Search Chicago Real Estate by Christine Hancock

Search Chicago Real Estate by Christine Hancock I’m a seller-first real estate expert with Christie’s International Real Estate. Member of:
Chicago Association of REALTORS

From a tenant-occupied listing to a successful sale! 🥳 This modern apartment required a bit of a strategic relaunch, and...
09/09/2026

From a tenant-occupied listing to a successful sale! 🥳

This modern apartment required a bit of a strategic relaunch, and we are thrilled with the results.

When the tenants moved out, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work, focusing on professional cleaning, complete staging, and fresh photography that really highlights this gorgeous entrance.

These amazing sellers were incredibly open to all of our suggestions, and it was that powerful joint effort that made the difference.

The very first open house after the relaunch brought us our buyer!

A huge thank you to the team and to our clients for trusting the process.

River North sellers, here's what the headlines aren't telling you.234 condos sold in the neighborhood over roughly the l...
09/07/2026

River North sellers, here's what the headlines aren't telling you.

234 condos sold in the neighborhood over roughly the last 90 days. Median price: $354,000. Median time on market: 60 days.

That 60 days is longer than South Loop at 43, Streeterville at 47, and Gold Coast at 54.

But it does NOT mean River North is slow.

It means the median includes every overpriced listing that had to cut before it sold. Units priced right and shown well are not sitting for two months.

Here's what changed. River North is absorbing a wave of new apartments from old office buildings. 88 units at 56 E. Superior. 153 at 111 W. Illinois. 66 at 223 W. Erie. Another 149 coming at 310 W. Huron in 2027.

None of those compete with you directly. They're rentals, not resale.

What they DO is raise the bar. Your buyer tours a brand new building with fresh finishes, then walks into your unit. That comparison is happening whether you plan for it or not.

More Info→Link in 1st Comment

Selling a condo downtown? Here is the thing most first-time sellers get wrong.Your listing agent and your real estate at...
09/05/2026

Selling a condo downtown? Here is the thing most first-time sellers get wrong.

Your listing agent and your real estate attorney are not doing the same job.

Your attorney handles the contract, the title, the deed, the closing docs. The legal side.

I handle pricing, prep, photography, marketing, showings, feedback, and negotiating every business term in your deal. The market side.

Two halves of the same sale.

And that market side is not a citywide conversation. In August 2026, West Loop condos had a median around $475,000 and averaged 27 days on market. Streeterville came in around $462,450 and averaged 47 days.

Almost the same price. Nearly double the time.

Now go one level deeper. Your buyer is not comparing your place to the West Loop. They are comparing it to the unit two floors up that sold last spring. They know the price. They know the floor. They know the view.

If your agent does not know those numbers cold, you are negotiating blind.

Thinking about selling in the West Loop, River North, South Loop, or Streeterville? Let's talk about your building specifically. Call or text me at 312-296-9300.

More Info→Link in 1st Comment

09/02/2026

SOLD. 1124 W. Adams

No shared hallway. No neighbors’ doors. Your elevator opens straight into your home.

2,143 square feet. All on one floor. Three beds, three baths, north and south exposures, two private balconies, and tandem heated parking for two cars.

That combination is rare in the West Loop. Space, light, and parking usually show up one at a time. Here they showed up together.

I’ve closed 300+ transactions in the West Loop. That’s how I knew exactly who this home was for, and how to position it to get them here.

Congratulations to my sellers. And to the new owners, welcome to Adams Street. Skinner Park and Mary Bartelme are your backyard now.

Thinking about selling in the West Loop? Call or text me at 312-296-9300.

DowntownChicago ChicagoCondo FultonMarket ChicagoRealtor

Thinking about selling your Streeterville condo this fall?There are 272 active listings in the neighborhood right now. 1...
09/02/2026

Thinking about selling your Streeterville condo this fall?

There are 272 active listings in the neighborhood right now. 105 of them showed up in the last 30 days alone.

So your unit is not competing with a neighborhood average. It is competing with the staged unit two floors up, shown to a buyer who already knows your building's HOA range before they ever walk in.

Four things decide how that comparison goes.

1. Condition. Not renovations. The dripping faucet, the sticking closet door, the scuffed baseboards, the dated light fixture. Individually they are nothing. Together they tell a buyer this unit has not been cared for.

2. Staging and real photography. Buyers scrolling hundreds of listings decide on your first two or three photos. In Streeterville, staging that frames your lake or river view instead of blocking it is a genuine edge.

3. Building documents. Declaration, bylaws, budget, reserves, capital projects. Buyers and their attorneys read these closely here. Scrambling for them after you go under contract costs you weeks you did not plan for.

4. Pricing from your building. Your floor and your view can swing your number more than any neighborhood median can capture.

Prepared Streeterville listings have been moving in as few as 28 median days. Unprepared ones stretch past 90.
Do the work first. Then set the price.

Call or text me at 312-296-9300 and I will tell you exactly what your unit needs.

More Info→Link in 1st Comment

You get one launch. Not two.The first two weeks your Downtown Chicago condo is on the market are when buyer attention pe...
08/30/2026

You get one launch. Not two.

The first two weeks your Downtown Chicago condo is on the market are when buyer attention peaks. Serious buyers are watching for new inventory. Agent networks are primed. Nobody has formed an opinion about your unit yet.

Here's what surprises most sellers: downtown moves slower than the rest of the city. Citywide median days on market is around 35. Downtown has been running 43 to 53, and Streeterville is closer to six weeks at the median while River North clears in about ten days.

Same downtown. Completely different timelines.

That is exactly why the launch matters more here, not less. Price, prep, coordinated exposure, and paperwork all get decided before the listing ever goes live.

I just wrote up the full framework I run with every seller, including why days 14 through 21 is the decision window you cannot afford to sleep through.

More Info→link in 1st comment.

Thinking about selling in the West Loop, River North, South Loop, or Streeterville? Call or text me at 312-296-9300.

08/25/2026

West Loop Open House

08/25/2026

East-facing Jr. 1-bed, 1-bath condo at Park Alexandria in Chicago’s West Loop.

This 620-square-foot home offers an open-concept layout with a remodeled sleeping area enclosed by a wall and door for true bedroom privacy.

The island kitchen features stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. Generous closet space plus in-unit washer and dryer for added convenience.

The expansive balcony delivers wide-open Chicago skyline views.

Park Alexandria is a full-amenity building with 24-hour door staff, fitness center, party room, dog run, on-site management, and a 9,000-square-foot private garden terrace.

Steps to Fulton Market, Randolph Street Restaurant Row, Greektown, the theater, and shopping, with Union Station, Ogilvie, and the Clinton Blue Line minutes away.

Deeded garage parking space -57 and storage space #134 are included.

West Loop living at its best!

08/23/2026

Most junior 1-bedrooms hand you a curtain and call it a bedroom.

This one has a real wall and a real door. #1905 at Park Alexandria faces east on the 19th floor with an expansive front balcony and wide-open skyline views, plus an island kitchen with granite and stainless, in-unit laundry, and deeded garage parking and storage included.

The building is full amenity with 24-hour door staff, a fitness center, a dog run, and a 9,000 square foot private garden terrace, and you are minutes from Fulton Market, Union Station, and the Blue Line.

DM me or call or text 312-296-9300.

Every Downtown Chicago seller asks me the same question before we go live. Should we price it high and leave room to neg...
08/12/2026

Every Downtown Chicago seller asks me the same question before we go live. Should we price it high and leave room to negotiate?

Almost always, no.

Here's why. Buyers and their agents are pulling the exact same MLS data you are. An overpriced unit doesn't get talked down. It gets skipped.

The sellers I see leave real money on the table in the West Loop and River North aren't in a weak market. They picked a pricing approach that didn't match the conditions in their own building.

So we start with three things: closed comps in your building from the last 90 days, what's actively competing with you right now, and how fast units like yours are moving.

A Streeterville high-rise and a South Loop mid-rise can trade at completely different price per square foot in the same month. Citywide averages will mislead you every time.

New post is up with the full framework, including the two-week and 30-day price reduction checkpoints I set with every client before launch.

More Info→Link in 1st Comment

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Chicago, IL

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