About Katie Hemming & Ginny Sylvester
Built on integrity, Hemming & Sylvester Properties is composed of the top real estate brokers in the Fox Valley area. With over 35 years experience in the industry, our agency offers intimate knowledge of all neighborhoods and markets while achieving true distinction by ensuring that clients enjoy the simplicity of selling or buying residential property. For community highlights, new properties, home improvement tips and market trends, please visit us on Facebook and on our blog.
About The Team
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Carolyn Leard
Phone 630-476-1740
A Fox Valley resident for over 30 years, you'll be hard pressed to find someone who knows the area better than Carolyn Leard.
Carolyn understands how emotionally taxing it can be to buy or sell a home, and with over 18 years of experience as a broker, she has seen it all. A problem-solver by nature, Carolyn will help find an answer to all of your questions and calm any concerns. "Working with buyers is a unique adventure in finding the right home, and I relish the journey," she notes.
As the former general manager of a home staging company, Carolyn is highly skilled in staging and design. You can rest easy knowing she will bring her very best to ensure your home is staged beautifully to sell -- and sell quickly!
Carolyn also brings another layer of business experience to her clients: she previously served as the Manager of Education for a mainframe computer company, which helped challenge her to see things from new perspectives and hone her skills of listening and curiosity. "I love to dig for all the data and share information. I provide in-depth data, information, and services to sellers so we can formulate a logical plan to achieve their goals," Carolyn shared.
Carolyn cherishes everything the Fox Valley has to offer -- from great restaurants and fantastic schools to the Fox River, shows at The Paramount Theater, and sledding at the Fabyan Windmill. She can't wait to help you on your journey to finding the perfect space for you and your family, wherever that may be -- though she's admittedly partial to Batavia, where she's long called home!
Contact Carolyn ! -
Ginny Sylvester
Phone (630)715-1887
Ginny Sylvester, Cofounder of Hemming & Sylvester Properties, pairs her extensive corporate background in sales and management with her determination to help clients with the very personal, and sometimes overwhelming, aspects of buying and selling homes. As one of the top realtors in the Fox Valley, Ginny is able to illuminate the quality and value of each neighborhood, while providing customized attention to each individual home and client. "I love where I live, and I want my clients to be happy here, too. I will work diligently to find a home that is ideal for them," notes Ginny. Along with seasoned knowledge of the neighborhoods, Hemming and Sylvester Properties are also the experts in home staging and are equipped with extensive products and materials. "When I partner with you to sell a home, I devote myself to staging your home to ensure it is appealing to the widest possible market.”
As a long time resident of the Tri-Cities, Ginny has a comprehensive understanding of the neighboring towns. She has remained involved with the community and school system with her husband and children. She is has been a Director of the Fox Valley Board of Realtors, has served on the board of United Way, and is active with the PTO.
For the last three consecutive years, Ginny has been listed as one of the top 20 agents in Kane County real estate by Chicago Agent Magazine. Also recently, Ginny was featured on the cover of a well-known business publication, Craines Chicago, as she shared her expertise on how to leverage marketing tools within a boutique agency.
Contact Ginny! -
Katie Hemming
Phone 630-212-6165
Cofounder of Hemming and Sylvester Properties and Top Producer since 1998, Katie Hemming’s expertise stems from corporate sales at Sony Corporation in the Business Products Division. “I became resilient after that experience and I developed a knack for multitasking and delivering results,” says Katie. The quality and quantity of her sales paired with her experience in staging creates innovative and custom strategies for her clients and homes. “I love finding the perfect home for my buyers, and I have great success selling my listings because I always stage them and they always look beautiful.”
Katie and her husband raised their five children in Geneva, and as a dedicated member of the PTO, loved being part of the strong cohesion that the Fox Valley area offers. After being with Baird & Warner for 15 years, Katie was awarded by the Founder's Club as the Top 1% in Sales Volume for the entire B&W company. Her specialties include Short sales, residential sales, luxury homes, first time home buyers, distressed properties, staging, and relocations.
Contact Katie! -
Loren Hemming
Phone (630) 715-1124
Loren Hemming, the leasing agent for Hemming & Sylvester, brings an enthusiastic desire to make the rental process quick and easy for her clients. As the agency's point person for clients looking for a rental or property owners needing just the right tenant, Loren’s clients will find that her outgoing, persistent personality ensures that prospective renters will smoothly transition into that perfect home.
Whether she’s assisting renters find the ideal condo or single-family home or connecting a homeowner with the right tenants, Loren’s in-depth knowledge of the Fox Valley, along with her negotiating skills and friendly personality, will ensure the perfect fit.
A Geneva native, Loren spent seven years in Arizona attending college and teaching. Loren is now happily married and back in the Tri-Cities. She plans to use the teamwork and organization skills she honed as a middle school teacher to make the leasing process pleasant for everyone involved.
A “people person,” Loren loves meeting new clients, has a knack for using technology, and is enthusiastic about facilitating relationships between tenants and property owners. When Loren is not at the office, she enjoys exercising, walking her dog and enjoying all that the Fox Valley has to offer.
“Whether it’s finding a short-term lease or a long-term rental option for you or your family, I look forward to using my skills to find the perfect rental for you,” she said.
Contact Loren ! -
Jackie Santacaterina Manny
Phone 630-340-9965
From childhood on, Jackie Santacaterina Manny has been a lover of the Fox Valley. As the oldest of five children in a sports oriented family, if she wasn’t playing a game in a nearby community, she was headed off to support a sibling. The constant exploration of the suburbs of Chicago offered her a taste of different neighborhoods and communities, from which she developed the desire to help families find the home best suited to their needs and desires.
After a successful collegiate and professional soccer career, Jackie started her own sports performance company, then transitioned that experience into a management & teaching role with a yoga studio in Wheaton. The challenges and rewards of owning and running a small business have helped Jackie appreciate the home buying and selling process even more.
With a keen eye for design, Jackie ensures her client’s home is staged to attract a wide array of tastes and preferences, while still reflecting the family that made the house a home. Plus, clients can count on her well honed competitive spirit to drive their sales process through to close. “As an athlete, I prided myself on being the hardest working, most competitive player on the field. I love being able to use those same characteristics to help close the best possible deal for my clients”.
Beyond real estate, you can find Jackie on the Big Ten Network as the lead Women’s Soccer Analyst. Or, you can catch her yoga class. She’s comfortable delivering her opinion on television, and speaking in front of and leading a group, which helps her confidently and concisely negotiate on behalf of her clients.
Jackie and her husband are proud to raise their two daughters in the Tri-Cities, where the Santacaterina’s and Manny’s are rooted. “We absolutely love the try-cities. My husband and I are both from here and our families still live in the area. This community is special, and I love any opportunity to help families grow and experience it."Contact Jackie! -
Jenna Windt
Phone 630.715.1633
Born and raised in the western suburbs, Jenna knows the area like the back of her hand and has extensive knowledge of the Fox Valley area and beyond.
Having a keen eye for detail, design and architecture, Jenna prides herself on helping clients dream up their ideal home and visualize their everyday life in the new space. Her outgoing personality and talent for listening with intention, makes her an excellent partner for all your home buying/selling needs.
She understands how stressful buying and listing a home can be; and that’s why she’s dedicated to taking the time to get to know a client and listen to their concerns and goals, helping make the process as easy and positive as possible. With a 15-year (and growing!) career in high school education, Jenna knows better than most how to work through a difficult or stressful situation.
After earning a degree in education from Illinois State University (go Redbirds!) Jenna moved to St. Charles, where she’s lived for the past 11 years. Fun fact: she’s also bilingual!
Contact Jenna!