What I really learned in my first year of editing our Who’s Who issue is that these people really care about the industry. They understand the value of investing in it, and know that the dividends of their dedication and hard work might pay off in a closing tomorrow or a referral two decades from now.

It’s nice to have a partner in the accountability game, and that’s how we came up with the idea for this issue. As the magazine for the well-informed real estate professional in Chicagoland, we wanted to serve as your reminder to check in on yourself and make sure you’re on track to have a feeling of accomplishment when December rolls around.

When it comes to finding the perfect neighborhood, there’s no solid line between the city and the ’burbs. This is becoming even clearer as suburbs and cities swap characteristics.

Any way you slice it, there are some strong feelings around short-term rentals. The fact is, they’re here, your clients want to know about them, and there are both good and bad ways to go about participating in the market. That’s the thought process behind this issue, and I hope whatever your point of view on Airbnb is, you learn something new from the stories in this volume.

Predictive analytics is a new way to take in more data and make more precise and educated guesses from the results. And it’s no longer theoretical; predictive analytics and big data have moved from buzzwords to adoption.

In this issue, we learn what managing brokers are looking for when they recruit agents, and what they do when they’ve found someone they think will be a good fit in their office. How much can they really control, in terms of how agents do their business, and what’s the proper level of support and training to offer a person who isn’t technically one’s employee?

Real estate has been hit with multiple legal challenges to the status quo, particularly in how agents get paid. Why is this happening now, and what does it mean for you?

Our take on the luxury market is distinct. We like to think of ourselves as a resource for agents who work with — or want to be able to work with — high-end clients.

I’ve been looking forward to this issue since I started at Chicago Agent magazine…

The spring market is on its way in, and with it, new homes will be sprouting all over Chicagoland. Are you ready?

OK, I’m going to be totally honest. The term “top producer” is one that sometimes gives me pause. In fact, one tip I often offer agents when it comes to marketing themselves to consumers is to delete all references

Last month, I was lucky enough to attend the Chicago Association of Realtors 2019 Market Update. All of the speakers had smart insights on how agents and brokers can cope with what’s expected to be a changing market over

The topic of mergers and acquisitions can make a person feel small. What do agents, brokers, staffers and managers really mean to CEOs and company owners in this process? Are they not all pawns in a master game of

In my first few years reporting on the real estate industry, I learned just enough about lending to be dangerous. And if I had to guess, there are quite a few rookie real estate agents out there who might

One of my favorite sources of economic news is National Public Radio’s Marketplace. For the past couple of years, the show’s hosts have been running this interesting segment called “My Economy” where they try to get at larger market

Selling real estate is a rewarding but often challenging career. Teaming up with a brokerage that offers top-notch training vastly increases the chances of an agent’s success. So what are local brokerages doing to show their dedication to investing