Summer 2016 CR Magazine

CR 

Chicago REALTOR ® 

Magazine 

V o l u m e 25 | Summer 2 0 1 6 

HONE YOUR SKILLS 

with a Specialty 

Working with 

Different Generations 

Win At Online 

Customer Service 

Chicago’s 

Riverwalk 

The Official Publication of the Chicago Association of REALTORS ® 

www.ChicagoREALTOR.com 3

133 RD 

InauguraI 

GALA 

SEPTEMBER 14, 2016 

RADISSON BLU 221 N. COLUMBUS DR., CHICAGO 

Visit www.ChicagoREALTOR.com or call 312.803.4900 for more information. 

For information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Mary Beth Durkin at 312.214.5530 or mdurkin@chicagorealtor.com. 

2 Chicago REALTOR ® Magazine

Cover Photo by Tom Nelson for Chicago Association of REALTORS ® 

20. 

Create A Plan for Wealth 

Summer 2016 

ChicagoREALTOR® 

MAGAZINE 

IN EVERY ISSUE 

4 President’s Perspective 

6 From the CEO 

8 Editor’s Note 

9 What’s Online 

34 Bookshelf 

35 Listen Up 

44 Photo Album 

48 Calendar 

50 The Buzz 

18. 

FEATURES 

10 Become the Expert 

15 Know Your Generations 

18 Hug Your Haters 

20 Create A Plan for Wealth 

22 Managing Brokers: The Comeback 

24 By the Numbers/Get Your Facts Straight 

28 FPCs: Connecting You To Congress 

30 Welcome to Chicago’s Riverwalk 

UPDATES 

44. 30. 

26 roessional tandards aigating ultiple ers 

36 Association News 

38 New Forms & Contracts Page 

39 CommercialForum: Roundtables Recap + A New Look 

41 oernent airs apon hotos 

42 Industry Partners 


PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE 

2016 

is o to a fast start when it omes 

state and federal level 

to ® advoay and the 

Power of R is evident at the loal 

he reent annonement that the hiao ssoiation of 

REALTORS ® will e movin into the ational ssoiation of 

REALTORS ® ildin will provide inredile opportnities for or 

memers for years to ome r presene in the ® ildin 

maes s stroner and we will e ale to frther strenthen or 

eorts to fiht for yo or memers 

ne of the most reent eamples of the Power of R here in hiao 

is the lod a eemption ranted y the ity of hiao to 

he lod a wold have added an additional dollars per year 

to yor ill with a possiility of ftre inreases dditionally 

the new rofessional ervie arin ermit is an win that 

will enefit many of or memers in rinin servie to lients 

throhot hiaos neihorhoods 

t the state level hiao ® had a reat trnot in 

prinfield as part of the annal apitol onferene and ® 

oy ay e met with many important poliymaers and were ale 

to eplain to or leislators the ® position on several ey 

piees of leislation 

See why your peers invest 

in RPAC. 

ationally hiao ® have made their voies heard in 

ashinton while loyin for the ie-ind hane 

and eepin the ortae nterest edtion stron 

ne of the most powerfl enefits of ein a memer of the hiao 

ssoiation of ® advoay that maes a dierene 

or oard of iretors and sta are ommitted to marshallin or 

resores to eep the real estate indstry stron now and for many 

years into the ftre 

o an help s in this mission y main a ontrition to the 

REALTORS ® olitial tion ommittee throh RPACnow.com. 

he dollar air hare investment oes a lon way to fihtin for 

yor indstry here in hiao in prinfield and in ashinton 

DAN WAGNER 

- resident 

hiao ssoiation of ® 


Mid-Year Market 

Imagine your business if... 

FEATURING: 

DJ 

Smokey 

Smoke 

R 

PRO-REALTOR ® 

OUTLOOK 

• There was an extra tax on your real estate commission 

• There was an extra tax on your clients’ real estate transactions 

A.K.A. 

Jonathan 

Smoke 

• There was no mortgage interest deduction, 

costing your clients millions 

realtor.com ® 

• There was an extra tax on your MLS You subscription ready for this? We’re about to drop 

• There was a ten percent tax on all your advertisements 

UNDERSTAND & PROMOTE 

REAL ESTATE ISSUES 

RPAC SUPPORTS 

PRO-BUSINESS 

CANDIDATES WHO 

jams playlist. Plus, networking RPAC on is the one rooftop. of the 

most bi-partisan 

Members Only! Cost of Entry: 

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$ 20 RPAC CONTRIBUTION 

As PRO-GROWTH an added bonus (track), 100% of ticket proceeds will 

go towards supporting your industry through RPAC. 

JUNE 30 th 

SUPPORT www.ChicagoREALTOR.com 

LOW TAXES 

RPAC 

 

dollars work 

to keep 

these issues 

from being 

your reality. 

the hottest event on you! The 2016 midyear market 

is fast approaching so we are bringing back 

realtor.com’s chief economist Jonathon Smoke (aka 

DJ Smokey Smoke) to break it down for you. He’s 

going to hit you with the facts in a way so you pick 

Invest in RPAC to protect your clients and your business, today. 

up what he’s putting down and also easily pass it 

along to your clients. Then stay for DJ Smokey 

Smoke on the ones and twos playing his REALTOR ® 

4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 

Old Crow 

Smokehouse 

149 W. Kinzie St. 

Chicago, IL 60654 

www.ChicagoREALTOR.com/RPAC 

Contributions are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. The Illinois REALTORS ® Political Action Committee (RPAC) collects contributions from members of the 

Contributions are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. The Illinois REALTORS ® Political Action Committee (RPAC) collects contributions from members of the National Association of REALTORS ® (NAR) political activities. A portion of each contribution 

National 

will be used 

Association 

for state political 

of 

activities; 

REALTORS 

at least 30% ® (NAR) 

will be used 

for 

for 

political 

federal campaign 

activities. 

purposes. 

A portion 

The federal 

of 

portion 

each 

will 

contribution 

be charged against 

will 

an 

be 

individual's 

used 

federal 

for state 

contribution 

political 

limits 

activities; 

under 2 USC 441a. 

at least 

Contributions 

30% 

are 

will 

VOLUNTARY 

be used 

and 

for 

refusal 

federal 

to contribute 

campaign 

does not 

purposes. 

affect membership 

The 

federal rights. A portion member may will contribute be charged more or less against than the an suggested individual’s amount. federal A copy of our contribution report filed with limits the State under Board 2 of USC Elections 441a. is (or will Contributions be) available the are Board's VOLUNTARY official website and www.elections.il.gov refusal to contribute or for purchase does from not the State affect Board membership of Elections, Springfield, rights. Illinois. A member 

may contribute more or less than the suggested amount. A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections is (or will be) available on the Board’s official website www.elections.il.gov or for 

purchase from the State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois. 


FROM THE CEO 

what a year its een so far e started with 

a an at anarys aret tloo and the 

ood times st eep on rollin with 

reafasts emer treah ales wards 

and the ood eihor wards ts hard to elieve that its already 

smmer and what a smmer it will e 

e reently annoned that has sined a lease at 

ihian the ® ildin 

his has een a lon thoht-ot proess and we want to than 

the memers of the ildin or rop the pae lannin 

esin or rop and the oard of iretors for their arefl 

onsideration of or options and the ftre of the ssoiation 

endin the ompletion of a pnh list we antiipate onstrtion to 

ein in eptemer and will eep yo areast of any maor hanes 

to that timeline r move-in is proeted arond the end of the year 

has een at ihian for almost eleven years 

owever eepin in mind that or lease will epire in erary 

we ean to have some eitin onversations aot how or spae 

old etter serve or memers and or sta in the ftre e 

are desinin a spae that will e speifially tailored to or 

memers needs in a way that will e ost eetive for many years 

into the ftre 

he desin will e an open invitin and ollaorative environment 

for or memers sta and stdents with an emphasis on eile 

spaes that an e sed for a variety of prposes e are 

inorporatin toh down stations for yo to tilie so that yor 

wor doesnt have to stop even when yore on the o 

dditionally we have made plans to allow for improved and 

epanded tehnoloy inldin improved ii onnetivity and 

ell phone servie for all maor providers and or lassrooms will e 

otfitted with improved for a more omfortale and onneted 

lassroom eperiene 

inally we elieve that this move will allow s to fore a deeper 

relationship with or lontime partner and leverae or resores 

to provide an improved memer eperiene for years to ome 

hane is eitin e ant wait to welome yo to or new home 

in st a few short months tay tned to ChicagoREALTOR.com 

and the weely ® onnetion newsletter for pdates and 

frther information 

GINGER DOWNS, rce, cae, cips, iom 

hief etive ffier 

hiao ssoiation of ® 


Help Throw a Carnival 

for Chicago’s Kids! 

We invite you to volunteer as we give the children of 

Chicago a fun day of carnival games and prizes, face 

painting, inflatable rentals, food, music and more! 

With the help of N.A.R. & C.A.R. volunteers, BGCC and 

ULBGC, there will be an outdoor day of awesomeness this 

summer. Volunteers will help with the following: 

VOLUNTEERS 

WANTED! 

Friday, August 5 

True Value Boys & Girls Club 

2950 W. 25 th Street, Chicago 

11:00 AM - 3:00 PM 

• Set up of carnival games, inflatables, school supply 

prize tables, food station 

• Set up of food prep/cooking and distribution 

• Supervise games/inflatables and pass out tickets to 

participants 

• Distribute school supplies and backpacks as prizes 

• Clean up 

Can you spare a day for the 

Boys and Girls Club Kids? 

www.ChicagoREALTOR.com 

WE'RE MOVING 

TO 430 N. MICHIGAN AVE. 

Come visit us in our new home 

starting January, 2017 

• Open, inviting and 

collaborative environment 

• Flexible spaces, including 

“touch down” stations for you 

to utilize 

• Expanded and improved 

technology and A/V 



EDITOR’S NOTE 

Sine eemer weve provided many prorams and servies 

nder the y est ear et onept nd this isse of hiao 

REALTOR ® is an etension of that thinin eve paed or 

smmer edition fll of amain ontent to help yo row yor 

siness and invest in yorself 

m a he fan of ay aer athor of Hug Your Haters and YOUtility oth 

favorites e now that online stomer servie is a pain point for yo or memers 

so we hope yo tae some time to listen to his interview with ommy hoi ay is a 

diital epert who leveraes tehnoloy for advantaes in maretin and stomer 

servie et ready to tae ontrol of yor online stomer servie 

love it when memers tae time to share their epertise to help fellow ® 

that ooperation and ollaoration is what maes elonin to this assoiation so 

powerfl n this isse evin an penned a speial piee for manain roers 

aot onselin roers who are in a tailspin and eter olton shared his finanial 

savvy to help yo ild lastin wealth hese are st two of many volnteers who 

help to onnet s to what yo need 

peain of volnteers its no seret that they are the aone of this assoiation 

hope yoll onsider ettin involved with a ommittee ppliations are open 

and volnteers are needed o an find ot more on ChicagoREALTOR.com. 

inally m eited to shine a spotliht on the ® ederal olitial 

oordinator proram was ly enoh to wath the hiao s in ation in 

ashinton and it really hit home the depth of or advoay eorts his is sh 

an amain proram ts trly leislative inene in ation 

s always hope yoll reah ot with any feeda and estions noy smmertime 

in this reat ity 

Jessica Kern 

iretor of aretin 

and ommniations 

A Few of My 

Favorite T hings 

Hug Your Haters pg. 18 

Read the article. Listen to the podcast – and possibly 

win a book that Jay was kind enough to sign! 

Get Your Facts Straight pg. 25 

We put together this handy guide to help you 

explain real estate statistics to your clients. 


Chicago REALTOR ® 

CR Magazine 

2015-2016 BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

 

Dan Wagner 

- 

Matthew Silver 

TREASURER 

Rebecca Thomson 

 

Hugh Rider 

 

Sonia Anaya 

Niko Apostal 

Tommy Choi 

Robert C. Eby 

Doug Fox 

Gaspar Flores, Jr. 

Antje Gehrken 

Coby Hakalir 

Maurice L. Hampton 

Erin Mandel 

Dave Naso 

Christopher Pezza 

Molly Phelan 

Nykea Pippion-McGriff 

Sarah Ware 

 

Ginger Downs, rce, cae, cips, iom 

The Chicago REALTOR ® Magazine is plished 

arterly y the hiao ssoiation of ® 

for its memers dvertisin is prhased and 

does not neessarily represent the position of the 

hiao ssoiation of ® . 

-- 

Ginger Downs, rce, cae, cips, iom 

gdowns@chicagorealtor.com 

 

Jessica Kern 

jkern@chicagorealtor.com 

 

Maria Dickman 

mdickman@chicagorealtor.com 

 

Jim August 

jaugust@chicagorealtor.com 

or advertisin information please ontat 

Mary Beth Durkin 

at (312) 214-5530 or ads@chicagorealtor.com 

C.A.R. LOCATIONS 

C.A.R. Central: 200 S. Michigan Ave., 4 th Floor 

Chicago, IL 60604 

Ph: (312) 803-4900 

Fax: (312) 803-4905 

C.A.R. West Towns: 6017 W. 26 th Street 

Cicero, IL 60804 

Ph: (708)863-1111 


NOTICE TO MEMBERS 

nder lon estalished poliy of this ssoiation the llinois ssoiation 

of ® and the ational ssoiation of ® : 

he roers ompensation for servies rendered in respet to any 

listin is solely a matter of neotiation etween the roer and his or 

her lient and is not fied ontrolled reommended or maintained y 

any persons not party to the listin areement 

he ompensation paid y the listin roer to a ooperatin 

roer in respet to any listin is estalished y the listin roer and 

is not fied ontrolled reommended or maintained y any persons 

other than the listin roer 

Videos 

Videos 

What’s Online @ 

Photo Videos 

• Watch a New Member Ethics course and fulfill the Quadrennial 

Code of Ethics requirement. 

• See why your peers invest in RPAC. 

• Download NAR’s Home Buying and Selling Generational Trends 

Report and graphics to get better educated on your clients. 

• Download a rental property cash flow worksheet and get started 

building your wealth. 

• Listen to C.A.R. Board Member Tommy Choi’s extensive interview 

with Jay Baer, and learn how you can provide exceptional 

customer service that will translate to your online reviews. 

• Get your Professional Services Parking Permit. 

• 2016 Springfield Capitol Conference 

• 2015 C.A.R. Sales Awards 

• 2016 CommercialForum Roundtables Event 

• Our must-listen podcasts to add to your playlists. 

• Social media content, curated and ready for you! 

Digital 

Resources 

Extras 

Resources 

ChicagoREALTOR.com 

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Links 

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icon throughout the magazine for 

content with digital bonuses! 

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BECOME 

THE 

EXPERT 

Hone Your Skills With 

a Specialty 

Looking to stand out in a competitive market? 

We’ve got the scoop on how to get a leg up on 

the competition. 

Everyone and their neighbor knows a broker 

these days, so when it comes to winning 

clients and standing out in the marketplace, 

you need a competitive edge. Have you 

ever considered getting a designation or 


SPECIALTIES 

BUYERS 

SELLERS 

MILITARY 

RELOCATION 

SENIORS 

SPECIALIST 

INTERNATIONAL 

SPECIALIST 

TECHNOLOGY 

EXPERT 

certificate? Designations mark 

you as an expert in a specific 

area (aka, your niche), and each 

gives you a certain industry 

advantage. 

To help you figure out where 

your interests lie, we got the 

low-down on a few of the 

industry’s leading designations 

and certifications, straight 

from the mouths of your fellow 

REALTORS ® . 

BUYERS 

When looking for a specialty, working 

with buyers is on the top of the list 

because it is applicable to nearly every 

REALTOR ® . However, this doesn’t mean that there isn’t something more 

to be learned about this audience. Working with buyers requires many 

skills including showing techniques, negotiation skills and the ability to 

help a buyer evaluate their needs and wants in a home purchase. And 

on top of this, you must be able to gain the loyalty of your buyer client 

throughout the home search process. 

In today’s low inventory market, competition for properties amongst 

buyers is strong. A buyer’s rep must be able to assist a buyer quickly, 

guide them through the offer and counter offer process, and help them 

cope with a multiple offer situation, if one arises. 

Continued on page 12 


Continued from page 11 

ACCREDITED 

BUYER 

REPRESENTATIVE 

(ABR ® ) DESIGNATION 

The benchmark of excellence for buyer relationships, 

ABR ® is one of the most popular designations offered 

by NAR and REBAC. It’s easy to see why business 

booms with the extensive marketing tools and 

resources you’ll get for years to come. 

Requirements: 2-Day Course ABR ® Course, 

1 ABR ® Elective, 5 completed transactions, REBAC 

Membership 

Get Your ABR ® : August 4-5 • 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM • C.A.R. Central 

FROM YOUR PEER: 

“I pursued the ABR® designation because I wanted to advocate for homebuyers 

as they navigate through the complex world of real estate transactions. As 

potential homebuyers undertake the most important business transaction of 

their lives, they can be confident that I can and will represent their interests fully. 

I had such a positive experience with the ABR® designation program. I would 

advise my fellow REALTORS® who are truly passionate about helping buyers to 

become ABR® certified. The real estate profession will only improve as more brokers’ take the extra step to 

distinguish themselves through excellent work.” 

Leticia Andrade, ABR ® , SFR, CNE 

Broker, Related Realty 

From the listing presentation to the 

SELLERS closing, there are many strategies involved 

in representing sellers in this marketplace. 

With inventory at a ten year low, many 

sellers are faced with multiple offers — great, right? But do you know how to stay within the law and code of ethics in this situation? 

Standing out in a listing presentation, formulating pricing and marketing information, and guiding clients through the listing process 

are key areas REALTORS ® must understand fully in order to best represent seller clients. Also, it’s helpful to know what improvements 

and staging solutions to recommend to ensure your clients’ property is shown in the best light. 

SELLER 

REPRESENTATIVE 

SPECIALIST ® 

(SRS ® ) DESIGNATION 

Regardless if you’re a veteran or a newbie, this designation will give you a whole new outlook 

on representing sellers. Redefine what you’ve been taught and give your listing presentation a 

makeover. This one’s a game changer. 

Requirements: 2-Day SRS ® course, 1 SRS ® elective, 5 completed 

transactions, SRS ® membership 

Get Your SRS ® : July 6-7 • 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM • C.A.R. Central 


“I decided to get my SRS® designation to assure my clients and future clients that I am qualified and the right choice 

to sell their property. I believe that the SRS® designation is a great way to further educate myself on the needs of my 

sellers. Making myself stand out with this certification helps to qualify me as the expert. 

SRS® helps you to win listings because you will have more knowledge than an agent without the designation if you use 

your expertise to your advantage and explain what it takes to get the SRS® and why it helps your clients.” 

Michelle Chicago, SRS ® , CNE, MRP 

Property Advisor/Broker, BHHS KoenigRubloff Realty Group 


MILITARY 

RELOCATION 

Illinois is ranked 10 th in the nation 

in veteran population with 721,575 

veterans. 

When military staff and their families relocate, the services of a real 

estate professional who understands their needs and timetables 

makes the transfer easier, faster, and less stressful. 

Working with military services members at different stages in their 

career requires not only knowledge of their needs but also the benefits 

and support available to them including VA financing. 

MILITARY 

RELOCATION 

PROFESSIONAL 

(MRP) CERTIFICATION 

This certification focuses 

on educating real estate 

professionals about 

working with current 

and former military 

service members to find 

the housing solutions 

that best suit their needs 

and take full advantage of military benefits and support. 

Requirements: 1-day MRP Certification core course, 2 hour-long 

webinars and a completed application. BONUS: the MRP Certification 

course is an approved elective for the ABR ® Designation. 

SENIORS 

SPECIALIST 

The market 

for buyers and 

sellers over 

50 years old is 

BOOMING (pun intended). You hear all about 

the millennials finally making their way into 

the market, but the senior market is a whole 

different ballpark. They aren’t using technology 

at the same rate as younger generations, so how 

do you find them — or better yet, they find you? 

You can read more about this demographic on 

page 17. 

SENIOR 

REAL ESTATE 

SPECIALIST ® 

(SRES ® ) 

DESIGNATION 

By earning the SRES ® 

Designation, you have 

demonstrated the 

necessary knowledge 

and expertise to 

counsel clients 

age 50+ through 

major financial and 

lifestyle transitions 

in relocating, refinancing, or selling the family 

home. 

Get Your MRP: November 15 • 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM • C.A.R. Central 


“Right before I pursued the MRP, I found myself 

working with a lot of veterans that had particular 

needs that went beyond the average client. The 

class provided me an eye-opening glimpse 

into the world of our military professionals. I 

absolutely encourage REALTORS® to attain their 

MRP certification. Our military professionals and 

veterans deserve quality, professional options 

when buying and selling homes. Many are under a 

lot of pressure when they have to move, so a real estate professional who 

can take care of them and understand where they and their families might 

be emotionally, is invaluable.” 

Lutalo McGee, GRI, ABR, MRP, CNE, BPOR, SFR 

Owner/Managing Broker, Ani Real Estate 

Requirements: 2-day SRES ® course, SRES ® 

membership 

Get Your SRES: Visit chicagorealtor.com/ 

SRESCourse for upcoming courses. 


“I see value in combining my passion for helping 

people — in this case, helping seniors — with a need 

that currently isn’t addressed. The selling of the family 

home of 30+ years, the dismantling of that home, and 

then the buying of a new property that allows seniors 

to age in place safely, comfortably and 

independently, is a major part of seniors’ 

aging in place and relocation journey. 

Also, becoming an SRES® is an opportunity 

to connect with the adult children (many 

who are Boomers) who, if you do a great 

job with mom and dad, will likely retain 

you as their REALTOR® when they are ready 

to sell/buy.” 

Ken Jernberg, SRES ® 

Managing Broker, Realty TLC, LLC 




TECHNOLOGY 

EXPERT 

In today’s digital world, 

your online brand is more 

important than ever. 41 

percent of REALTORS ® ’ 

business development time is spent on online marketing 

activities. But between updating and monitoring the various 

social media channels, navigating online customer service, 

accumulating great online reviews and staying in touch with 

your clients, it can be a little overwhelming. Ensure you’re 

using that time to the best of your ability and making the right 

investments in the online space. 

E-PRO ® 

CERTIFICATION 

Social networks are growing in 

value. Connecting with users 

through online channels is an easy 

way to target new clients. Through 

NAR’s e-PRO ® Certification Program, you will learn best 

practices for employing social media effectively, working 

more efficiently online, using innovative marketing strategies 

to grow your business and creating a Web presence with 

impact and integrity. 

Requirements: 2-day e-PRO ® course and completed 

application. Bonus: completion of the e-PRO ® certification 

counts as elective credit for ABR ® and CIPS designations. 

Get Your e-PRO ® : October 13, 2016 • 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. • 

C.A.R. Central 


“e-PRO® has become the 

backbone of my business, 

with being able to show my 

clients how I will advertise 

their home in an efficient 

manner and reach thousands 

of potential buyers all over 

the globe. I use my Facebook 

business page, YouTube, 

Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn 

and Constant Contact to 

select targeted markets and 

reach potential buyers. 

When I am doing a listing 

presentation, sellers get very impressed when I am able to show them 

how their home will be placed in front of a global market and show 

them the tools I use to measure the effectiveness. “ 

INTERNATIONAL 

SPECIALIST 

Forbes recently 

profiled the top 10 

U.S. cities where 

investors say they 

will be property buyers in 2016, using figures based 

on Colliers International’s Global Investor Outlook 

2016. Chicago ranked number 5, with 16 percent 

saying the Windy City is their preferred place to 

allocate extra capital this year. 

In addition to inbound investments, there 

is opportunity in assisting your clients with 

purchases in foreign countries. These transactions 

require an abundance of knowledge of cultural 

nuances as well as regulations. 

CERTIFIED 

INTERNATIONAL 

PROPERTY 

SPECIALIST 

(CIPS) 

DESIGNATION 

No matter which 

international audience 

you cater to, the 

Certified International 

Property Specialist 

(CIPS) Designation will 

provide you with the 

knowledge, research, 

network and tools to 

globalize your business. 

Requirements: 2 core CIPS courses, 3 electives 

and a completed application that demonstrates 100 

points of international experience. 


“This is a highly specialized niche that requires a strong 

support group. It has given me the opportunity to meet 

and network with an elite group of industry professionals, 

NAR leaders and presidential liaisons, who I would not 

have met if it weren’t for the class. The Facebook group, 

networking events and newsletters keep me connected 

with other designees and in-tune with global trends. CIPS 

also equipped me with a better understanding of different 

business practices from various 

continents and diverse cultures.” 

Stephany Oliveros, CIPS 

Founder/Managing Broker, 

Chi Properties 

Mel Alvizures, e-PRO ® , SFR, 

HUD Certified Broker 

Managing Broker, ABC REALTORS ® Inc. 


KNOW YOUR 

GENERATIONS 

Tap into generational trends to help your clients find their dream home. 

A person’s age can affect a lot of things about 

their life, including what types of homes and 

amenities they prefer. Millennials, Gen Xers and 

Baby Boomers are the three largest age groups 

dominating today’s real estate industry. The more 

you learn about their preferences, the easier it will 

be to help them find and buy homes. Of course, you 

will also need to understand their communication 

preferences so you can stay in contact with them 

throughout the process. 

MILLENNIALS 

Take this into consideration when showcasing properties to 

millennials. You’re not just selling a house to your millennial 

clients; you’re selling a neighborhood. You can do this by 

discussing the neighborhood’s perks as well as a home’s good 

traits. Talk about bus routes and nearby train stations. Suggest 

local entertainment venues and businesses that shape the area’s 

personality. 

Some research shows that millennials are eager to buy homes, 

but they ace concerns that can ae onership dicult or 

instance, getting approved for mortgages is a common struggle. 

Few millennials have the 750 credit scores needed to borrow from 

Fannie Mae. Even more concerning is that a third of millennials 

have scores below 620, which makes it nearly impossible for them 

to get mortgages. 

About 35 percent of today’s home buyers belong to the millennial 

generation (also known as Gen Y). Young people born between 

1980 and 2000 are currently the largest demographic of buyers, 

so REALTORS ® should be invested in learning their interests 

and concerns. 

Millennials tend to value experience more than anything. More than 

half say they prefer living in attached housing like townhouses and 

apartments because they value walking and short commutes. Millennials 

are more likely to live in urban environments where they have 

easy access to public transit, restaurants, bars and entertainment. 

This makes it crucial for REALTORS ® to ocus on the financial 

needs of buyers in this demographic. You may want to help them 

set realistic expectations based on their incomes and credit 

ratings. You can also help them explore borrowing alternatives. 

youre not a illennial then you ay find it slightly dicult to 

communicate with younger clients who prefer sending texts 

and emails over placing phone calls. Learn how to use the latest 

devices and social media apps so you can remain in contact with 

them throughout the hunting and buying process. Otherwise, they 

may feel that you’re not on their side. 


Millennials 

• Ages 18-35 

• The largest share of homebuyers at 35%, 

which has grown consistently over the 

last 4 years 

• Trends show that as millennials age, they 

are growing more traditional in their 

home buying habits 

• Start off urban, with a focus on amenities, 

but an increasing share are purchasing 

in suburban areas for space, affordability 

and schools 

• Student debt causes delays in entering 

the housing market 



GEN X 

Generation X isn’t the largest group of home buyers, but they 

do have the largest incomes. People between 36 and 50 are 

expected to earn a household average income of $ 104,700 in 2016. 

Considering that these households have more disposable income, 

REALTORS ® obviously need to give them special attention. 

While younger buyers want to live in urban areas, 58 percent of 

Gen X buyers want to live in the suburbs. Not just any suburb 

will do, though, since they also want to live in places that make it 

convenient for them to commute to work and take their children 

to school. This age group is also concerned about school district 

quality, so make sure you can point them to plenty of information 

about the schools in each neighborhood. 

Generation X has a love-hate relationship with email. They use 

it daily for work, so they don’t mind communicating digitally. 

This situation means that they often identify email with work. 

Unfortunately, many of them aren’t willing to use apps that can 

make communication easier and more fun. Unless your client is 

particularly tech-savvy, it’s best to communicate with them via 

email and phone calls. You may want to restrict emails to times 

when you need to send pictures or information-heavy messages. 

NAR’s 2016 Home Buyer and Seller 

Generational Trends Report 

HIGHLIGHTS 

35% of recent buyers were millennials, 

more than double the number of baby boomers. 

They are the largest group of recent buyers for 

the third consecutive year. 

..... 

ordability issues are aing buying in the 

city dicult or young households Even if an 

urban setting is where millennials 

ould lie to buy their first hoe the 

need for more space will drive them to 

the suburbs. 

..... 

Debt delays saving for a down 

payment for a median of 4 years for 

all buyers. Millennials were most likely to cite 

student debt as the rationale for delayed saving. 

..... 

Student debt is likely impacting more than just 

millennials’ ability to buy a home. Gen X and 

baby boomers are carrying a higher 

median amount of student debt than 

millennials. 

Gen X 

• Ages 36-50 

• The most racially and ethnically 

diverse population of buyers 

• Incomes are highest among all 

generations because they are in 

their peak earning years 

• Most likely to be married and have 

children under the age of 18 

• Buy the largest homes in median 

square footage and bedrooms, 

and are most likely to choose 

neighborhoods based on proximity 

to their work and the quality of the 

school district 


BABY BOOMERS 

THE SILENT GENERATION 

Baby boomers have reached an age where they want to start 

downsizing. They’re entering retirement and watching their 

children build secure lives, so they don’t need large homes. 

While many boomers are willing to downsize, they want to hold 

on to some of the advantages they enjoyed while living in large 

houses. For instance, a lot of boomers place emphasis on owning 

large itchens ensuite bedroos or isitors and open oor plans 

Pay attention to these features when choosing properties you 

want to show clients. 

The Silent Generation, those buyers and sellers over the age of 70, 

represent the smallest share of buyers. Most of them have likely 

retired or scaled back their work demands, so they have the lowest 

median household income. They are driven to purchase by a desire 

to be closer to friends and family, and they are interested in a smaller 

home that is prime for their retirement. The Silent Generation is less 

likely to be interested in detached single family homes, unless it is 

fit or ultigenerational liing preerring instead seniorrelated 

housing that meets their care needs as they age. 

As boomers age, they want to choose houses that match their 

physical abilities. Many want to live in single-story homes that they 

can enjoy for the rest of their lives. They also want safety features 

like grab bars in the bathroom. They do not, however, want safety 

items to make their homes look like hospitals, so they prefer 

hidden features. A bathroom with a sturdy grab bar might get 

some attention, but a grab bar disguised as a towel bar will really 

intrigue them. 

Boomers are a diverse group, so you should talk to clients about 

their unique preferences. Some are excited to leave suburbs 

behind so they can enjoy the walkability and excitement of urban 

areas thers hoeer preer liing in counities specifically 

designed or their age group hese counities oten oer 

aenities such as fitness centers pools clubhouses and lan 

care. Talk to your clients about what interests them so you can 

focus on properties they will love. 

The Silent Generation wants to work with agents they trust and will 

likely want to talk in-person prior to agreeing to work with you. For 

them, their agent is a vital part of their home search process and 

the most frequently-used information source. If you are interested 

in specialiing in the senior aret it could be ery beneficial to 

obtain your Seniors Real Estate Specialist designation, as it will help 

you stand out to a demographic that very much prizes expertise and 

personalized service. They are the age group to most likely use their 

agent again, or recommend their agent to their friends. 

IN CONCLUSION 

ge group can hae a significant eect on hat people ant ro 

real estate. You can’t always predict what a homebuyer will want, 

but understanding demographics can give you some insight into 

what buyers prefer. 

A large number of baby boomers have adopted smartphone 

technology, but you shouldn’t assume they prefer communicating 

via text and email. Unless your client has stated otherwise, use 

phone calls to stay in contact with boomers. 

Download the NAR Generations Trends 

Report and infographics. 

Baby Boomers 

• Ages 51-69 

• Younger boomers buy for reasons like job 

relocation and change in a family situation, 

while older boomers are often moving due 

to retirement, a desire for a smaller home 

and to be closer to friends and family 

• Younger boomers are the generation most 

likely to buy a multi-generation home, 

while older boomers typically move the 

longest distance 

• 20 years - the length of time older boomers 

predict they will live in their home, the 

longest of any generation 


HUG YOUR HATERS 

How to navigate the world of customer complaints 

and online reviews. 

Jay Baer is one of the most sought-after 

marketing and online customer service experts 

today. The author of several books, including 

YOUtility, a C.A.R. favorite, his newest release, 

Hug Your Haters, focuses exclusively on handling 

customer complaints, including online reviews. 

We spoke with Jay about how to navigate the 

world of online reviews, and how, at the end of 

the day, hugging your haters is good for business. 

Chicago REALTOR ® : Many real estate review sites give 

agents the choice of whether or not to allow reviews. How important 

is it in today’s climate to allow for reviews -- or should agents avoid 

it all together, if they can? 

Jay Baer: You should always allow reviews. 80 percent of 

Americans trust reviews as much as they trust recommendations 

from friends and family members. Why deny buyers and sellers 

inoration they find iportant and credible nd the natural 

assumption is that if you don’t show reviews, it’s because your 

reviews are uniformly bad. 

CR: In your book you have a section called “Should You Solicit 

Reviews?” — should you? And if so, what’s the best way to do so? 

JB: “Solicit” is perhaps an overly aggressive descriptor. But yes, 

you should absolutely remind clients that reviews are important, 

and that you appreciate all feedback. The best way to do this is 

verbally, accompanied by a business card (or similar) that provides 

direct website address where reviews can be written. 

CR: One of the obstacles you mention is that business owners 

tend to be offended by feedback. This is especially true in a service 

industry such as real estate. How can a real estate broker overcome 

this obstacle? 

JB: The way we react to negativity is purely physiological. Our 

brain cheistry changes and creates a fight or ight response 

that is very powerful. This is why you so often see businesses 

respond to a negative review with their own dose of anti-customer 

negativity, which is typically counter-productive, at best. 

CR: The gut reaction response to a negative review tends to be to 

refute its claims. What is a better response? 

JB: sually our first instinct is to argue or to proe the client 

wrong. A better approach is to apologize and simply ask how you 

can help fi hateer they beliee the proble to be ost o 

the time, the client isn’t “wrong,” it’s just a miscommunication or 

dierence in epectations 


CR: You mention a few times in your book that negative reviews 

can actually benefit your business. Can you elaborate on how this 

works? 

JB: Many research studies have found that when reviews are 100 

percent positive, consumers believe all of the reviews about that 

business to be false or less than credible. A few less-than-perfect 

reviews sprinkled in makes all reviews more believable. Further, 

negative feedback is how you get better at business and in life. 

Positive feedback doesn’t teach you very much. 

CR: An overall mantra you have is answer every complaint. Many 

real estate brokers are entrepreneurs with limited resources. How 

can they stay on top of all the different feedback channels? 

JB: Make it someone’s responsibility to check for feedback 

every day. And, just like going to the gym, it’s better if that person 

sets aside the same block of time every day. So, on the calendar it 

should say find and respond to all eedbac 

Enter to Win a Signed 

Copy of Hug Your Haters 

Listen to CR Magazine’s interview 

with Jay and tell us how you embrace 

your complaints. We’ll pick one 

winner to receive a signed 

copy of Hug Your Haters. 

Be sure to tag us 

@ChicagoREALTORS 

and #MyCRMag! 

CR: Should real estate brokers respond to positive reviews? Why? 

JB: Absolutely. Customer service is a spectator sport. Many 

people see your responses to feedback beyond the person who 

wrote the review! 

Jay Baer 

Author, Hug Your Haters and YOUtility 

Founder, Convince and Convert 

"Customer service 

is a spectator sport. 

Many people see your 

responses to feedback 

beyond the person 

who wrote the review!" 


Create A 

Plan for Wealth 

Peter Moulton recently spoke to a group of REALTORS ® at 

a WCR event. Here, he shares his simple strategy to building 

wealth that will last beyond your years as a broker. 

The economic downturn of 2008 brutally shocked everyone’s 

system, particularly those of us in real estate, and many of us are 

still rebuilding. 

Since 2008, I’ve learned quite a few lessons through personal 

experience, both good and bad. A few of things you should know 

about my philosophy: 

• Financial wealth is about your legacy, the ability to try new 

things and expand your world. 

• Financial security is about having plans and policies in place 

that create savings for retirement and protect you from 

expected & unexpected life events. 

• Lastly, health is true wealth. Let’s all live a great long life. 

Real estate brokers are most commonly independent contractors; 

they are small (or not-so-small) business owners, as well, often 

living and dying for the transaction rather than taking the long view 

of caring for themselves. 

ou can only or ithin the reality o your current financial 

situation, so let’s consider best practices for allocating percentages 

of your gross income. Whatever you make, you can apply these 

basic principles; it may not be sexy, but you can do it! 

20% 

50% put aside 

for taxes 

to living 

your life 

(mortgage, 

groceries, 

gas, etc.) 

10% 

for creating 

wealth in 

real estate 

Allocating 

Gross 

Income 

10% 

to marketing 

and growing 

your business 

(much of which is 

tax deductible) 

10% 

into savings, 

investing and 

planning 

Don’t miss this opportunity to jumpstart 

your real estate investment 

plan with quality education. Join 

Chip Meyers for this informationpacked 

two-day program designed 

for anyone currently investing or 

planning to invest in real estate. 

September 14 & 15 

C.A.R. Central 

8:30 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. 

Members – $ 175 • Non-Members – $ 195 


Download Peter’s rental property 

cash flow worksheet. 

hats that you say to lie on his guy is nuts hile it is 

true that I am a little, these numbers are solid. 

The Three-Flats Plan 

Here is where it gets fun. 

eal estate is a truly uniue asset because you can finance a 

property while making a minimum down payment. Then, you can 

hae a tenant that pays the cost o the financing o the asset hile 

the government allows for many tax deductions on mortgage 

interest, improving the property, etc. 

Take this hypothetical situation: a real estate broker is perusing 

the and coes across a decent threeat ith decent incoe 

potential. It is well cared for and would easily capture fair market 

rent or the area not sey but nice 

If your credit is decent, you can likely procure a mortgage to 

purchase this threeat as your priary residence or percent 

to 5 percent down on an FHA loan. This also stipulates that you 

must occupy the property as your personal primary residence for 

a period of twelve months. 

PRO TIP: some brokerages will allow their brokers to 

retain most or all of the commissions when purchasing a 

primary residence. This information can be obtained through 

your independent contractor agreement or by consulting 

your managing broker. 

By receiving a higher commission split with your managing broker, 

your down payment has just decreased. 

Remember this as well: the rate of return on real estate is not based 

on the value of the asset, but the value of the cash investment. 

So, let’s say your property appreciates from $ 333,000 to $ 350,000 

in a couple o years ou should figure your appreciation not on 

the $ 333,000 number, but the down payment, PITI, etc. Call it a 

$ 

3,333 down payment and an additional $ 4,000 in fees, etc. Then, 

you have to pay $ 400 per month to cover the cost of mortgage, 

utilities, etc. (assuming both units are rented). That’s a total cash 

investment of $ 16,933 over 24 months, and that’s a 100.4% rate of 

return over 24 months. Try to get that in the stock market! 

Paying one extra mortgage payment per year, you will shorten 

the amortization by approximately seven years. You could 

potentially own the properties outright in 23 years and retain 

the monthly rental income that will almost certainly rise with 

the cost o ination 

retty siple huh se hat you no and understand to create 

wealth for yourself. As with anything, the devil is in the doing. 

Peter Moulton 

President of Agent Services 

Dream Town Realty 


the 

Comeback 

KEVIN VAN ECK ON HOW TO COUNSEL A BROKER IN A 

TAILSPIN AND HELP THEM FIND THEIR PATH TO SUCCESS. 

It’s no secret that the role of the managing broker continues 

to evolve. The greatest value a managing broker can give to 

their broers is in being a coach ectie real estate anagers 

understand that as each broker grows, so does the company. When 

e hae successul broers ho find theseles in a tailspin its 

more important than ever to assume the role of the coach, as this 

can becoe contagious ithin an oce broer ho eels their 

business is trending downward may begin to make desperate 

decisions that will damage both their business and the company. 

Working with a broker as soon as this is apparent is important, even 

if the broker doesn’t come to us proactively. 

PERSPECTIVE 

hen coaching its iportant to first realie that our perspectie 

must change from a company-focus to the individual’s perspective. 

Our goal should be to help a broker achieve their potential and 

to become the broker they want to be. Our brokerages all have 

initiatives and company goals, but in order to implement change 

or reach those goals, we need to focus on the individual broker 

and help them realize their goals. We need to look at our broker 

as a peer, and we must demonstrate understanding and listening 

skills, as well as a willingness to be candid in our feedback, 

positivity and energy. 

PROCESS 

here are fie ain steps in coaching broers each ust as 

important as another. It’s important to follow these steps to reach 

success, and establish a relationship based on trust, mutual 

respect and an aligned commitment. 

onfiaion 

We must ensure that our brokers know that the meeting is to help 

them reach their goals. It’s important to actually say it so that we 

are allied in the process that ollos e ant confiration that the 

broker wants out of the slump and that we’re there to support them. 

We have to state that we believe that they can do it. 


Managing Broker 

andien 

A personal coach of mine (and many others, I’m sure) said, “You 

can’t solve the problem before you actually know the problem.” 

Too often, we stop listening and launch into a cookie-cutter 

solution before we understand what is happening. Presenting 

before understanding may alienate the broker and create 

confusion, creating a barrier to success. Asking questions and 

actiely listening then finding your net uestion in their anser 

is the way to understand what’s taking place. When you feel like 

making a statement, ask another question. Don’t stop until there’s 

nothing left to ask, taking notes through the conversation. 

Ask: 

• What are their previous actions? 

• What are their current activities? 

• What do they think is going well? 

• What could they be doing differently? 

• What do they think is missing? 

Don’t dismiss roadblocks in a broker’s personal life that might 

be aecting their desired perorance here are any boos 

on question-based everything that can help focus on asking and 

listening. Ultimately, by the time you’ve exhausted every question 

possible, you should know where the broker is, where they were 

and where they want to be, and the broker should feel heard. 

nale 

Take a high-level view of everything you just learned about the 

broer he ey is to analye hat is dierent no ersus hen 

they felt successful. Determine what has changed. Make lists as 

you discuss. Many times brokers move away from the very actions 

that created their initial success. For example, many experienced 

brokers dismiss open houses as an income-producing activity, 

when open houses are one of the best ways to create exposure, 

meet both buyers and neighborhood owners face-to-face, add to 

a database and replenish the business pipeline. 

Review the list of current activities. Sometimes brokers will have 

“too much” business and the focus on relationships and service 

falls by the wayside, resulting in a lack of new business in the 

pipeline. When relationships aren’t the focus and a broker becomes 

transactional, the number of referrals drops. It’s important, then, to 

look at what resources a broker can use to “focus on the vital few” 

activities that drive their business, and delegate the remainder. 

Lastly, look at what the broker should quit doing. There’s a negative 

connotation with being a quitter, but Seth Godin wrote in The Dip 

that the true secret to success is quitting. Recommend that brokers 

read The Dip, as it talks through how anything worth doing leads to 

a dip. Those that stick it out and make it through become successful 

because of the activities, goals or projects that they quit. 

oaPlan 

There are a few key rules of planning, one of which is to keep it 

simple, especially in real estate. If it’s complicated, it’s not going 

to happen. The plan has to feel attainable, even if there are stretch 

goals involved. Break down the plan into small pieces. We’re very 

good at making annual sales or income goals and, for example, 

making a plan to create an enormous marketing campaign. That can 

be daunting, which results in these actions ending up on the same 

to-do list 365 days later. Break it up into daily actions, make the 

“perfect week,” and ensure that it is consistent. When actions are not 

consistent, the results (read: transactions, volume and income) are 

not consistent. Ensure that the actions set in the plan are clear and 

that the broker agrees that they are the steps to take to achieve the 

goals astly confir ith the broer that they are coitted 

and share your commitment to helping them. 

Recommended Reading for 

Question-Based Listening 

Secrets of Question Based Selling 

THOMAS A. FREESE 

Socratic Selling 

KEVIN DALEY EMMETT WOLFE 

Everyone Communicates, Few Connect 

JOHN C. MAXWELL 

5. Follow Up 

This is the concrete that holds the plan together. It has to be driven by 

the broker with commitment from the managing broker. Asking the 

broker as to how, when and at what frequency they want us to check 

in is imperative. Only make commitments you can keep, however. 

A broker once asked me to text them every morning at 6:00AM to 

ask them what they were going to do for their business that day. 

Politely declining, I suggested a more realistic way to ensure that I 

was playing a role in their bounce-back. The follow up needs to be 

frequent enough to keep the broker motivated and on track, but not 

so frequent where it feels less like a mutual route to success and more 

like a manager/employee relationship. With follow up also comes the 

opportunity to start the process over, if needed. 

Coaching is the best way to earn loyalty and develop a long-term 

relationship resulting in success for the broker, the managing broker, 

and the brokerage. Assisting brokers through a downturn in their 

business will generate the win-win needed to create and sustain 

brokerage retention and growth, while helping each individual 

broker reach their goals in becoming the broker they wish to be. 

Kevin Van Eck 

VP of Training and Brokerage 

Services/Managing Broker 

@properties 


BY THE NUMBERS 

erything you need to find out ho the aret is really doing and 

what you should be telling your clients, backed by the numbers. 

Fast Stats are great for a quick overview 

of the Chicago real estate market, with 

graphs, statistics and year-over-year 

changes. The simple-to-access reports 

are an easy way to keep past, current 

and future clients abreast of the real 

estate market, at a glance. The PDFs 

are downloadable and ready to print, 

e-mail and post. 

Reports include: 

• Monthly Indicators: See the big 

picture with this overview of the 

ChicagoMarket’s key trends. 

• Local Market Updates: Use this 

interactie ap to find neighbor 

hoodspecific data representing 

each o hicagos dierent areas 

• Lender-Mediated Report: This one 

details MRED data on foreclosed, 

REO, pre-foreclosure and short sale 

properties – an important part of 

today’s market. 

• Weekly Market Activity: All the 

data from our monthly reports, 

just more frequently. 

Get Access: 

Visit www.chicagorealtor.com/faststats 

and login with your C.A.R. Member ID & 

Password. 

This tool is amazing! A simple design 

allows nerds and novices to harness 

the power of the MLS with minimal 

clicking. Fully customizable, you can 

go general or very granular with this 

data. Select an area and variables, 

choose a etric filter results and share 

ts een possible to define custo 

geographies. All print/export/email 

options are here, including live, static 

and embeddable charts and images, 

as well as raw data tables. Shared items 

will include your contact information, 

which is automatically generated from 

the inoration stored in your profile 

you hae a specific area and type o 

property you focus on, create a chart 

and embed it in your website and it will 

update with live statistics! If you have 

a client looing or specific types o 

homes, you can create a chart share 

the link in the email and it will autoupdate. 

The possibilities are endless. 

Get Access: 

Log in to connectMLS, click on the 

“Tools, Resources and Links” icon in 

the upper right hand corner, and click 

Infosparks on the drop-down menu. 

s one o the ost innoatie benefits 

included in your NAR membership, 

oered at no additional cost ® 

oers eclusie access to analytics 

and custom-branded reporting tools 

that can be printed, emailed or texted 

from anywhere at any time. These 

reports are extremely client-friendly. 

RPR covers every segment of the real 

estate industry, including commercial 

and appraisals. In addition to housing 

stats, RPR will also provide economic 

stats, like median income and 

unemployment rates, in addition to 

U.S. Census data and quality of life 

statistics, like annual snow and rainfall, 

travel time to work, water quality 

and walkability. You can even search 

by schools here are eight dierent 

reports you can generate with this 

data, branded with your information 

and logo. Your clients (and prospective 

clients) will love it! 

Get Access: 

Visit www.narrpr.com and create a 

new account. You can also download 

the RPR app in your mobile device’s 

App Store. 


GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT 

What the numbers really mean 

HOME TYPE 

Detached 

Single Family 

Standalone properties in which 

the dwelling is a single residence. 

Attached 

Single Family 

Individual units in multi-unit 

properties such as townhomes 

and condominiums. 

KEY STATS 

Closed 

Sales 

A count of the actual 

sales that have closed 

in a given month. 

Market Time 

The average number of 

days between when a 

property is listed and 

when an offer is accepted 


% 

% of Original List 

Price Received 

The percentage found when dividing a 

property’s sales price by its original list 

price, then taking the average for all 

properties sold in a given month (not 

accounting for seller concessions). 

$$$$ PRICING 

Median Sales Price 

The point at which half of the sales sold for more and 

half sold for less, not accounting for seller concessions, 


Average Sales Price 

The average sales price for all closed sales, not 

accounting for seller concessions, in a given month. 

Why C.A.R. & NAR Use the Medium Sales Price 

C.A.R. uses the median sales price rather than the average because the average sales price can be skewed if a sale price 

of one home varies greatly from the remainder of the homes. Buyers could be misled into believing they cannot afford to 

purchase a home, which would discourage them from entering the market and be counterproductive for the industry. 

INVENTORY 

# 

Inventory of 

Homes for Sale 

The number of homes for sale 

at the end of a given month. 

Month’s Supply of Inventory 

This tells you how many months it would take for all the 

current homes on the market to sell, given a monthly sales 

volume. If the number is smaller, this means that buyers are 

dominating the market and there are relatively few sellers. 

The greater the number, the more sellers rather than buyers. 

A balanced market is six months of inventory. 


Professional Standards 

Navigating Multiple Offers 

How to stay in compliance with the Code of Ethics and be your client’s best resource. 

As we are now in the midst of the busy spring 

and summer buying season, we are fielding calls 

from members with questions about dealing with 

multiple offers. We’ve put together a few pointers 

for REALTORS ® on both the buying and selling 

ends on how to handle a multiple offer situation 

while keeping both the REALTOR ® Code of Ethics 

and your clients in mind. 

As the listing broker in a multiple offer situation, 

what can I disclose, and what can’t I disclose? 

How should I approach multiple offer situations? 

our approach to and obligations in oring ith ultiple oers 

depends on ho you are oring iththe seller or the buyer 

WORKING WITH SELLERS 

ellers hae seeral ays to deal ith ultiple oers 

hey can accept the best oer 

• They can inform all potential purchasers that other 

oers are on the table and to coe bac ith their 

highest and best. 

hey can accept one oer and reect the others 

hey can counter one oer and reect the others 

Your ability to disclose depends on what your client has given you 

permission to disclose. 

Q: udicloeoeoeoeaeaeina 

ulileoeiuaion 

This depends on whether your seller has given approval 

A: to disclose this information. 

In the REALTOR ® Code of Ethics, Article 1, you will find information 

relating to multiple offers. Article 1, Standard of Practice 1-15, states 

that “REALTORS ® , in response to inquiries from buyers or cooperating 

brokers, shall, with the seller’s approval, disclose the existence of 

offers on the property.” 

If you have permission from the seller to disclose that you are in 

a ultiple oer situation you then hae to tell other cooperating 

brokers this information. 

Q: Waicliendonoaniinoaion 

dicloed 

At the end of the day, although you are working in the best 

A: interests of your client, you cannot lie to another broker. 

Please note: The listing broker has an obligation to present all 

oers proptly and in the order they ere subitted hile the 

listing broer can oer suggestions and adice decisions about 

ho oers ill be presented and dealt ith are ade by the 

seller not by the listing broer 

WORKING WITH BUYERS 

There are advantages and disadvantages to the various negotiating 

strategies you can eploy in ultiple oer negotiations 

lo initial oer ay result in buying the property your clients 

desire or less than the listed price or it ay result in another 

buyers higher oer being accepted 

ull price oer ay result in paying ore than the seller ight 

have required. 

n soe cases there can be seeral ull price oers copeting 

for the seller’s attention and acceptance. 

eep in ind purchase oers generally arent confidential 

ellers ay ae other buyers aare that your oer is in hand 

ellers ay een disclose details about your oer to another 

buyer in hopes o conincing that buyer to ae a better oer 

• In some cases, sellers will instruct their listing broker to 

disclose an oer to other buyers on their behal 

While it is not explicitly written out, Article 1 says that REALTORS ® 

are required to “protect and promote the interests of their client.” 

Additionally, Article 1 also states that REALTORS ® have an “obligation 

to treat all parties honestly.” 

So, if your seller does not want this information disclosed, you must 

instead tell the other brokers that your client has asked you not to 

disclose this information. 

Amanda Withrow 

Senior Director of Member Care 

and Professional Standards 

Chicago Association of REALTORS ® 



Connecting You 

to Congress 

FPCs are your link 

to elected ocials 

Did you know that there is a program designed to keep issues 

important to the real estate industry top of mind for your 

ongressional legislators ® Federal Political Coordinators 

(FPC) help protect your interests by establishing and maintaining 

relationships ith specific ebers o ongress he s stay in 

touch in the Congressional member’s home district here in Illinois 

and in Washington, D.C., to advocate for the bills that matter. FPCs 

also push for amendments or a stop to legislation that may hurt 

REALTORS ® or their clients. The Federal Political Coordinators make 

a dierence eery day or your business 

District 5 

District 10 

FPC Patrick Dalessandro • Rep. Bob Dold 

District 6 

FPC Pat Callan • Rep. Peter Roskam 

District 8 

FPC Bob Dohn • Rep. Tammy Duckworth 

FPC David Hanna 

Rep. Mike Quigley 

Crysta 

A 

Saint 

G 

North Aur 

C.A.R. has several members who volunteer as Federal Political 

oordinators to fight or our industry in and here in llinois 

Auro 

yea ippion cri rea on is the ederal olitical 

Oswego 

Coordinator for District One Representative Bobby Rush. Active in 

the local and state associations, she was appointed an FPC after 

attending the Midyear Legislative Meetings in 2013. “I’m always 

trying to understand real estate beyond just the transaction,” she 

said. “It’s a whole other world, and it’s a big assignment to advocate 

on behalf of REALTORS® and the REALTOR ® party.” 

District 3 

District 11 

FPC John Gregory • Rep. Bill Foster 

Being an FPC entails more than meeting with Representative Rush 

a e ties a year cri aes an eort to stop by eents his 

oce hosts and say hello on behal o and ts a lot o 

ace tie she said uilding a relationship ith his sta has ade 

my life so much easier, and I try to pop in regularly.” About once a 

onth shell tal to his hie o ta and about once a ee shell 

touch base with his Housing Director. 

FPC John Kmiecik 

Rep. Daniel Lipinski 

loe noing the echanics o hat aects us cri said ts 

an addiction!” 

You’re Covered 

The map on the next page is your guide to Chicago’s legislators 

and the FPCs who engage with them on your behalf. As you 

can see, all areas of the city (as well as the state) are covered. 

In addition to the representatives shown here, Gary Clayton is 

the or enator ic urbin and illia rin is the 

for Senator Mark Kirk. At the Midyear Legislative Meetings and 

Trade Show held in Washington, D.C., in May, the FPCs met with 

their representaties to tal about property ta eeptions ood 

insurance and the mortgage interest deduction, amongst other 

iportant issues o find out ore on each o these issues please 

visit ChicagoREALTOR.com. 


Gurnee 

Waukegan 

McHenry 

Crayslake 

Wauconda 

undelein 

Lake Forest 

District 9 

FPC Marilyn Glazer • Rep. Jan Schakowsky 

l Lake 

lgonquin 

Cary 

6 th 

Barrington 

Lake Zurich 

Vernon Hills 

10 th 

94 

ilandPa 

District 4 

Carpentersville 

Palatine 

Northbrook 

Winnetka 

FPC Sonia Anaya 

Rep. Luis Gutierrez 

294 

Wilmette 

90 Mount Prospect 

94 

Charles 

eneva 

ora 

ra 

Elgin 

Bartlet 

West Chicago 

Plainfield 

Naperville 

88 

Schaumburg 

8 th 

Villa Park 

looindale 

lendale 

Heights 

6 th 

11 th 

Bolingbrook 

355 

355 

Elk Grove Village 

Woodale 

Villa Park 

Westmont 

ePlaine 

ORD 

5th 

Western Springs 

Melrose Park 

Lemont 3rd 

Lockport 

Joliet 

11 th 

290 

Paide 

oofield 

80 

Frankfort 

oide 

290 

Summit 

Oak 

Park 

90 

9th 

4 

th 

7 th 

55 

MDW 

57 

294 

Evanston 

Richton Park 

CHICAGO 

1 

st 

Oaklawn 

Alsip 

landPa 

idloian 

Markham 

Tinley Park 

oeood 

1 st 

94 

olon 

South 

olland 

2 nd 

90 

District 7 

FPC Cedrick Hunter 

Rep. Danny Davis 

Minooka 

District 4 

District 2 

District 1 

FPC FPC Tonya Sonia Corder Anaya 

Rep. Luis Robin Gutierrez Kelly 

FPC Nykea Pippion-McGriff 

Rep. Bobby Rush 

Photos by Jon Broadbooks and Jessica Kern. 


Welcome to 

Chicago’s 

Riverwalk 

It wasn’t too long ago that the Chicago 

River conjured up some not-so-pretty 

images, particularly up-close. In 2002, 

National Geographic named the Chicago 

River one of the ten most endangered 

rivers in the United States. Thanks, 

however, to an ambitious decadeslong 

project by the City of Chicago, the 

Chicago Riverwalk has transformed how 

Chicagoans interact with the river that 

runs so prominently through many of our 

neighborhoods. 

The Chicago Riverwalk, scheduled for 

completion by the end of 2016, was 

constructed in phases. 

PHASE ONE 

Phase One stretches from Michigan Ave. 

to Wabash, and was built in two separate 

contracts, by two separate contractors, 

according to architect Carol Ross Barney, 

of Ross Barney Architects, who was an 

instrumental force in the development of 

the design and vision for the Riverwalk, along 

with landscape architects Sasaki Associates. 

The completed Chicago Vietnam 

Veteran’s Memorial Plaza, dedicated in 

2005, occupies land reclaimed by the 

rebuilding and relocation of Wacker Drive 

to create the start of the urban park. It 

transors a reebrance o sacrifice 

into a celebration of life, commemorating 

the sacrifices o llinois allen soldiers 

while the grassy terraces and ramps 

lead visitors from the busy city streets 

to the relative quiet tranquility of the 

riverbank. Completed in 2009, Phase 

One showed that the river’s banks 

could act as another coastline, ripe for 

activation and interaction with Chicago’s 

citizens and visitors. The success led to 

a recommitment by the city to see the 

possibilities of a proper Riverwalk. 

PHASE TWO 

Phase Two, opened to the public in 

June 2015, began with the commission 

of drawings for the section between 

ae and abashessentially all the 

riverfront property that the City of Chicago 

oned t as the first tie that the 

architects ere able to ush out a ull 

vision for the Riverwalk; the wish list that 

developed included a single continuous 

walkway, while the many bridges inspired 

the creation of a series of “rooms” that 

could each host their own separate 

experiences. These “rooms” create diverse 


activities along the riverfront, ranging 

from dining and entertainment options, 

to event programming and amenities for 

watercraft. Activities, based on typical river 

environments, were sketched out, with a 

section for a jetty, a water plaza, a river 

theater, a cove, a marina and a boardwalk. 

It is these rooms that make the Riverwalk 

such an attractive place to spend time. 

That, and the attraction of popular Chicago 

businesses to open seasonal locations in 

the adacent enor spaces 

The three rooms completed in Phase Two are 

the Marina, the Cove and the River Theater. 

eaina 

The Marina, the stretch between State 

and Dearborn, is designed to allow boats 

to dock and people to sit. Last year, City 

inery as one o the first endors to 

commit to open in the Riverwalk space, 

and it was recently announced that they 

are back for the 2016 season, as well. 

Now, boats dock there, visitors can sit, 

have a glass of wine and enjoy the prime 

riverfront space. 

eoe 

From Dearborn to Clark, the Cove was 

designed to accommodate humanpowered 

watercraft such as canoes and 

kayaks. Here, the Riverwalk dips even 

ore ush to the ater and recreates 

a beach vibe in the heart of the city. 

Last year, headlines after Phase Two’s 

opening revolved around the heavy rains 

and ooding hoeer architects too 

into account the varying river levels and 

designed for the inundation of water. For 

that reason, the beach grasses here are 

both functional and decorative. 

ieeae 

The River Theater is the middle “room,” 

running from Clark to LaSalle. Here, 

inspired by other great staircases like the 

Spanish Steps in Rome, the architects 

anted to create an eectie entryay 

to the river. Geometrically gorgeous, the 

space can function as a theatre, with risers 

for seating mixing with risers for stairs, 

allowing for a steeper slope. The ramp is 

important, as the space is available for 

all citiens enoyent t is an eectie 

stunning connection of the city to the 

new Riverwalk. 




PHASE THREE 

Phase Three, due to be completed this 

year, will signal the completion of the 

ieral proect he final three city 

blocks are the Water Plaza, the Jetty and 

the Boardwalk. 

eWaePlaa 

The Water Plaza, between LaSalle and 

Wells, began as a concept for interaction 

with the actual water. Ross Barney looked 

to gain a tactile water component with 

an interactive water feature. Originally 

dubbed the Swimming Hole (although 

not for actual swimming), the Water Plaza 

will have a zero depth water fountain that 

os oer the plaa alloing or play 

in the mist. The fountain will provide a 

cooling eect in the heat o suer but 

it is also designed to stay on through the 

winter, creating natural ice formations. 

Plans for year-round programming and 

further activation will be unveiled as the 

project nears completion. 

ee 

The Jetty, from Wells to Franklin, is 

designed or fishing o all things a 

Mayor Daley dream. At present, the 

Chicago River is home to over 70 kinds 

o fish including carp bluegill and 

bass. This space will recreate what a 

naturalized riverbank would be. The 

outermost gardens will be submergent 

LAKE STREET 

FRANKLIN STREET 

WELLS STREET 

MERCHANDISE 

MART 

Boardwalk 

Jetty 

Water 

Plaza 

W. WACKER DRIVE 


oating plants ith roots dangling in 

the water; the next layer are emergent 

plants, which are actually rooted to 

some medium below; and the innermost 

layer is inundation tolerant. This layering 

o plant lie reects natural rierban 

development, making the river less like 

a canal, and more of an actual river. The 

other reason for this design is to create 

natural habitats or the fish 

The hope is that one of the future vendors 

will be a bait and tackle shop, or a shop 

that can ry fish caught by isitors 

eoadal 

The Boardwalk, stretching from Franklin 

to Lake, is the western anchor of the 

Riverwalk, providing stunning views at the 

meeting of the river’s three branches. 

The Boardwalk will maximize its space 

with gardens, earthen mounds and a 

meandering footbridge to Lake Street. 

Also allowing access from Upper Wacker 

to the Riverwalk, a gently sloping ramp 

will accommodate both wheelchairs 

and strollers. 

The Riverwalk is an important addition 

to Chicago. While the total cost is 

expected to be around 175 million dollars, 

this is about a quarter of the cost of New 

York’s famed High Line. Initial estimates 

project that the Riverwalk will host about 

2.8 million visitors annually, although this 

number is expected to grow as citizens 

and visitors alike discover the Riverwalk’s 

charms and programming continues 

to develop. 

Riverwalk vendors generated more than 

$ 

4.5 million in gross revenue in 2015, four 

times the amount Riverwalk vendors 

made in 2014 prior to Phase Two’s 

completion. This is only the beginning 

o the econoic benefits or the city 

with projected revenue increases as 

phases are completed. This year, a mix of 

vendors including kayak and bike rentals, 

food and drink purveyors (including the 

first ieral ood cart and rierboat 

cruises will ensure that the Riverwalk is 

an enjoyable space for all visitors. The 

other attraction ie usic he ideout 

a Bucktown bar that hosted indie acts 

along the Riverwalk last summer, will not 

return for 2016, but Tiny Hatt, a partnership 

between Big Hatt Gourmet and Lincoln 

uares iny ounge ill oer ree lie 

music Monday and Wednesday evenings. 

Finding a way to bring the river into the 

daily activities of the city, and furthering 

his goal to ensure that every citizen lives 

within walking distance to a park or green 

space, Mayor Emanuel has declared the 

river “Chicago’s next great recreational 

park,” integral to enhancing the quality of 

life for all its citizens. The Riverwalk is a 

worthy endeavor and an urban park that 

you shouldn’t wait to enjoy. 

Photos by Tom Nelson for the Chicago Association of REALTORS ® . 

LASALLE STREET 

CLARK STREET 

DEARBORN STREET 

HOUSE 

OF BLUES 

MARINA CITY 

River 

Theatre Cove Marina 

STATE STREET 

TRUMP 

TOWER 

WABASH STREET 

Veteran 

Memorial 

MICHIGAN AVENUE 

THE 

WRIGLEY 

BUILDING 

Wendella 

Sightseeing 

COLUMBUS DRIVE 

Chicago 

River 

LAKE SHORE DRIVE 

Lake 

Michigan 

Chicago 

Water Taxi 

Lillie’s Park Grill 

Urban Kayaks 

Tiny Hatt 

Frost Gelatos 

City Winery 

Dulce in Horto 

Dessert Food Cart 

O’Brien’s 

Riverwalk Cafe 

McCormick 

Bridgehouse & 

Chicago River 

Museum 

Chicago’s First 

Lady Mercury 

Sightseeing 

Cyrano’s Café 

& Wine Bar 

E. WACKER DRIVE 

Wheel Fun 

Bike Rentals 

Island Party 

Hut Tiki Bar 

Urban Kayaks 

77 WEST 

WACKER 

HYATT 

REGENCY 

CHICAGO

Bookshelf 

ell ead 

The business and leadership books we just 

can’t seem to put down (or stop quoting!) 

Hug Your Haters 

by Jay Baer 

The Millionaire Real Estate 

Investor 

by Gary Keller, Dave Jenks, 

& Jay Papasan 

The Dip: A Little Book That 

Teaches You When to Quit 

(and When to Stick) 

by Seth Godin 

Everyone Communicates, 

Few Connect 

by John C. Maxwell 

Big Magic: Creative Living 

Beyond Fear 

by Elizabeth Gilbert 

When Breath Becomes Air 

by Paul Kalanithi 


Listen Up 

MARKETING 

LEADERSHIP 

Building Your Tribe 

y halene ohnson 

reate inuence that atters ith 

content that creates conversion. 

We love the focus on living with 

integrity and creating value, and 

the emphasis on productivity and 

building community. 

Social Media Marketing 

Happy Hour 

y awn arrs rti rai eter 

Coaching for 

Leaders 

y ave tahowia 

If you’ve ever wanted to learn 

to be a better communicator, 

bring out the best in your team, 

and lead better by example, 

then Coaching for Leaders is the 

podcast for you! Every week, 

Dave will give you access to the 

best thinkers, resources and 

actions to grow your leadership 

skills. 

Awesome Office: 

Lead. Create. Inspire 

y ean elly 

The Awesome Office Show 

prides itself on “inspiring 

Awesome for businesses of 

all shapes and sizes.” You’ll 

get leadership advice from 

the buzziest companies in the 

country, with actionable tips 

and best practices sprinkled in 

to help you achieve your own 

Awesome. 

The Executive Book 

Club Podcast 

y aya athias 

You don’t always have to pave 

your own path; instead, this 

podcast will tap into the insights 

of critical thinkers and leaders 

who came before us. Bonus: 

each episode explores a theme 

ro a dierent leadership boo 

so you’ll always have a new read 

to crack open for inspiration, too. 

Not only will this teach you how to 

manage and leverage your social 

media channels, it’ll do it in as little 

as ten minutes. With such great 

bite-sized nuggets of information, 

you can’t go wrong. 

#AskGaryVee 

y ary aynerh 

Serial entrepreneur Gary Veynerchuk 

knows a little something about 

building million dollar businesses in 

the digital sphere. You will love his 

don to earth othecu adice on 

building brands, seizing opportunity 

and selling stu 

The 

podcasts 

we’re 

currently 

loving. 

BUSINESS 

Mind Your Business 

Podcast 

y ames edmore and 

hoee roe 

Hustle and hard work are important 

for success, but there are other 

important traits you can tap into, as 

well. In Mind Your Business, James 

and Phoebe will help you prioritize 

attitude over action, and mindset 

over strategy, in order to further fuel 

your success. 

Listen to the podcasts featured here. 

PERSONAL GROWTH 

The Investor’s Podcast 

- We Study Billionaires 

y reston ysh and ti rodersen 

“We like to have fun and study 

billionaires” – enough said. 

The 5 AM Miracle 

with Jeff Sanders: 

Healthy Habits 

y e anders 

Dominate your day before 

breaast es energy is 

infectious, and his podcast is 

a perfect jolt to start the day. 

The Lively Show 

y ess ively 

Living with intention: it doesn’t 

have to just be another goal. 

This podcast will inspire, uplift 

and get you working towards 

just that. 

The One You Feed 

y ri immer 

It takes conscious, constant 

and creatie eort to ae a 

life worth living. This podcast is 

about how other people keep 

themselves moving in the right 

direction. 

The Broad Experience 

y shley ilne-yte 

We love this podcast, in particular, 

for spurring conversations about 

women in the workplace and the 

unique challenges they face. It’s 

thoughtful, nuanced and goodhumored, 

and it will leave listeners 

of all genders feeling positive and 

recharged. 


Association News 

Several C.A.R. 

Members Appointed 

to National Positions 

Congratulations are in order for several C.A.R. members whose 

appointments were announced at the National Association of 

REALTORS ® Midyear Legislative Meetings and Trade Show in 

Washington, D.C., in May. 

Former C.A.R. President Mabel Guzman was named a 2017 NAR 

ice resident he ill fill the position hich ocuses on 

association aairs 

2017 CommercialForum chair Deena Zimmerman was named the 

2017 NAR Commercial Liaison. She will report to NAR leadership 

on actions and issues before the many commercial real estateoriented 

committees. 

Genie Birch was named the 2017 Chair of the Diversity Committee. 

She served as C.A.R.’s president from 2009 to 2010. 

Congratulations, Mabel, Deena, and Genie! 

Dan Wagner Elected Illinois 

REALTORS ® 

Treasurer 

Dan Wagner 

Illinois REALTORS ® announced in the spring 

that current Chicago Association of REALTORS ® 

President Dan Wagner has been named 

their 2017 Treasurer. He will join other Illinois 

REALTOR ® leaders in 2017, including Doug 

Carpenter, who will become president, Matt 

Difanis, who will become president-elect, 

and Mike Drews, who will be immediate past 

president. Congratulations, Dan! 

Joe Nery Honored as 2016 

NAHREP National President 

C.A.R.’s own Joe Nery was installed as 2016 

NAHREP President at the Housing Policy 

& Hispanic Lending Conference’s Gala and 

Presidential Installation Ceremony in March. 

A partner at Nery & Richardson, LLC, a real 

estate la fir in the hicago area he has held 

a position on the NAHREP National Board of 

Directors since 2012. He is a Past President of 

Joe Nery 

NAHREP Chicago, and during his tenure, his 

recruitent eorts helped to gro the hicago hapter to the 

largest in the country. Congratulations, Joe! 

C.A.R. Welcomes 

New Industry 

Partner: VAREP 

We are proud to announce a partnership with the newly-formed 

Chicago chapter of the Veterans Association of Real Estate 

Professionals (VAREP). VAREP is dedicated to increasing sustainable 

hoeonership financial literacy education loan aareness 

and economic opportunity for the active military and veteran 

communities. 

“The Chicago Association of REALTORS ® has been a longtime 

supporter of education for our REALTORS ® on the many programs 

and services available for veterans,” Ginger Downs, C.A.R.’s Chief 

ecutie cer said e ored the first eroes elcoe oe 

course in 2008, which has since adapted into the Military Relocation 

Professional designation. We welcome VAREP to Chicago and are 

thrilled to partner ith the to help ulfill their ission 


NAR Deadline: December 31, 2016 

All REALTOR ® members are required to complete 2.5 hours of Code 

of Ethics training per four-year cycle. We are currently in the Fourth 

Training Cycle, January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2016. Failure to 

comply with this required ethics training is a violation of a membership 

duty, for which the member’s primary association will suspend 

membership until the training is complete. 

DOWNLOAD 

Read and Sign 

the Designated 

REALTOR ® dait 

IN-PERSON 

Attend a New 

Member Orientation 

Ethics Course 

ONLINE 

NAR’s REALTOR ® 

Code of Ethics 

Training 

VIDEO 

Watch a taping of our 

New Member Orientation 

Ethics Course 

Learn more about the quadrennial ethics requirements, 

check to see if you are in compliance, and sign up for a class: 

www.ChicagoREALTOR.com/Ethics 

Watch a New Member 

Ethics course to fulfill 

the requirement. 

NOTE: This is a National Association of REALTORS ® mandate; NOT a requirement of the Illinois Department of Financial 

and Professional Regulation or its Continuing Education course requirements. However, if you take an Ethics CE course, 

you will meet part of your CE requirement as well as the NAR ® membership mandate. 


New Forms 

& Contracts 

Webpage 

We're excited to introduce new and 

easy-to-use webpages for our Forms & 

Contracts. A big thank you to Dave Naso 

and the Forms and Contracts Work Group 

for helping to develop these pages with 

the user experience in mind. The forms 

are grouped by topic to easily find the 

forms you need based on the real estate 

transaction you are working on! 

Alphabetical: If you'd rather see an entire list of forms 

available, click the A-Z link to access the full list. 

Filter: just start typing the form you are looking for and 

the site will live-filter the forms to display only relevant 

forms and contracts. 

Descriptions: New descriptions allow you to see a quick 

summary of what the form is and how it is used. 

38 Chicago REALTOR ® Magazine 

Feedback: Let us know if you have 

a suggestion or would like to see a new 

feature on these pages. Email us: 

editor@chicagorealtor.com

CommercialForum 

Another Successful Roundtable 

Another roundtable event, another success! Over 100 commercial 

practitioners attended the annual CommercialForum/CCIM 

Roundtable Networking Event on February 18 th at Morton’s 

Steakhouse, where 15 table leaders presented on current industry 

topics such as Retail Development, Land Use & Zoning, Land 

eases ce ondoinius and ore 

nterested in learning ore about oercial oru isit 

commercialforum.com for opportunities to get involved. 

Check out 

our new look! 

Up Next: 

July 19 th CommercialForum Networking 

Breakfast with the Cook County Assessor 

Enjoy breakfast with the Cook County Assessor, who will 

be speaking on upcoming assessments and property tax 

appeals. Learn how you can be your clients’ best resource! 

August 11 th Successful Women 

in Commercial Real Estate — 

“Women in Construction” 

Hear the unique perspectives of executive women 

in construction as we explore local trends, industry 

challenges and opportunities and more, at this panel 

discussion. 

Patrick Brennan, Much Shelist, Michael Fine, Fine and 

Company LLC, Kristin Nordman and Scott David, Much Shelist 

Wayne Caplan, SVN Commercial and 

Diane Peterson, SVN Auction Works 

Robert Russell, Ideal Location, Ann Trandai, 

Trandai Realty, and Damian Albert, Be Realty, LLC 

COMMERCIALFORUM ROUNDTABLES 

Matt Silver, Urban Real Estate, 

and Shara Varner, National 

Association of REALTORS ® 

Jim Hochman, Arnstein & Lehr LLP, 

Peter Giadla, Seneca R.E. and 

Michael Fine, Fine and Company LLC 

Phil Linduska, USA Fire Protection and 

Antje Gehrken, A.R.E. Partners 


Chicago REALTORS ® meet with 

Barbara Flynn Currie, majority leader of 

the Illinois House of Representatives. 

IAR CAPITOL CONFERENCE 2016 

Chicago REALTORS ® meet with 

John Cullerton, President of the Illinois Senate 

Thank you 

oeeeo 

adeeioinfieldo 

adocaeoouindu 


INDUSTRY 

PARTNERS 

GREATER 

Asian Real Estate Association 

of America (AREAA Chicago) 

This past quarter, we hosted an event 

geared towards millennials titled 

“Becoming the Next Generation of Luxury 

REALTORS ® .” It was a grand success and 

we will continue to host relevant topics 

such as this to educate all industry 

professionals. Additionally, we partnered 

with DuPage Habitat for Humanity for a 

Building Community Day. What a pleasure 

it was to serve and give back! 

2016 Events to Note: 

• October 21-23 rd — AREAA National 

Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada 

Please stay tuned for more exciting 

programs to come this summer! If you 

are interested in joining our wonderful 

organization or would like to learn more 

about our events, please visit us online at 

www.areaa.org/chicago. 

UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS: 

• Introduction to Coaching 

with Tom Ferry & Company 

Thursday, July 21 

SUCCESS IN REAL ESTATE CONFERENCE 2015 

NAHREP is a purpose-driven organization propelled by a passionate 

combination of entrepreneurial spirit, cultural heritage and the advocacy 

of its members. Our mission is to advance sustainable Hispanic ownership. 

NAHREP accomplishes its mission by: 

• Educating and empowering the real estate professionals who 

serve Hispanic home buyers & sellers 

• Advocating for public policy that supports the trade 

association’s mission 

• Facilitating relationships among industry stakeholders, real estate 

practitioners and other housing industry professionals 

• Best Practices 

Thursday, August 4 

• Holiday Party/Installation Event 

Thursday, December 1 

• NAHREP National Convention 

Los Angeles, CA 

September 18-20 

http://nahrep.org/convention 

To register for events or to join NAHREP, 

visit www.nahrep.org 

Also, follow us on Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/nahrepchicago 


Dearborn REALTIST ® Board, Inc. 

2015 (DRB) 

DRB has had a fantastic and extraordinary 

start to 2016. Our first Wednesday of the 

month networking events have grown in 

popularity, along with strong sponsorship 

participation, and the 2016 NAREB Regional 

9 Conference in Chicago was an absolute 

success, with registration surpassing the 

previous three conferences this year. 


• Annual William G. Gray Golf and 

Scholarship outing 

• Summertime Chicago River cruise 

• 75 th Year DRB Anniversary celebration 

To become a DRB member or learn 

more about our organization, visit us at 

www.chicagorealtist.com or contact our 

membership chair, Ms. Reyes-Williams 

at millie.reyeswilliams@bmo.com. 

FIABCI-USA, the International 

Real Estate Federation 

Start here to expand your international 

business! FIABCI, the International Real 

Estate Federation, has members in 65 

countries and includes 100 professional 

associations, 65 academic institutions 

and 3,000 individual members. 


• June 10-12 th Cityscape Korea in 

Gyeonggi-do Korea 

• September 21-23 rd FIABCI Leadership 

Retreat in Aspen, Colorado 

• October 17-20 th UN Habitat III in 

Quito, Equador 

• Nov. 11-17 th Trade Mission to Curacao 

Visit: https://fiabciusamember.site-ym. 

com/group/9. Contact Chicago Chapter 

President, Patrick Ryan, with any questions 

or inquiries: patrick.ryan@related.com. 

Women’s Council of REALTORS ® 

— WCR Chicago 

WCR Chicago would like to thank you all 

for participating in our events the past 

few months. We have been having a blast 

bringing fantastic programming and 

networking opportunities to some of the 

hottest venues in town! 


• Wednesday, June 15 th — 

Mindset for Success 

• Thursday, August 11 th — 

Successful Women 

• September — Members Only Event 

Interested in being a WCR Chicago Board 

Member? Please contact Sarah Ware, 

President, at sarah@warerealtygroup.com. 

We’d love to have you! And stay in touch 

with us at www.wcr.org/chapter-sites/ 

illinois/chicago/. 

Meet Our Incredible 2016 Board of Directors! 

Are you a REALTOR ® who loves animals? REALTORS ® to the Rescue is looking for you. 

Visit www.RealtorstotheRescue.org to become a member, volunteer, get info on 

becoming a sponsor and learn about and register for upcoming events! 

DEBBIE MAUE 

President/Executive Director 

KOURTNEY N. MURRAY 

Director of Marketing 

& Communications 

SARI LEVY 

Director 

Upon joining, youʼll quickly become a part of a giving and selfless community where we: 

• Support over 35 local pet rescues & shelters 

• Have given away over $ 30,000 this year alone, with our goal being $ 75,000 for 2016! 

• Host Adoption Events, Yappy Hours, Cubs Outings & our Black Tie Gala 

• Are a resource for REALTORS ® and the Community 

Additionally, join us for our pet-friendly, 

black tie optional Wagging Hearts Gala on 

Saturday, October 15. 

GLYNNIS JOHNSON 

Secretary 

ALEX FRAHER 

Treasurer & 

Director of Finance 

DEBORAH LACHMAN 

Director of 

Events 

NIKKI DʼOTTAVIO 

Director of 

Membership & Volunteers 

TANYA HAMILTON 

Director of 

Shelter & Rescue 

TERRIE WHITTAKER 

Director of 

Strategic Planning 


Dan Wagner, the Inland Real Estate Group, 

with Josh Weinberg and Tommy Choi, 

Weinberg Choi Realty 

Jan Kupiec, Rebecca Cleal 

and Heather Lally, Baird & Warner 

Maria Vanegas and Eddie Garcia, 

Realty of Chicago 

Antje Gehrken, A.R.E. Partners, Rebecca Thomson, 

@properties, Nykea Pippion-McGriff, Dream Town Realty, 

Mario DiLorenzo, Keller Williams Chiago-O’Hare, 

Sarah Ware, Ware Realty, Ginger Downs, C.A.R., 

and Matt Farrell, Urban Real Estate 

Luis Ortiz, RE/MAX Partners, 

Ricardo Morales and Alejandro Trujillo, 

REM/AX 10 Lincoln Park 

Joseph Dixon, EXIT Strategy Realty, 

and Destiny Dixon 

2015 C.A.R. SALES AWARDS 

Megan Trubich, Mary Egebrecht, 

and Katie Roberts, BHHS KoenigRubloff 

Patrick O’Dwyer and Anna Zykina, 

Private Holding Brokerage, with guests 

Marie O’Dwyer and Mike Arrington 

Sam Powell, Dream Town Realty and 

Evelyn Fred, Baird & Warner 

SPONSORED BY: 


Photos by Marcello Rodarte 

Luke Savitch, Bill Volpe, Anthony Disano, Carolyn Gonzalez 

and Victoria Larionova, Parkvue Realty Corporation 

Mayra Rubio, Neighborhood Loans, 

Sonia Anaya, America Real Estate, 

Ivette Hollendoner, Keller Williams Preferred 

Realty, and Leticia Andrade, Related Realty 

Milli Frick, Katrina Williams and 

David Thomas, Dream Spots Leasing, Inc. 

Sam Powell, Dream Town Realty, 

and Kelly Price, Wintrust Mortgage 

Gaspar Flores Sr., Gloria Flores, and 

Gaspar Flores Jr., Su Familia Real Estate 

John Sackett and John Schaefer, 

RE/MAX Synergy 

Dan Wagner, the Inland Real Estate Group, 

with Janet Owen, BHHS KoenigRubloff 

Joe Castillo, Jose Castillo, Maria Castillo, 

Joaquin Garcia, Rosie Garcia and 

Erika Villegas, ERA Mi Casa Real Estate 

Reno Manuele, Neighborhood Loans, 

Gloria Ulloa, RE/MAX 10, and 

Tony Ameti, Neighborhood Loans, 

Maria Munoz, Keller Williams Preferred 

Realty and Nazira Mussri, iLoan 

Lisa Sanders and Mike Saladino, 

Dream Town Realty, and Sarah Saladino 


Stephanie Lavelle, Suzana Giginilliat, Chuck Goro, 

Grace Goro and Julia Brenner, Coldwell Banker Residential 

Michael Mazzei and Katie Roberts, 

BHHS KoenigRubloff 

Kevin Van Eck and Kevin Rocio, @properties 

2015 C.A.R. SALES AWARDS 

Jason Shapiro, Rising Realty LLC, Frank Montro, 

Keller Williams Preferred Realty, Coya Smith, Smith Partners & 

Associates, and Anthony Disano, Parkvue Realty Corporation 

Barbara Lyons and Bob Eby, 

Century 21 Affiliated 

Jennifer Ames, Coldwell Banker Residential, 

Joanne Nemerovski, BHHS KoenigRubloff 

and Emily Sachs Wong, @properties 

Alex Haralambakis, Jennifer Hosey and 

Juany Honeycutt, Related Realty 

Michelle Bobart, Guaranteed Rate, Sarah Ricci, Amy Duong-Kim, 

Judy Gibbons, Erica Swansey and Beth Allen-Tiernan, Jameson Sotheby’s 


Brad Lippitz, BHHS KoenigRubloff and 

Millie Rosenbloom, Baird & Warner

Norma Perez, Barry Paoli, and 

Lydia Gutierrez, Century 21 McMullen 

Amy Galvin, Aaron Galvin, Jill Casey, Darrell Scott 

and Tamara Hirsch, Luxury Living Chicago 

Carolyn Sutton, LaShandria Sanderson 

and Synitta Thomas, Chicago Realty 

Thomas Rubin, Fulton Grace Realty, 

Tricia Brouwers, Wintrust Mortgage, 

Gary Richter, Related Realty, and 

Robert Curtis, Wintrust Mortgage 

Ryan Skaggs, Wintrust Mortgage, Josh Lipton 

and Melanie Giglio-Vakos, Jameson Sotheby’s, 

Bob Shield, Wintrust Mortgage 

Cecelia Marlow, The Federal Savings Bank, 

Tasha Jarrett, Keller Williams Preferred Realty, 

and Pam Jones, The Federal Savings Bank 

Darlene Little and Amanda Austin, 

BHHS KoenigRubloff 

Mickey Hobson and 

Maggie Buchmiller, 

Americorp Real Estate 

Earick Rayburn, 

Rayburn Realty, and 

Nikki Gardnera, 

Neil Hackler, Seng Phosaraj and 

Jim Roth, Real Living City Residential 

Chris Pezza and Andrea Miller, 

Miller Real Estate 

Aaron Share, Jennifer Mills Klatt, Mary Egebrecht 

and Luke Jorwic, BHHS KoenigRubloff 

Matt Silver and Michael Emery, 

Urban Real Estate 

Photos by Lex Alexander Photography and LANE Media & Productions 


Photo by Marcello Rodarte 

133 rd Annual 

Inaugural Gala 

September 14, 2016 

RADISSON BLU 


events 

calendar 

June 

July 

August 

September 

YPN Breakfast 

6/29 

Manny's Deli 

Mid-Year Market 

Outlook, an RPAC 

Fundraiser 

6/30 

Old Crow Smokehouse 

109 th Annual 

Golf Outing 

7/14 

Ruffled Feathers 

Commercial 

Forum Breakfast 

7/19 

Maggiano's 

YPN Breakfast 

7/27 

Manny's Deli 

SWCR: Executive 

Women in 

Construction 

8/11 

Morton's The Steakhouse 

Member 

Outreach/Annual 

Business Meeting 

8/17 

DePaul Student Center 

YPN Breakfast 

8/31 

Manny's Deli 

GA Property 

Management 

Public Policy 

Breakfast 

9/9 

T.B.D. 

133 rd Annual 

Inaugural Gala 

9/14 

Radisson Blu 


www.ChicagoREALTOR.com

DESIGNATIONS 

elleeeenaieeciali 7/6 – 7/7 

ccediedueeeenaie 8/4 – 8/5 

PicinaedioP 7/8 or 9/9 

HOT TOPICS 

ncoePoenali 9/14 – 9/15 

oadaoaanacion 9/22 

aleillWoo 9/16 

DON’T FORGET! 

eainen ouenealeuieenaedueul 

uadennialiceuieenueec 7/26 or 8/23 

anainoeouPeiceninoue 8/29 – 8/31 

eistrations may e ompleted at 


the 

We Hear You! 

e 

Tweet 

Tweet 

Tweet 

Much Shelist Law 

ucelia 

Real Estate Atty Molly Phelan 

comments on property tax 

appeals on behalf of 

@ChicagoREALTORS in 

@chicagotribune: 

when yo he in eres what yove een sharin 

5H 

aceooeie 

Out&About 

}Thank you! 

Syed Ahmed & Rob Rosmis 

Barbara O’Connor &Co 

onnoeon 

#TopProducer Award for our 

Team’s 2015 Sales @chicago 

realtors #chicagorealestate 

#weloverealestate 

#weloveourclients 

iniceei 

Twinning game SO strong this 

week at Chicago Association 

of Realtors. #canadiantuxedo 

#flannelalldayeveryday 

#theydontknowme 

#diaryofacrazyRealtor 

daidiia 

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood. 

Decent walk to school this 

morning #bigshoulders 

eell 

In the boardroom. Planning events 

for our #YPN members. 

#ChicagoRealtor #chiproperties 

#chicago #realestate 

#realestateagent #downtown 

#volunteer 

> Ana Ramirez attending 

2015 Sales Awards Event with 

Maggie Antillon-Matthews and 

Eduardo Garcia and 132 others 

at The Drake Hotel. Amazing 2015 

Sales Awards Celebration to the 

Top Producers!! #‎Congratulations 

‎#‎RealtyofChicago #‎AnayourRealtor 

#‎ROC‎‎‎ 

icao icao icaoociaiono

Summer 2016 CR Magazine

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