The first two months of the year has seen several high-profile hires and promotions at firms across Chicago. One that took the industry (and us) by surprise was CBRE’s hiring of Sara Spicklemire, one of the industry’s top landlord reps, as an SVP on the agency leasing team.

It was only last month that Sara led us on a tour of 515 N State as MB Real Estate’s managing director of leasing services. (She was the firm’s first female and youngest managing director.) Sara said she wasn’t looking for a change, but CBRE’s pitch was too good to ignore and she leaves MBRE with nothing but great things to say about her crew there. Bonus: Sara could white out the "M" in her old business cards and replace it with a "C."

Sara says her responsibilities at CBRE will be solely focused on client work and new business development. Two things intrigued her about CBRE: its platform and the firm’s leasing assignment with R2 Cos, which is redeveloping Goose Island into a hub for tech firms. Sara says what’s happening at Goose Island is a once-in-a-lifetime transformational opportunity. The island’s history and grittiness will allow tenants to define the area, and Goose Island is ideally located near the neighborhoods where tech workers already live. Sara calls Goose Island a passion project.

That doesn’t mean Sara will be giving up her core competency: CBD office leasing. She still considers it her bread and butter and is eager to use the robust CBRE platform to provide clients with the highest level of service. She is also excited to show the market new buildings in the pipeline like 412 N Wells (shown), a 56k SF office building from Centrum Partners, which will deliver in Q1 2017. The boutique offering will be adjacent to Merchandise Mart, steps away from the Brown and Purple Lines, and feature amenities like a rooftop deck, on-site concierge, 24-7 fitness facility and in-building bike storage. It's a unique opportunity to lease brand-new, ground-up trophy space in the extremely tight River North market.

Sara has had a rapid rise during her 10-year career, and she tells us she still loves the business as much as when she entered it at Grubb & Ellis. Sara says real estate is a roller-coaster ride, but if you stay focused on your goals, you can attain whatever you seek.