The recent legal settlement involving the National Association of REALTORS® continues to be the talk of the industry. I know it was a central discussion point at MRED’s recent owners meeting in Oak Brook.

In order to learn more about how local associations view the settlement and the uncertainties in the industry, Chicago Agent hosted a discussion with the CEOs of three of the area’s prominent real estate associations: Michelle Mills Clement of the Chicago Association of REALTORS®, John Gormley of the Mainstreet Organization of REALTORS® and Jeff Lasky of the North Shore-Barrington Association of REALTORS®. Senior Editor Emily Mack’s report covers the landscape of that enlightening discussion.

While the settlement is top of mind, the market keeps moving, and this month we take a closer look at the luxury segment, specifically how agents can climb into the luxury category. For answers, we turned to luxury real estate experts Megan McCleary of the McCleary Group at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Rafael Murillo of RM Luxury Group at COMPASS, and Jennifer Zimmerman of Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty. Their advice serves as a roadmap to carving a niche in the luxury category.

Speaking of luxury, you will find several luxury-focused agents in our first installment of 2024 Real Data. I always enjoy seeing which agents and offices are starting off the year on a high note. Be sure to check it out for yourself.

There’s plenty more to find in this issue, including Rose Morrison’s report on buying property with crypto. Please enjoy the magazine and reach out if you have a topic you would like us to explore in a future issue.