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2026 Women In Real Estate Awards
Chicago & Midwest
- Andrea Hopper Focuses on Clients’ Immediate Requirements and Long-Term Strategy
- Kristen Boike Grows Honigman Chicago by Nearly 75%
- Kate Coxworth with JLL Closes 10 Million SF of Industrial Deals in Two Years
- Logistics Property’s Elena Villarreal Daniel Leads Sustainability Efforts for a 27-Million-SF Portfolio
- Laura Schueren Helps Savills Deliver a $145-Million, 447,000-SF Workplace Project
- Hiffman National’s Michelle Grana Has Managed 11 Million SF of Industrial Property
- Opus’s Shanna Stowbridge Recovers More Than 95% of Kalaco Damage Costs
- Proper Title’s Kim O’Donnell Took Leap of Faith That Paid Off
- Transwestern’s Katie Bongard Manages 700,000-SF 60 South Sixth
- Sara Gotschewski with Unispace Promoted to Principal of Design in Five Years
Proper Title’s Kim O’Donnell Took Leap of Faith That Paid Off
A 30-year veteran of residential and commercial title insurance, Kim O’Donnell, Executive Vice President of Business Development for Proper Title, is known for her outstanding customer service and leadership in managing top-performing account teams. Working alongside Chicago’s leading developers, attorneys, investors, lenders and real estate brokers, she has executed deals valued from $1 million to $200 million.
Since joining Proper Title in 2015, O’Donnell has led the company’s sales efforts across Chicago and its western suburbs, playing a key role in both residential and commercial business development. In 2024, she launched Proper Title’s National Commercial Division, which has expanded by 40%, and the firm now handles construction escrow services for projects up to $100 million.
Previously, O’Donnell was assistant vice president at Chicago Title for 18 years and nine months, from June 1996 to February 2015. During this time, she honed her expertise in the title industry, earning national recognition for being in the top 2% in new business development and client retention.
After a lengthy tenure with Chicago Title, O’Donnell took a leap of faith in moving to a new firm like Proper Title. She believed in Proper Title’s goals, business fundamentals and high level of personal service and never second-guessed her move. She left the comfort of a large underwriter to start a Proper Title team of salespeople and title professionals, who also decided to take a chance on a young firm, but in the process she recruited some of the best in the business.
These are just a few reasons Kim O’Donnell is among the Chicago & Midwest Connect CRE 2026 Women in Real Estate Award winners. The award honors the achievements and inspirational stories of women who have reached respected leadership positions and taken on mentorship roles.