Harrington Brown LLC

05/13/2026

As I celebrate the 40th Anniversary of my first day on the job in the commercial real estate industry, I want to share with you the new website for my company, Harrington Brown, that I started in 2009 after a little break:

https://harrington-brown.com/

If you take the time to look at the website, I hope it's clear how much I have loved the privilege of working every day in this industry. The old website was seriously out of date, highlighting deals from the last century and my hair in the photos showed only a hint of gray.

I never aspired to have a career in real estate. But, it turns out that over the years, in addition to being involved in many large, interesting projects, assignments and transactions all over the world, I have been able to create meaningful personal relationships, solid community foundations and combine profits with passion and compassion. All of this was only possible with the help, support and guidance of many people along the way, and a ton of luck. I’m not yet ready to call it quits, so I hope my fortunate combination of fun, creative work and fulfilling results continues for a while.

Thank you to Daniel Harrington for designing the website and coming up with the content just by having some conversations with me about what I do, why I do it, and the impact I want my work to have. He took that and ran with it to create the new site.

A few of the shoutouts on the new website:
David R Brown
Harrington Brown LLC
Ravenswood WorkCenter
Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce
Gene Wagendorf
North Center Neighbors Association
Common Pantry
Rogers Park Montessori School
St Pauls United Church of Christ
City of Evanston Illinois Government
Ann Rainey
Andrew Scott
Grove City Ohio Government
Half Acre Beer Company
Taproot Foundation
Northwestern University
Harvard Kennedy School
Hasham Tahir
RealTalk The Podcast

Harrington-Brown is a Chicago-based real estate firm focused on community-driven investment and development, combining decades of experience with projects that preserve local character and strengthen neighborhoods.

04/11/2026

Hey, IT Dept, can you help me access these computer files? I’m sure they are very important or I would not have saved them all these years.

04/08/2026

Packing up my office and I always take my with me. We are heading down the block to

03/12/2026

The Half Acre Beer Company at 2050 W Balmoral Ave was one of the first properties acquired and sold by our company. We love staying focused on opportunities in our own neighborhood on ’s North Side and say “Cheers” to Maplewood Brewery & Distillery and Half Acre as they combine to brew even better things going forward.



Ravenswood WorkCenter
Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce
Bowmanville Community Organization
David R Brown

It’s with excitement that we announce Maplewood Brewery & Distillery and Half Acre Beer Co will join together to create a premier Chicago beverage company. We combine as individually strong, complementary businesses that share similar visions for the future of our industry and city. Together, we’ll shape a new era of collaboration and creativity, rooted in the individuality of two of Chicago’s most prominent brands. We unite with deep appreciation for our teams, partners, communities, and customers. We expect things to close in the coming weeks, but wanted to share the news as we ramp up!  Here we go.

02/07/2026

OPEN HOUSE at Ravenswood WorkCenter

Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce Winter Social
Thursday, February 26 5pm-7pm
1801 W Berteau Ave (Enter at Bad Coffee)

01/01/2026

Happy New Year, .
2026 should be a big year.

A number of big projects are expected to wrap up this year with others kicking off — and maybe the Bears will find a stadium site?

12/21/2025

Neighbors said they want to see the 1890s building saved and turned into a community hub rather than townhomes.

12/21/2025

The building would include a corner storefront, which representatives from the development firm say they are reaching out to local nonprofits or small businesses to fill. Renderings show an outdoor playground in the rear of the complex.

12/17/2025

Real Estate Technology?
“I’m an Old School Guy.”
Some might call me a technology dolt, since it takes me about 10 years before I adopt any new innovation. But, one way we can all learn more is to listen to our children and the next generation of leaders in the industry.

Let’s bring back those big, metal keys for hotel rooms!

A short clip from my recent interview with Hasham Tahir on RealTalk The Podcast where he asked me about all of the new technologies we are seeing in the real estate industry.

11/25/2025

As we approach , I wanted to share my gratitude for the bosses and mentors who gave me my first opportunities in as a young kid heading off to .
I had many people take risks with me, include me on some groundbreaking projects, and take the time to teach some valuable work skills and life skills that have stuck with me throughout my 40 year career.