Mary Kay's Mission

"My mission is to guide clients with calming, expert guidance, creating an enjoyable experience and a roadmap to their real estate success"

With a builder for a father and a passion for real estate, it was a natural fit for Mary Kay Brunner-Dasse to earn her real estate license in 1989. Mary Kay possesses a true love for the industry, whether it is negotiating a deal or searching through homes to find the right fit for her clients. She also enjoys the personal connection and longstanding friendships formed with individuals she worked with over the years.

Mary Kay Brunner is a Five Star Award Winner Chicago/Forbes Magazine 2011 to 2023

How Mary Kay Serves Her Clients:

Experienced in working with buyers and sellers, Mary Kay is known for thinking outside of the box when marketing a home. She is always patient, allowing her clients to make important decisions in their own time, and her calming guidance gives clients confidence and peace of mind. From first-time buyers to high-end executives, Mary Kay represents clients with transactions ranging from $120,000 to $4 million. An expert negotiator, she is always clear and to the point, a refreshing change for many in the real estate. A resident of Lake Forest for 34 years, Mary Kay is an expert in the area. Top Reasons to hire Mary Kay: History of Low Market Time, Prices better than most, Helps prepare the home well, Marketing is exceptional, Points out features today's buyer is seeking, Insures pictures that are welcoming, Enjoys a good reputation among her peers.

Clients Say It Best

Joy H. Gibson recommended you on March 18. Please review before publishing: 

Mary Kay is an absolute delight to work with. She just helped me sell my house - same house she helped me find and buy 10 years ago ! Her expertise and knowledge in the real estate field as well as her successes is more than impressive and it shows ! Mary kay took on a very challenging project with ease and confidence. And as the client / seller, she made this very stressful job an enjoyable and educational experience. Mary kay is genuine and authentic. Easy and pleasant to work with. always has a positive attitude and a smile on her face. I 100 % recommend Mary kay to anyone selling or buying a house. "

"Mary Kay was the reason our sale went through. She negotiated with a first time buyer who had normal apprehensions exacerbated by the 100 year flood on the day of inspection. She is always calm and professional yet has a delightful sense of humor. She is very practical about what needs to be done to improve a listing but gentle in her approach to you. She also uses innovative ways to market the property. Her knowledge of comparable properties is complete and she seems to understand the flow of the market. I have complete confidence in her abilities as a broker and would recommend her with no hesitations." -Louisa

"Mary Kay is the consummate professional: thoroughly informed, diligent, exacting and hard-working, as well as positive and engaging." -Darrel

"Mary Kay is the walking definition of why you need a highly skilled real estate broker. She gets into the nitty gritty of a home sale transaction: from networking with local agents and builders to researching a properties history to finding the right comparable homes. She will do the work that needs to be done to get the home you want at the price you want. Mary Kay will negotiate well, listen and learn what's important, and make sure her clients priorities are always driving the transaction. She's a pleasure to work with." -Chris Sara

Personal Background

Her three children went through the local school system - both public and private - giving her an overall feel for the community and its special offerings for adults and children. She is also well-versed on the North Shore and surrounding areas.

An industry veteran, Mary Kay has won numerous awards during her real estate tenure. Early years in the business quickly earned her ;most improved accolades, and she is now recognized for her sales volume almost every year. She has placed in the top 3% of agents, and has won the Team Spirit Award for her desire to help others. A chosen member of the Professional Standards Committee of the North Shore Board (reviewing ethics complaints and arbitrations), doing things the right way has always been important to Mary Kay, earning her the respect of her clients as well as other agents. Hardworking and active in the real estate community, Mary Kay makes it a point to keep her finger on the pulse of what is going on in the market. Professional and personable, she always goes the extra mile to make the process as easy as possible so that her clients find success. In her free time, Mary Kay has been involved in numerous organizations and is currently active in the League of Women Voters of Lake Forest/Lake Bluff. Always interested in remaining active, Mary Kay just completed her first triathlon in 2011. She also enjoys riding her bike, playing golf, playing bridge, traveling and walking her beloved golden retriever, Gracie.