By Constance Y. Antoniou, Broker/Owner Hunter’s Fairway Sotheby’s International Realty When I was looking into the possibility of starting my own boutique real estate brokerage, I had to decide if I should go it alone as an independent or

By Jane Glenn, Broker, RE/MAX Northern Illinois I received my real estate license in 1988, and in 1990 I joined RE/MAX – and I’m still with them today, 20 years later. RE/MAX has always been the company that suits

By Hugh Siler, Real Living Whether it’s a startup company or an established firm, what sets real estate franchisor Real Living apart is that it looks for companies with a passionate desire to help their agents create and deliver

Q&A with Anthony Gambino, Broker Associate, MSK Realty How long have you been in the real estate industry? Since 2005 How long have you been a Realtor? 5 years How long as a broker? 3 years How much time

Q&A with Mike and Eve Del Monte, Owners of Prosumer Real Estate Chicago Agent: How long have you had your own company? Mike Del Monte: We formed the appraisal company in 1989. We went on our own for real

By Dare Messina, Agent, L.W. Reedy Real Estate I joined RE/MAX in Elmhurst as a newly licensed Realtor in 1987. At the time, RE/MAX was on the cutting edge as a new model and culture which allowed Realtors to

FRANCHISE VS. GOING IT ALONE For Realtors today, the options are vast in terms of which company to join ­— if they’d like to join a company at all. Some agents, such as Jane Glenn with RE/MAX, prefer the

For our State of the Market Issue, we wanted to hear what CA readers think about what’s going on in the real estate industry right now. We had an overwhelming response to our survey, some with positive thoughts, while

The signs are out there that the market is about to take a turn for the better. Offices are busier and more and more houses are being sold. The following pages highlight thoughts, opinions and tips from industry leaders

Chicagoland is filled with eager citizens doing their best to help save our environment for generations to come. From green roofs to recycling, a large variety of projects and offices are chipping in to go

“Going green” has become a common phrase in recent years, though people toss it around without really comprehending all the aspects. Many in the real estate industry, however, have a solid understanding of the eco movement and are going

Recovery Q&A with Peter Grist, Senior Economist, National Association of Home Builders What is the main difference that you see in the industry this year, compared to previous years? From the peak in 2005 to the bottom in early

Recovery Q&A with Michael Fratantoni, Vice President of Research and Economics What is the main difference that you see in the industry this year, compared to previous years? Underwriting standards have tightened and lenders are requiring borrowers have a

Recovery Q&A with Dr. Geoffrey J.D. Hewings, Interim Head for the Department of Economics at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign What is the main difference that you see in the real estate industry this year, compared to previous

REAL ESTATE EXPERTS SOUND OFF You can pose the question of “have we recovered?” to 100 Realtors and receive 100 different answers. The fact of the matter is that no one knows for sure if we are on the

By John Shaterian In March of 2009, a small group of Chicagoland Realtors came together to form a grassroots effort to bring about market differentiation for green properties. Known as the Sustainable Real Estate Alliance, the objective was to