homes. - One longtime client first bought as a single first-time buyer, later moved from a Lincoln Square multi-unit home to a single-family home after الزواج, and most recently downsized to a Lincoln Park condo. - Sunshine's approach held through the 2008 downturn and the pandemic. - She said she tries to treat clients the way she wanted to be treated when making her own purchases. - In one case, after helping a couple sell a condo and buy a single-family home before a baby arrived, Sunshine arranged for the family to stay at the Four Seasons when an incident left the new home uninhabitable before closing. - Sunshine says her calmness and willingness to listen help make the process feel educational and less stressful. - She stays in touch with clients after closing and remains a resource for contractors, doctors and other needs. - Sunshine stepped back from work at one point to help care for her father, who had Alzheimer's disease. - She is a past board member of the Alzheimer's Association and remains involved through its Women's Group, Purple Circle and Power of Purple, Reason to Hope luncheon. - Outside work, Sunshine has run marathons and climbed the Inca Trail and Mont Blanc. - She said those challenges taught her how to stay committed and persevere when situations get difficult. - Sunshine has been named a Top Producer. - In 2019, she received @properties' Rolex award after surpassing $10 million in sales the prior year. - Her credentials include Accredited Buyer's Representative, Real Estate Negotiation Expert and membership in the invitation-only Top Agent Network. - Sunshine works from Chicago's North Center neighborhood and serves buyers and sellers across the North Side and downtown, including Lincoln Park, Lakeview, North Center, Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, Roscoe Village, Gold Coast, River North and the Loop. - More information is available on Amy Sunshine's website.

Between the lines: - Sunshine's story is less about transactions and more about trust, which helps explain why her business has lasted through multiple market cycles. - Her early bet on @properties suggests that timing and personal conviction played a major role in both her career and the firm's growth. - The Alzheimer's Association connection adds a personal dimension that reinforces her emphasis on care and continuity.

What's next: - Sunshine says she has no plan to slow down and wants to keep working as long as possible. - Her role model is her 89-year-old mother, who is still selling real estate. - Sunshine says her guiding promise remains: “Your Chicago move, handled as if it was my own.”