Government Affairs Forums: Get Connected

What are Government Affairs Forums?

Forums are your opportunity to:

• Learn about the issues that impact the real estate industry.
• Stay up to date on the advocacy efforts that C.A.R. and IAR are undertaking to advance your interests and protect homeowners’ rights.
• Provide feedback to C.A.R.’s advocacy leaders, Brian Bernardoni, Senior Director of Government Affairs, and Kris Anderson, Director of Government Affairs.

At Forums, you’ll:

• Hear updates from prominent elected officials and engage with them in sharing your questions and concerns in an intimate setting.
• Get information that makes you a better asset to your clients.
• Network with fellow REALTORS® and property owners who share your similar interests and issues.

Who May Attend?

Forums are open to all C.A.R. members, free of charge.

Past Forums Featured:

• Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios
• US Department of Housing Administrator Antonio Riley
• Representatives from the Cook County Housing Authority
• Representatives from the Cook County Recorder of Deeds
• A panel of political commentators
• A panel of legal experts regarding medical marijuana, including State Representative Lou Lang

Topics discussed included the Affordable Requirements Ordinance (ARO), the 2015 mayoral election, the Cook County Recorder of Deeds’ Free Property Fraud Alert System, and the legal intricacies of medical marijuana in property management.

Why I Attend:

The Forums are a great way to meet our government officials and understand their decision-making process. Often, these officials are looking to us to see how their ideas affect the marketplace. I love that my voice actually matters when it comes to writing or revising an ordinance. These local ordinances touch us all, so it would be great to see more faces in the audience with me. Let your voice be heard, too! – Chris Pezza, Miller Chicago Real Estate, 2015-2016 C.A.R. Board of Directors These are an important piece of understanding what is going on the real estate policy world.  You have to stay informed on what decisions are being made that can impact homeowners and the real estate industry as a whole. – Nykea Pippion-McGriff, DreamTown, 2015-2016 C.A.R. Board of Directors The forums help us remain experts in the industry and an invaluable resource to our clients. As a result of the information and connections provided at the last meeting, A.R.E. Partners became the first brokerage in Illinois to offer free property fraud alert at the closing table. I believe strongly in providing CAR members with this crucial information, which is why I am also a member of the Government Affairs Advisory Group. – Antje Gehrken, A.R.E. Partners, 2015-2016 C.A.R. Board of Directors

Watch the highlights from our past Forum on Medical Marijuana and Property Management: