3816–18 W. Irving Park is a four-unit brick building, built in 1918 and renovated. The owner wanted it sold without a public listing, so it was entered on the MLS as a private listing and marketed directly to buyers.
The buyer came from inside Essex Three-Twelve: a colleague's client whose criteria matched. The contract was written at the full list price of $1,150,000, which is $287,500 a unit, and it closed in October 2026 after the usual attorney review and financing contingency.
What it shows
A brokerage that works the small-multifamily market every day has buyers before it has listings. When a seller wants privacy, that buyer list is what makes a full-price result possible, and it is why I keep a running list of what every active buyer is looking for.
Figures are the MLS closing record (private listing, closed 10/08/2026). I represented the seller; the buyer was represented by another broker at Essex Three-Twelve.