• By Dan Provost • In today’s real estate market, new homes are far less common than they were just five years ago. The homes that are being built today tend to come with their own unique flavor. The

GREEN IS TRENDY, BUT IS IT PROFITABLE? • By Dan Provost • Consumers may say that they want to live in green homes. They may say they’d like bamboo flooring, energy efficient windows and even geothermal heating and cooling

By Lauren Finkler Chicago is synonymous with is great architecture — and many of those buildings in Chicago also have a dedication to environmental awareness. With the heavy pedestrian, automobile and bicycle traffic throughout the streets, recycling simply isn’t

By Zipporah Porton Everywhere you look, people are doing their part to help the environment. From a simple surge in recycling to complete LEED-rated buildings, Chicago has stepped up its efforts to save the environment, too. In addition to

By Stephanie Sims With Silver, Gold and Platinum LEED certifications becoming considerably popular, and “green” environmentally conscious features becoming affordable through programs such as CNT Energy’s Green and Healthy Homes (see p.14), the homes, developments and features that fall

By Stephanie Sims With all the attention energy efficient appliances are getting, it’s not only something buyers might be conscious of when buying new homes, it’s something homeowners in existing homes are now thinking about. How can they make

Becoming a Green Resource Jacquie Lewis of Coldwell Banker in Highland Park has two segments of buyers. The first is focused on finances and how they can save money, while the second wants to purchase a home that won’t

• By Dan Provost • Donna Iwamoto, associate broker with the New Buffalo, Mich., office of Prudential Rubloff Properties, has sold second homes to Chicagoans and others hoping to escape to the lakefront areas of Harbor Country, Mich., for

Who is making headway in the real estate industry in 2011? Who are the people whose names you should know, because they are making names for themselves this year? We’ve got the names of movers, shakers and powerful industry leaders all here – click through to see who they are.

By Brian Salgado An Expert in Chicago and Hawaii Markets As a top producer and high-end luxury agent for Coldwell Banker, Jennifer Ames is an expert on the competitive residential market throughout the Chicago area. However, when local clients

Where do Chicago buyers choose to get away? By Stephanie Sims With harsh winters and hot, sticky summers, Chicagoland residents often want somewhere to escape to. But the big question is: where to? Chicago Agent asked Maria Davies, president

To Henry Sakowski, the formula is simple: to be considered a top managing broker, you have to recruit the best real estate agents to your brokerage. But to recruit these top producers, you have to be a top managing broker.

Managing brokers have a tough job. Not only do they put on a calm front while handling whatever issues come their way, but they need to act as a guide to their agents. Now, more than ever, agents need leaders. Here are the top qualities every managing broker should strive to possess:

What are the biggest issues facing the real estate industry today, and how can the industry work together to start fixing these issues? We asked readers what the biggest issues are and how they can be solved. Want to know what Chicagoland agents think needs to be done to help get the industry back on track?

By Stephanie Sims What do agents wish for, besides a perfect housing market, credit rules back to normal as opposed to stringent and world peace? Here are a few Chicagoland agents’ wish lists. If we work together to fix

Big-time luxury agents deal with the finer things in real estate — multi-million dollar estates, the finest finishings, sprawling lawns in some of the ritziest suburban neighborhoods and some of the highest high rises that offer the best views