Meet The Team

As a second-generation real estate agent and fourth-generation Lake Forest resident, Alissa McNicholas is an expert on the Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, and North Shore communities. She is a Founding Broker and Principal of the Baker McNicholas Group, where she works alongside her equally talented mother Lori Baker.

Lori started her real estate career in 1999 and passed on her passion for the business to Alissa. Together, the dynamic mother/daughter duo has an extensive and diverse real estate background, and intimate knowledge of the area. Alissa uses her knowledge of the town's rich history alongside her market expertise to guide her clients and empower them to make well-informed real estate decisions. She prides herself on being proactive, accessible, and extremely resourceful.

Before joining her mother on her real estate journey in 2006, Alissa attended the University of New Hampshire, where she graduated with a B.A. in Communications. She then worked for Bank of America in their business banking department, where she established an economic and financial foundation that has served her well as an agent.

Over 15+ years, Alissa has become an essential resource for her clients. She has extensive experience working with a wide range of buyers and sellers, spanning newcomers who know little to nothing about the area, local families seeking more space for growing households, developers, investors, relocation firms, and downsizers.  The trust Alissa’s clients put in her to guide them is a testament to the esteemed reputation she has worked tirelessly to build.

Much of Alissa's business stems from referrals and repeat clients who return to her when they are ready to downsize, relocate, or purchase a second home. Through extensive home renovations of her own, and house flipping projects with her husband, Alissa has built valuable skills and techniques that make her a fantastic sounding board for clients who need staging tips, assistance in overcoming a challenging floorplan, or need to tap into her network of dependable tradespeople.

After living in Aspen and Chicago after graduating college, Alissa returned to her hometown alongside her husband (who happens to be her high school sweetheart and another Lake Forest native!). Together, they have three beautiful boys: Jack, Roy and Peter.

Away from work, Alissa can be found watching her boys on the field and ice, and she has also become an active volunteer on the local APT.  However, she loves nothing more than Pizza Fridays with extended family, and making memories around town with close friends, new and old!