Diana Peterson

Brief Profile

20+ years of experience in law, real estate brokerage and auctions.

Full Profile

Diana M. Peterson, President & CEO of AW Properties Global (AW), has 20+ years of experience in law, real estate brokerage and auctions. Prior to founding AW, an independently owned and operated franchise, Peterson served as Executive Vice President of Auctions by ATG. Peterson built the auction platform for Auctions by ATG and ran the company, utilizing the expertise she previously acquired launching and operating a real estate brokerage company, PMD Realty, LLC, for over a decade. In 2001, seeing an opportunity to provide home owners an alternative disposition strategy, Peterson established PMD Realty. As a result, PMD Realty quickly became the leading local provider of flat-fee MLS listing services, dominating the emerging flat-fee market for several years. During that time, Peterson was recognized by the Chicago Association of Realtors as one of the top 5 producing realtors, having closed +$130M in residential sales and negotiated +500,000 SF of commercial lease and sale transactions. In addition to her client-focused philosophy, Peterson is known for her exceptional negotiation and legal skills, honed during years of practice as an attorney. Prior to starting PMD Realty, LLC, Peterson worked for U.S. Equities Realty, and Jones Lang LaSalle; she practiced law with D'Ancona & Pflaum and Hedlund Hanley & John. Peterson draws on these experiences in upholding her commitment to provide only the highest level of service to her clients. Peterson earned a law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School, where she served as an editor of the Minnesota Law Review, and before that, acquired a Bachelor of Arts (with honors) from the University of Chicago. Apart from her Illinois law license, she holds an Illinois real estate managing broker's license and an Illinois auction license. Frequently quoted in the news, Peterson has been featured in DS News, GlobeSt.com, Crain's, Illinois Real Estate Journal, Real Estate Executive magazine and many other publications. Peterson is often engaged as a speaker at real estate conferences as well. Peterson is a member of Turnaround Management Association (TMA), American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI), International Women's Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC), Illinois CCIM Chapter, Chicago Association of Realtors (CAR), National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the National Auctioneers Association (NAA). Active in the community, Peterson devotes time to serving on local non-profit boards. Peterson currently serves on the board of Northwestern University Settlement House and recently served on the boards of True Mentors, The Goldie B. Wolfe Miller Women Leaders in Real Estate Initiative, The Auxiliary Board of the Art Institute of Chicago, PAWS Chicago, The Poetry Center of Chicago, and The Young Leaders Fund of the Chicago Community Trust.