At Chicago Agent magazine, we strive 365 days a year to bring you the best information to help build your business, and while we solicit input year-round, every April we get to see a blueprint of the local industry as defined by you, the reader. Our annual Truth About Agents survey never fails to reveal long-term trends that we’ve seen over time, as well as market adjustments in response to current events. It’s always a treat to see which of the dozens of statistics we track have changed and hear your thoughts on what it all means.

Some of the big takeaways this year include stats showing that more than three-quarters (79%) of managing brokers would like to grow their staff within the next year. Last year, that statistic was just 59%. Perhaps it’s the hot market making managing brokers realize they could stand to use a little help. Sixty percent of agents said they made at least six figures over the last year, up from 42% the previous year. These are just a few of the industry trends we’re seeing in this year’s survey. We also delve into changes in demographics, clients, teams, new construction, marketing and so much more.

This month’s issue goes beyond the data in our Real Issues feature, which tackles the issue of affordability, and the lack thereof, in many cities across the nation. We speak with agents and lenders in a number of markets to learn how agents are helping to guide not only clients but public policy that could help solve the affordability crisis. We also hear this month from real estate coach Dirk Zeller on the concept of getting back to the fundamentals of the real estate business, and our Technically Speaking column gives the lowdown on incorporating a virtual assistant into your workflow. See something in the issue that resonates with your experience in the trenches? We’d love to hear all about it. Contact us at Tim.Inklebarger@agentpublishing.com.