It’s 2006. An Illinois Predatory Lending Database Pilot Program called House Bill 4050 was signed into law. Long before it passed, many REALTORS® recognized the unintentional negative impacts the bill would have on consumers and their credit history, and the REALTOR® “Calls For Action” were underway.
Just a year before this, in 2005, Erika Villegas earned her real estate license and became a member of the Chicago Association of REALTORS®. She learned about the passing of the bill through the Association and knew she had to do something. So, she demanded a seat at the table and alongside her fellow Chicago REALTORS® she helped overturn the bill.
This is what Villegas has always done. She is a staunch defender of those in need and takes action in the face of injustices; after all, she has seen first-hand the hardships many families face in making the American Dream a reality.
How It Started
Villegas’s family’s journey to the United States started in 1922 when her great-grandfather Nicanor Escobedo De La Rosa left Zacatecas for El Paso, Texas with just $1 in his pocket, his Department of Labor card and the hope of a better life. For years, he trekked back and forth from the U.S. and Zacatecas to visit his wife, Victoria Valle Avalos and his son Hilario, Villegas’s grandfather, who was born in 1942 in Mexico.
In 1967, at age 25, Hilario embarked on his own journey to the U.S. and laid down roots in Chicago. Eight years later, his wife and six children would join him.
This journey — leaving behind their families and everything they know in search of more opportunities — is one which many immigrants must take. In many ways, this perspective drove Villegas to pursue a career in real estate where she can help families, like hers, become homeowners.
Villegas’s Journey to President
Following her successful work on House Bill 4050, Villegas expanded her involvement within the Association. She found communities within committees, including service as Chair of the Chicago Young Professionals Network Advisory Board and the Finance Committee. Today, she is also active with the Chicago REALTORS® Foundation Board of Trustees and the Diversity Committee, the 77.
Her industry leadership has earned her impressive recognition; in 2017, she received the Chicago REALTOR® Achievement Award and has been featured on the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals’ Top 250 list since 2013. A past member of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, she remains closely involved with them today.
Building on her many years of volunteer leadership, Villegas is the broker and owner of RE/MAX in the Village. Her bilingual business platform is rooted in her family’s history, where she can serve as a REALTOR® helping families who are learning a new culture and perhaps a new language while pursuing the dream of homeownership. She believes in giving back to Chicago, the city where her grandfather planted roots and many of her family members call home.
The Year Ahead
During the 141st annual Inaugural Gala in September, Villegas reflected on her family’s journey and that of many other immigrants. “These stories of resilience are something we can learn from when it comes to navigating the current real estate market. On their journey they had to adapt to a new culture — learn a new language, assimilate and adjust. We are in a moment where we must embrace change, help our clients achieve their American Dream of homeownership and have the courage and compassion to help one another within our REALTOR® community,” she said.
The industry practice changes that went into effect in August 2024 due to the NAR settlement agreement are some of the most significant changes we’re currently facing. “The REALTOR® brand is being scrutinized not only by the media but also by some consumers within our communities. We are changing the way we communicate with our clients and with each other— ensuring clear and transparent conversations with our clients. We are adapting each day to new technology including the emergence of AI. But change isn’t new. Change isn’t bad, but how we respond to it matters,” Villegas said.
Villegas encourages her fellow REALTORS® to turn to their Associations in times like these. She points back to House Bill 4050 as a clear example of what can be accomplished when the REALTOR® community works together towards a common goal. But, she notes, the future of our Association is up to us, as is what we gain from it.
“Our Association is guided by over 200 volunteers who create, guide and shape the resources and tools available to you. Our forms & contracts, including those that were recently released due to practice changes resulting from the NAR settlement, are created in partnership with our dedicated committee, who have your business success in mind. Our business perks are chosen by REALTORS®, for REALTORS®, so you have access to the tools that will help move your business forward. Our dispute resolution services help to ensure we are adhering to the Code of Ethics every day and hold one another accountable when disputes arise,” she reminded Inaugural Gala attendees.
It Starts With YOU
Villegas points to volunteering as a way she continues to learn and grow even now. “I like to think of it as having a mini mastermind group at your fingertips… The ability to share peer-to-peer knowledge and learn from one another is powerful. I encourage you to get involved today,” she said.
In the year ahead, Villegas aims to help the Association establish tools and resources to help create more housing opportunities for families like her own who come to this country to plant roots. “One initiative, which is near and dear to my heart, is creating more accessibility to homeownership through expanded language offerings,” she said.
In September, our affiliated school, the REALTORS® Real Estate School, hosted its first-ever course in Spanish, and Villegas hopes to work with the school to expand more Spanish-language offerings.
She also hopes to begin the process of translating our top forms & contracts into different languages, beginning with Spanish, to continue to break down common barriers to homeownership.
As Villegas reminded us during her Inaugural speech, the Chicago Association of REALTORS® belongs to us and the Association is all of us. So, let’s continue to work together with compassion, make the American dream as accessible as possible and remember – the Association is always here to help.
