The Chicago Association of REALTORS®, the “Voice for Real Estate” in Chicago since 1883, represents 17,000 members from all real estate specialties including commercial sales, development, property management, appraisal, auctions and residential sales.
Learn how we help our 17,000 members. Membership options are available for licensed real estate professionals and those affiliated with the real estate industry!
REALTORS® Real Estate School offers all kinds of real estate licensing and training. Browse self-paced, online training or live classes in our modern, downtown classrooms!
How can we help your business succeed? Your membership includes multiple resource guides on industry topics, tools to increase your knowledge and market statistics to help your serve your communities.
Nearly 60% of single women renters surveyed indicate they feel homeownership is out of reach indefinitely.
About two in five single women are renters. Black and Hispanic single women face more challenges than White single women– particularly if they are renting.
Events over the past two years, such as the pandemic, have disrupted wealth building among single women.
Given all the challenges, many see homeownership as out of reach and the past two years may impact their long-term ability to achieve that dream.
Single women renters experience many standard obstacles to owning a home, and some are simply counting themselves out of becoming homeowners altogether. Here are what they reported as the biggest hurdles:
82% don’t have enough money for a down payment and closing costs
75% believe their mortgage would be higher than rent
74% don’t earn enough for mortgage payments
56% don’t have an established credit history
63% don’t know how to start the process
55% don’t know someone to help with the process
21% can’t find forms available in their native language
The first woman to join the National Association of REALTORS® was Seattle broker Corrine Simpson, who became a member in 1910.
However, one of the primary requirements for national membership was to be a member of a local real estate board. Many local boards, particularly older, well-established boards and those in major cities, explicitly banned women from membership in their bylaws, which effectively prevented them from becoming members of NAR. Newly established boards, including those in suburbs and rural areas, often didn’t have such restrictions.
So, in the 1920s, Cora Wright, one of the founders of the Women’s Council of REALTORS® (WCR), was denied membership to the Chicago Real Estate Board because of her gender. She instead joined the smaller Oak Park Real Estate Board and thus became a member of NAR. Most of the local boards dropped the gender restriction by the early 1950s.
In 1954, the Chicago Real Estate Board (CREB), which would become the Chicago Association of REALTORS®, welcomed their first female member, Patricia “Pat” Fox.
Meet Our Women Leaders
Apply for a Women-Focused Scholarship
The Marki Lemons Ryhal Education Advancement Scholarship supports candidates who are seeking to obtain their real estate license OR attend a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). This fund is applicable only to African American women whose primary residence is in underserved communities within the Chicagoland area.
Next Scholarship Deadline: April 15
Get Involved!
The Women’s Council of REALTORS® is a network of successful REALTORS® who are advancing women as business leaders in the industry and in our communities. The Chicago chapter is also one of our industry partners! Visit their site to find out what they’re doing and how you can get involved!
You can see how this popup was set up in our step-by-step guide: https://wppopupmaker.com/guides/auto-opening-announcement-popups/
We Apologize for the Inconvenience
Our phones are temporarily down. Please email membership@chicagorealtor.com for any immediate needs. We apologize for the inconvenience – thank you for your patience!
Precautionary Measures and Information Regarding COVID-19
Your health and safety is of the utmost importance to us. As COVID-19 is predominantly spread through close contact, out of an abundance of caution, all events through April 30 will be either canceled or postponed, except for Coffee with Your GADs, which will take place virtually. This includes our annual Sales Awards, which we are working to reschedule.
If you have registered for one of our upcoming events, look for an email with further details. All tickets for paid events will be automatically refunded. Please allow 3-5 business days to see the refund on your bank statement. Questions? Please reach out to our events team.
Precautionary Measures and Information Regarding COVID-19
As COVID-19 is predominantly spread through close contact, out of an abundance of caution, all in-person classes scheduled through April 30 will take place virtually.
RRES staff has reached out to those of you who have registered for an affected class with an option to transfer into an online option or reschedule for a later classroom date. CAR to You is available in the meantime to assist you with your education needs and we have a variety of classes being offered online and via webinar for your continued development.