Home starts are up; residential construction in the Chicagoland market has seen a massive cash injection this year; and Chicagoland new home construction is at its highest level in seven years, according to Metrostudy. But while starts are on

Nearly half of Chicago adults spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Seventy-three percent think that housing affordability is a serious problem. And 67 percent believe it is harder to find stable, affordable housing today than

Code violations happen. They do not have to, though, and the better the understanding builders have of each violation and its cause, the better their chances of avoiding them. The National Association of Home Builders released a survey of

What are today’s new homebuyers looking for? A multitude of factors influence the designs, features and materials consumers want. Here are eight trends agents should watch out for and be ready to sell in 2016. According to the American

When Alex Lange was named president and CEO of UpstreamRE, the broker-owned company aiming to greatly simplify the data management process for real estate professionals, he came with extensive experience in both the tech and real estate worlds. A

We surveyed local agents to learn what they think about MRED: what they like, what they dislike, and what features they think the system is missing. Here is a sampling of the anonymous responses: And here are some thoughts

It’s been more than 18 months since Rebecca Jensen took the helm of MRED as its president and CEO. “From the moment I accepted the president/CEO role at MRED, I was excited by the challenge of assuming the leadership

What are agents allowed to say in their listing descriptions? There actually are no specific rules dictating what a real estate agent can and can’t include in an MLS listing, for the simple reason that there doesn’t need to

Some real estate agents may prefer to see themselves as educators or “matchmakers” instead of salespeople – after all, the term conjures up images of used-car salesmen and door-to-door vacuum peddlers – but when all is said and done,

1. Greet the client and develop rapport – Help the client get comfortable with you. Build trust through authentic interactions. 2. Ask qualifying questions – Ask about what the client is looking for, their financial situation, buying motivation, and timeframe. 3.

The rolodex and three-martini lunch may be things of the past, but there are plenty of tried and true sales tactics that many agents still use today in some form. Which are still alive in 2016? Cold calling Habits

Below are just a few of the questions agents need to ask to assess potential clients’ current situation, motivation, and timeline. How long have you been looking for a new home? How soon do you hope to move? Have

In the real estate business, agents have to strike a balance between engaging clients on a personal level and employing the sales tactics that will get a home sold. We asked Brian Rayl, a Realtor with Keller Williams who

In real estate, the barrier to entry is low. Newly licensed agents are released into the world with the state’s blessing to sell real estate, but many of them lack practical, important knowledge about building up a successful real

Boosting credibility with designations and certifications can certainly impress clients. But how much do those designations, which require investments of agents’ time and money, really impact their business? Do more designations translate into more income? We took a survey

Over the course of their real estate career, agents will work with many real estate professionals. Some will know what they are doing…and others may not. Encountering low-quality agents is a frustrating experience, but one that any agent can