We tend to only know what’s around us, or what is local to us. So when it comes to Realtor associations, many agents don’t realize that there are more than just the association they are members of. Or maybe they’ve heard of a few others, but they’re not sure how that association is different from the one they are members of. But it’s important to know how each association compares to another, because agents can join any association they want.

Does that surprise you? Many agents don’t know that no matter where they are based, they can join absolutely any association.

For this issue, Chicago Agent took an in-depth look at all the local Realtor associations, including the Chicago Association of Realtors, the Mainstreet Organization of Realtors, the Three Rivers Association of Realtors in Joliet, the Realtor Association of the Fox Valley in Geneva, the Oak Park Area Association of Realtors and Heartland Realtor Organization in Crystal Lake. We compared association staffs, costs and benefits, and hopefully after reading our cover story, you can make a more informed decision as to which association is best for you.

Hopefully you’ve heard, but we launched Real Data 2012, our digital residential reference pages, on Jan. 9. Real Data reports the top agents and brokerages by sales volume of 2012. Did you make it among the top 20 agents in your county? Or do you work for one of the top 20 brokerages in Chicagoland? I have to say, the numbers this year were astounding. Congratulations to everyone who made it! Check out the numbers and see.