After years of historically low interest rates helped buoy the housing market across much of the country, 2018 is shaping up to be something of a change of pace for the mortgage lending industry. A booming economy will likely

Like a mathematician, film director or NFL quarterback, Matt Difanis, the 2018 president of Illinois Realtors, takes a tremendous amount of pride in determining a unique angle in order to find the best result. “I approach my new role

Given the swirling tides of today’s real estate landscape — from the economy and tax reform to local market conditions — agents need to be alert and stay informed, says Ian Robinson, board president of the North Shore-Barrington Association

Every new year brings changes to the way real estate agents conduct business. That may mean new state regulations or updates to ethical codes that govern transactions and interactions between agents and their clients. 2018 is no different, as

The recently passed tax law could have a significant impact on Chicagoland homeowners, which in turn would affect agents, lenders and contractors. The law would reduce the amount of mortgage interest that homebuyers can deduct from their taxes. It

Last year, many of the participants in our 2017 predictions issue expressed confidence in the Chicagoland real estate market, citing increased housing demand and favorable market conditions. Twelve months later, the U.S. economy continues to see low unemployment and

There’s one way for an agent to ensure that they don’t have to work with another agent during a transaction: they can represent both sides of the transaction. Dual agency, as this method is called, can allow an agent

    More responses: “Getting them to realize we are both wanting the same things, and to be friendly and amicable is always the best way.” “It all starts with the broker/owner providing better training.” “We need to tighten

Much has been written about the importance of agents having a good relationship with their clients — but what about the relationship between agents? Whether representing the buyer or the seller, an agent must be able to work with

We surveyed our readers about their opinions on what they look for in a managing broker and how their careers are influenced by their current

Recruiting the best real estate agents poses a constant challenge to managing brokers. Whether it means bringing brand-new agents on board or finding candidates with years of experience, managing brokers need to be able to attract agents who are

Recruiting the right agents is essential to a brokerage’s success, but it’s not easy. Managing brokers run the risk of losing valuable candidates if their recruitment process is missing important details. Here are five mistakes brokers make in recruiting: