Member Notice: 2021 Proposed Bylaw Amendments & Ballot

Dear Chicago REALTORS®:

We take great pride in what our organization and our members have accomplished since our founding in 1883. To ensure our legacy as the Voice for Real Estate in Chicago continues and to deliver on our promise of exceptional member experiences and benefits, we must be diligent in adapting both to your ever-changing needs and those of the real estate industry.

Over the past year, one of our Board of Directors’ top priorities has been to critically analyze and update our bylaws, the main legal document governing our association and its operations. Thank you to our board, staff, general counsel and many of you who have been actively engaged in this matter! The bylaws should embody the mission and values of the Chicago REALTOR® community, and the proposed amendments have been crafted with this in mind.

We are excited to present these proposed amendments to you today. The primary focus of these proposed amendments are to:

  • Keep the bylaws consistent with current CAR practices and National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) requirements. NAR mandates that its affiliated associations update their bylaws from time to time to include certain NAR-required provisions.
  • Remove gender pronouns to make the bylaws more reflective of CAR’s diversity and values
  • Simplify the bylaws to make them easier to use and understand, including amending the provisions governing election procedures to streamline that process and provide more clarity to members seeking to hold CAR leadership positions.

We invite you to review the proposed changes and then join us on August 12 at the Rise Up Summer Soiree, where we will host a member vote on the revisions.

Should you have any questions regarding the proposed amendments, please reach out to our CEO. 

We look forward to seeing you at the Rise Up Summer Soiree. Thank you for being a Chicago REALTOR®!