With the “broker’s choice” model in place, Chicagoland’s real estate agents are free to join whichever Realtor association suits their fancy, regardless of what region it represents. Why should agents, though, choose one association over another? And how do the various fees, costs and benefits of Chicagoland’s Realtor associations differ?

To answer that question, we compared the local dues, MLS fees, Sentrilock fees and unique member benefits of five associations: the Chicago Association of Realtors (CAR); the Mainstreet Organization of Realtors (MORe); the North Shore-Barrington Association of Realtors (NSBAR); the Heartland Realtor Organization (HRO); and the Realtor Association of the Fox Valley. The associations provided us with the information below, except for the Oak Park Area Association of Realtors  (OPAAR) and the Three Rivers Association of Realtors, which declined to participate.

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