It’s that time of year again —— the holidays, of course. It seems like 2020 has flown by, and despite a hectic year (to say the least), this time of year is my favorite. And even though I will be staying at home and unable to see my family for Thanksgiving this year because of the pandemic, I still love the twinkling holiday lights, Christmas music and this year’s Starbucks holiday cups (don’t judge me). And my family is just a Zoom call away.

I love Thanksgiving and the holidays because it always reminds me to truly pause and think about what matters — giving thanks, and being thankful for what we have. And so when it came time to put together Chicago Agent magazine’s “Giving Back” issue, I was thrilled. The real estate community is one of the most generous and dynamic, and when agents aren’t working, they’re often helping to make their communities a better place.

Developers, lenders, brokerage teams and individuals all have their own special causes they support, whether it’s through donations or their time. And in this issue, you’ll get to learn about just a few of the many wonderful charities and organizations within the Chicagoland community that agents support.

Besides the holidays, the first half of November has also been busy with the Virtual 2020 Relators Conference & Expo. With so many interesting sessions, I’d love to hear about what you’ve learned — and how you are helping to support your community. Send me a note at will.mendelson@agentpublishing.com.