Our annual survey of agents on salaries, brokerages, business practices, industry trends and more reflects a market like no one has ever seen.

“The drop in rates not only opened up the market at a time when buyers are more inclined to wait for the economy to improve, but it also freed up spending for a lot of homeowners who didn’t anticipate this sudden influx of cash.”

In this issue, you’ll get a look at the agents who, above all the odds and hardships of 2020, came out on top.

“In this issue, we rounded up strategies from three Chicagoland real estate agents who are personal experts in business planning, and who other agents in their respective offices turn to.”

And in looking ahead to 2021, we’ve asked the Chicagoland real estate experts about their expert predictions — from a new presidency to COVID-19 (hopefully) being contained, what can buyers and sellers expect?

In this issue, we asked three managing brokers what it means to be a leader in 2020.

In this issue, you’ll get to learn about just a few of the many wonderful charities and organizations within the Chicagoland community that agents support.

“In 10 days of voting, we received a record-breaking 65,000 votes cast, and every single finalist, and winner, should be proud of their hard work, accomplishments and determination throughout this year. In short, we all deserve a pat on the back.” — Lauren Green, Broker, Main Street Real Estate Group

“For our cover story, we heard from three rookie agents who gave us insight into their backgrounds, how they came to be agents, and the challenges — and opportunities — that being a rookie agent in 2020 hold.”

“The bar must be constantly raised, and that begins with setting client expectations and stressing the value of the partnership between the agent and the client.”

“From the perspective of agents, brokerages and venture capitalist firms alike, our cover story discusses which tools agents should use on a day-to-day basis, as well as how tech companies decide to leverage investments.”

“Creating new housing has become more expensive over the past few decades, with costs for land, labor, materials and regulatory compliance continually rising.”

While this year has been unlike any other in recent memory, it underscores that fact that those who succeed in real estate tend to be the people who find a way to thrive no matter what the market is like. The best in the industry know how to adapt and meet the challenges ahead.

“If the coronavirus pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we can’t really predict the near-term future with certitude.”

“When you’re investing in something you love, it’s like you’re investing in yourself.”

From customer relationship management to transaction tracking to marketing campaigns, there are many tasks real estate professionals need to undertake, and the tools that have been built to tackle them don’t always work for every agent, or even every brokerage.