Every month, Realtor association leaders write in to Chicago Agent to share their thoughts about not only the market but the realtor community at large. Many of these contributors come from the Chicagoland area, but others chime in from across the nation. See which items caught our readers’ eyes in 2022.

No. 1: The case for building starter homes

NAHB Chairman Jerry Konter discussed the potential opportunities of smaller starter homes amid the nation’s affordability crisis. “Smaller, more affordable homes would meet the needs of a large portion of the market amid the nation’s affordability crisis,” he said.

No. 2: A 2022 real estate forecast

“Expect strong housing demand to continue and prices to increase, although both will likely moderate over the next 12 months,” then-incoming NAR President Leslie Rouda Smith wrote at the start of lasy year.

No. 3: Making the American Dream happen: It’s Who We Are

“REALTORS® sell the value of homeownership … and that makes us unique,” wrote Illinois REALTORS® CEO Jeff Baker, reflecting on the growing need for affordable housing.

No. 4: Chicagoland real estate’s brave new world

Jeff Lasky, CEO of North Shore-Barrington Association of REALTORS®, wrote about shifts in the post-pandemic industry. “The real estate world is discovering that some of our ‘temporary’ changes may be more permanent than we once imagined — and that’s not necessarily bad for us or for our clients,” he said.

No. 5: Statistics, Statistics, Statistics

Jim Haisler, CEO of Heartland REALTOR® Organization, got into the nitty-gritty of real estate statistics in his piece. He also discussed his favorites: percent of original list price received and month’s supply of inventory.