April 28--Upscale western suburbs like Hinsdale, Oak Brook, Burr Ridge and Clarendon Hills have long been happy hunting grounds for wealthy Chicago-area homebuyers looking to spend $1 million or more on a mansion.
Now real estate agency Baird Warner is betting that the appeal of the area's huge high-end homes can be extended overseas.
On Wednesday the company -- one of Chicago's largest independent real estate brokers -- closed on a west suburban deal of its own, acquiring Brush Hill Realtors, the boutique firm that has dominated luxury sales in Hinsdale and surrounding suburbs.
Baird Warner believes its expertise in marketing luxury properties internationally, combined with Brush Hill's deep roots and expertise in the western suburbs, will allow the merged firm to "find buyers from Europe and China and South America," said Laura Ellis, Baird Warner's president of residential sales.
While rich buyers from abroad tend to look to the northern suburbs, Baird Warner specializes in "technology and high-quality marketing" and personalized service that can broaden the potential pool of buyers, Ellis said.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Baird Warner will retain all 30 Brush Hill employees and will gain 100 current listings, with an average list price of around $800,000, Ellis said. Six existing Baird Warner agents in the area will be integrated into Brush Hill's Hinsdale office, which initially will use joint Baird Warner -- Brush Hill branding. Eventually, the Brush Hill name will be retired, Ellis added.
Baird Warner has around 2,000 agents. Its last acquisition, of Prime Property Partners in La Grange, came four years ago.
kjanssen@tribpub.com
