“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.

“Chicago is my home, and I plan to be here to help it rebuild. Thankfully, the real estate industry can be part of the path back to economic stability, and it can also help start important conversations about equity in homeownership and representation in our city.”

What have we learned, and how are we going to use that knowledge to improve our industry, our neighborhoods and our region?

“If you’re looking to be part of that unforgettable experience — with the added benefit of being less forgettable when it comes time to sell — this issue is for you.”

“Let’s put aside our reticence and engage in some real talk about gentrification.”

“I encourage you to check in with the brokers in our cover story, who are taking a longer view on the luxury market.”

“We gathered some great insights and advice from Chicagoland brokers who had been using open houses to expand their business, get qualified leads and even sell properties, and who will continue to do so once this pandemic is behind us.”

“Even in these chaotic days, it’s still important to take the long view. We need to know how the lives of agents and managing brokers have changed in the past year, not just the past month.”

When life is back to some semblance of normal, agents will still have to contend with listing aggregators, antitrust challenges, discount brokerages and other disruptors. We want you to be ready for it. That’s why we’re bringing you the latest in terms of how these challenges will impact you and the industry you know and love.

“Midwesterners are practical people at heart, and though we haven’t always been the best stewards of the environment, we know the difference between stormy weather and a tweetstorm.”

“The brokers we spoke to for our feature on solo top producers have varying strategies for tackling the multitude of tasks involved in being a top-notch real estate professional, but one element ties them together in my mind: an absolute dedication to personal service.”

“When I approach our annual Real Data issue, it’s with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Data is just numbers until people begin to give it meaning.