When I recently stood to be inaugurated as president of Illinois REALTORS®, many of you and your colleagues asked me the same question: “Are you ready?” My answer was simple: Yes. 

But even more importantly, we are ready. 

• Ready to confront what could be a complicated 2026 real estate market.  

• Ready to support property owners seeking clarity in uncertain times. 

• Ready to strengthen the professionalism and resilience of Realtors in Chicago and across Illinois. 

I’ve served multiple terms on the Illinois REALTORS® Board of Directors, completed the Leadership Development Program and served on over a dozen state committees, but stepping into this role today feels especially meaningful. Illinois REALTORS® is an organization built on extraordinary service to its members, advocacy and high ethical standards. And in 2026, our members need those pillars fulfilled more than ever. We will do so.  

A market entering a new phase — and a new kind of pressure on Realtors 

Real estate in 2026 will continue to be shaped by tight inventory, evolving compensation models, policy shifts and a surge in fraud targeting both Realtors and property owners.  

In other words, this is not a market where agents can or should go it alone. In 2026, Illinois REALTORS® will double down on what agents need most: forms, education, advocacy and strong local partnerships. 

Forms, tools and member benefits tailored for today’s transactions 

One of the first questions I hear from members is, “How do I protect myself and my clients right now?” 

The answer begins with the right forms and the right guidance. 

In 2026, Illinois REALTORS® will continue to deliver: 

• The most updated statewide forms aligned with the ever-evolving transaction landscape (including some much-asked-for new statewide forms). 

• Enhanced member benefits that improve safety, professionalism, marketing and client service. 

• Member communications platforms, from our legal hotline to DR Legal and weekly email publications, to statewide conferences that keep every member updated on changing legal, ethical and procedural standards as well as real estate and consumer scams. 

Advocacy: your invisible safety net 

Some of the most important work your Illinois REALTORS® association does is the work many of our members don’t always see. 

Illinois is facing a critical housing shortage, making homeownership less attainable and driving up rents across the state. Illinois REALTORS® has been advocating policies that expand housing options, reduce unnecessary costs and promote fairness in housing regulations. We have also been working with state and local elected officials to help first-time homebuyers, increase missing-middle housing and reform restrictive zoning.  

In the Chicagoland area just in the past two years, Illinois REALTORS® has: 

• Helped beat back a $300 million property tax hike that would have devastated commercial recovery. 

• Fought the effort to impose a citywide transfer-tax increase that threatened to lock in high vacancies and slow housing mobility. 

• Defeated a proposal to impose a 600% increase in suburban-Cook County transfer taxes. 

• Opposed legislation that would intensify long-term pension obligations and push property taxes even higher. 

In 2026, Illinois REALTORS® will continue our laser-like focus on affordability and availability, especially filling the missing middle housing that Illinois desperately needs. We’ve made progress at City Hall and in Springfield, but the year ahead demands an even stronger push. 

That’s why we’re launching local housing supply accelerators across the state, including in Chicago-area communities. These initiatives will bring Realtors to the table with local elected officials to remove barriers to construction, reduce permitting delays and demonstrate the economic and social value of homeownership. 

This is grassroots advocacy at its best — and I’m honored to help lead it. 

As a longtime supporter of the REALTORS® Political Action Committee and a 2023 inductee into the RPAC Hall of Fame, I’ve seen firsthand how critical this advocacy is. RPAC gives us the strength to protect your business, your clients and your community. 

The work ahead: Restoring hope in a challenging market 

This year, we will show every Illinois Realtor that their association has the grit, discipline and heart to fight for them. That we are not retreating — we are advancing. That we will continue creating opportunities, championing homeownership and advocating for policies that strengthen your communities. 

For every agent in Chicago reading this, know that Illinois REALTORS® is right there with you, I am with you, ready to navigate these uncharted waters. Together, with grit and hope, we will prove: The best days for our communities, our industry and the American Dream of homeownership are still ahead. 

Jeff Kolbus is the 2026 president of Illinois REALTORS®.