By Dione Spiteri 1. Understand Guidelines Lenders and banks are the only authorized parties to order appraisals, either directly from appraisers or through appraisal management companies. Appraisers are required by lenders and AMC’s to provide at least two closed

With so many questions swirling around the industry today in regards to the ever-changing mortgage landscape, we decided to hand the keyboard over to Chicago Agent readers. In our cover story, 10 different agents posed a question to their

It’s a brand new year and optimism is high among Chicagoland agents and brokers. So what’s on the horizon for your 2010? A fresh start, a new niche, back to basics? Any and all of those tactics can make

One of the unique things about the real estate industry is that one agent cannot do the job without help from others along the way. Agents work with dozens of different affiliates on a daily basis, from lenders to

You may think that only certain personality types have the drive or ambition to achieve the heights that the top agents reach. But anyone can do it – if they know the secret. Of course you have to know

Most real estate agents with any amount of ambition strive to reach the level of top producer, but it isn’t easy, especially in a competitive market like Chicagoland. Rising to those ranks takes hard work, perseverance and integrity, but

From V8, I3 Cover Story: HOW TO MAKE A GREAT LISTING PRESENTATION IN 2011 So, how are your skills? Read the answers below to see if you’re on the right track to getting a great track record with clients: 1. Some

Welcome to our first annual Year in Review issue. This brand-new, year-end issue of Chicago Agent magazine is designed to catch our readers up on everything that happened inside the industry (and outside) in 2009. This was a whirlwind

For our Best Offices issue, Chicago Agent found the most happening places to work in the Chicagoland area. These real estate offices in both the city and the suburbs have discovered how to be fun and exciting, while still

By Maia Benson We are all familiar with the fact that the foreclosure ratios that plague our city are significant. What results from these dramatic foreclosure numbers is that rehabilitation of this foreclosure housing product provides for the only

By Darhiana Mateo Realtors looking for help navigating Chicago’s multicultural housing market have a great resource at their disposal. The At Home with Diversity designation is a four-hour course offered by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) designed to

By Deborah Hess In the current economy, many of us in the real estate industry are taking a second look at our business practices in an effort to refine and improve our methods for generating new business, and how

The “city of neighborhoods” is home to a thriving, and ever-expanding, multicultural market. As the local real estate terrain shifts, real estate professionals who keep an open mind, arm themselves with the necessary tools and commit to cultivating a

The people have spoken once again, and this is what they have to say: the following 17 companies and projects are the best of the best in the Chicagoland real estate industry. 

Chicago Agent’s fourth annual Agents’ Choice Awards

While some aspects of the real estate market may be more difficult, lower home prices represent a golden opportunity for agents and consumers willing to venture into the market. However, the challenge still remains as to how to convince

To remain successful in today’s market, agents must concentrate on taking their business to the next level. We’ve compiled a plethora of information from various sources to show you the many ways that a simple agent can rise through