Lori Nieman had her first taste of real estate over 25 years ago while leasing commercial real estate in Chicago’s most premier and prominent office buildings in the Loop. While working to juggle the many stakeholder interests that are involved in each deal, she gained the experience, creativity, and stamina to put multi-million-dollar deals together seamlessly. It was here, in commercial real estate, that she learned to become the consummate communicator and multi-tasker.

Real estate is a way of life in the Nieman household. Nieman’s husband, Drew, is a commercial developer and has developed some of the most well-known office buildings in Chicago. His work has even taken their family halfway across the world to live in Abu Dhabi. When they returned stateside in 2011, the Niemans knew the North Shore was where their family would settle down.

“I knew what a special place the North Shore is, with its variety of neighborhoods, and each is unique in its own way. There is always a new activity, restaurant, or shop to experience, yet you can still be in the city in a quick half-hour,” says Nieman.

After taking some time off to raise their twins, Natalie and Ryan, Nieman began fixing up, staging, and selling their family’s own homes. She had such a talent for it, that friends and family would often look for her guidance and suggested that she pursue this passion, also given her real estate experience. It was a natural progression to then join @properties—the unequivocal market leader in residential real estate.

In her first two years alone, Nieman achieved top 5 percent status of all North Shore realtors. It is through her proven and successful marketing strategies that she is able to attain an average sales price of 99.4 percent of list price—which is well above the North Shore market average.

Since the pandemic began, there has been such a shortage of inventory, but it is still important to have a home look its best. Though not all homes require it, Nieman comes prepared, using her own inventory of furniture and home accessories to attract the most buyers and top dollar for the home.

Nieman’s talent for staging goes beyond just the physical aspects of a home. She is exceptional at her ability to set the stage for all parts of the transaction. Nieman has her own “Lori’s List” of sorts that comprises all of her trade resources—from contractors, attorneys, and lenders—she has them all on speed dial and knows exactly how to navigate each step of the preparation and deal.

Nieman’s clients’ own words are a true testament to her work ethic and expertise. One of her most recent clients perfectly encompasses Nieman’s skill, drive, and success: “The first thing you are likely to observe about Lori is her energy level. She is always multi-tasking. While she is listening to you, she is also immediately on the topic at hand or writing a reminder to follow up. It does not wane when the sun goes down, either. You can call or text her at any time, odd hours included, and she will respond. The end result is that regardless of her task, large or small, she gets it done, and gets it done quickly without sacrificing attention to detail. When time is of the essence, this is very important. Another striking attribute you will discover about Lori is how connected she is, both to the markets and the participants. She knows her markets on a very granular level, down to the neighborhoods.”

Through her clients, Nieman has grown her business entirely organically, from unsolicited referrals, the ultimate compliment of her talent and skill.

Her competitive edge comes in large part from her commercial real estate experience. It taught her exactly how to cohesively and successfully manage each part of the deal, and know how and when to pivot when necessary.

“So many of these traits are crucial to today’s residential real estate market, especially at a time when inventory is scarce,” says Nieman.

As an agent, Nieman’s ability to be ahead of the market and her knowledge of when inventory is coming up is essential. Many of her buyer clients have found their perfect home by being the first ones in the door. Nieman’s knowledge of how to structure a compelling offer on behalf of her clients, and have success in a multiple-bid scenario, takes experience and skill. This speaks volumes to her innate ability to understand a home and the market.

Lori Nieman’s @properties office is located at 30 Green Bay Road in Winnetka. For more information, call 312-343-7070 or email [email protected].