This is the second time I’ve been a part of our special Agents’ Choice Awards issue. Last year’s issue popped up just a few months after I had started with the magazine, so I didn’t really appreciate what the awards and the winners meant. There were some familiar names and buildings, but on the whole I just concentrated on getting the magazine done and making sure everything was spelled correctly.
This year, our Agents’ Awards issue is a whole different story for me. Over the past year I’ve gotten to know many of our readers, and some of our award winners I’ve been in contact with since my first days on the job. As we tallied up the thousands of ballots for the awards, I was able to truly get excited about the results. Some of the margins were slim, while some won by a landslide, and I found myself surprised and pleased as the winners began to emerge. The anticipation was high, because as we made our calculations, various candidates contacted us a number of times to find out if they had indeed been selected as a winner (you know who you are).
One of the greatest things about being honored with an Agents’ Choice Award, is that the winners are selected by you, our readers. Unlike some awards where a stuffy panel of “experts” makes a decision based on their own personal feelings, our awards are chosen by the real live experts who are in the thick of the industry right now. Thanks to all of you who took the time to vote for your favorites!
The wait is finally over, so turn to page 22 and take a look Chicagoland’s winners this year, from the industry’s favorite architect to the best value in the city and suburbs. These are the companies and projects that had people talking all year long, and now they are being rewarded for their hard work and effort.
Don’t forget as you flip through the awards pages that all of these winners were decided by you the reader. If you see that someone is missing, then you better make sure to cast your vote next year.
Zipporah Porton is senior editor of Chicago Agent and Miami Agent magazines. A native of Champaign, she has been writing professionally for more than 10 years. In additon to a Masters in Fine Arts degree in playwriting from the University of Southern California, Zipporah brings both enthusiasm for the real estate industry and rich publishing experience. Send comments and questions to zipporah@chicago.staging312.com.