Brewster Hague currently serves as Vice President, Investment Sales at Chicago-based Greenstone Partners. He brokers multiple asset types including retail, mixed-use and development opportunities in Chicago.
Tell us about your background. Where did you grow up. Where did you go to school?
I grew up in a Chicago suburb called River Forest. My parents grew up there, and it was a great place to be raised. I have three siblings, all of whom are sisters, who certainly taught me patience early on. I went to Roosevelt Middle School, followed by Fenwick High School in Oak Park. For college, I attended Marquette University in Milwaukee, majoring in both real estate and finance, and was an active member of the real estate club, serving as the captain of the school’s real estate case competition team.
How did you get your start in the industry?
Real estate was a part of my life from an early age. My grandfather, Bern Grizaffi, did real estate development from the 1970s until the 1990s, which led my father, Tim Hague, to start doing development work in the Chicago area. There was always talk at the dinner table while I was growing up, and that’s where I first found excitement and enjoyment in real estate. I even remember the occasional 5:30 a.m. Saturday trips — driving to new markets or attending the grand opening of a retail tenant in a new development.
When it came time to graduate from Marquette and enter the real estate world, I found a great opportunity at Marcus & Millichap. This is where I spent the first five years of my career. I formed great relationships that I still value today.