Chicago REALTORS® Blog & News

Welcome to the Chicago Association of REALTORS® blog and news hub. Explore magazine articles, industry updates and more. You can filter by category or tag based on your interests.

REALTORS® Repurpose Materials to Build Furniture for Charity

Sandwiched between Whirlyball and Mariano’s in Bucktown is a treasure trove of discarded scraps – the ReBuilding Exchange, an inconspicuous haven for home remodeling. On Tuesday, October 22, 2019, members of the Chicago Association of REALTORS® (CAR) and CommercialForum visited ReBuilding Exchange to learn the sustainable practice of repurposing salvaged metal and wood. Their finished […]

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New Property Tax Education Program for West Side Homeowners

A new property tax education program is coming to the west side of Chicago, thanks to a partnership between the Cook County Treasurer’s Office, the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson and the Chicago Aldermanic Black Caucus. Staff from the Treasurer’s Office will visit the west side four days a week to help homeowners: Here’s when and […]

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Chicago REALTORS® testify on potential impacts of ‘Just Housing Ordinance’ rules

Last Wednesday, October 23, three Chicago REALTORS® testified to the Cook County Board of Commissioners (CCB), advocating to preserve private property rights. CAR past president and current Illinois REALTORS® Treasurer Zeke Morris, EMA Realty and Management, CAR director Sarah Ware, Ware Realty Group LLC, and former CAR director Chris Pezza, Miller Chicago LLC, joined Illinois […]

Global Real Estate Council Awarded with NAR’s 2019 Platinum Global Achievement Program Award

Our Global Real Estate Council was awarded the National Association of REALTORS® coveted 2019 Platinum Global Achievement Award. This honor is given to groups who consistently deliver top-notch service, tools, education and networking opportunities to their members. This year, the Global Real Estate Council led a trade mission to Thailand, hosted a two-part series to […]

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Road Closures Anticipated Around CAR Central Monday, Oct. 28

Travel to and on the streets surrounding CAR’s Central office will likely be affected by heightened security presence Monday. We highly recommend you map your route ahead of time and allow for extra travel time. There is a chance our parking lot may be full or inaccessible. We recommend using an app like SpotHero to […]

September 2019 Market Snapshot

MARKET SNAPSHOT – CITY OF CHICAGO *The City of Chicago Market Snapshot represents the residential real estate activity within the 77 officially defined Chicago community areas as provided by the Chicago Association of REALTORS®. STATE OF THE MARKET INVENTORY

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IDFPR Releases Real Estate License Law Guide

This year, the Real Estate License Law (RELA) received its long-awaited rewrite. These updates can be hard to keep up with, and to help with that, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s Real Estate Division recently released “Looking to the Next Decade and Beyond: Updates to the Real Estate License Act.” This easy-to-follow […]

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Take Action: Voice Your Opposition to New Rules on Criminal Background Screenings

Chicago REALTORS®, it’s time to make your voices heard! Contact your county commissioner to let them know you oppose the proposed rules on Cook County’s new Just Housing Ordinance. The Just Housing Ordinance was put in place to prevent potential tenants from being discriminated against due to their criminal history. However, the proposed Rules are […]

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NAR Legislative Meetings: Why They Matter

In May, over 70 Chicago REALTORS® traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the National Association of REALTORS® 2019 Legislative Meetings to represent our interests and those of your clients. We spent time with our Chicago and Illinois legislators, educating them on what matters most to our industry and the well-being of private property rights. Our […]

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2019 President’s Award Recipients

The Chicago Association of REALTORS® proudly presented our 136th Annual Inaugural Gala on Thursday, September 26. During the festivities, we debuted our 2019-2020 Board of Directors and honored several members for their contributions throughout the year, including the President’s Award winners.

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Relive the Fun from the 136th Annual Inaugural Gala

Thank you to all who attended the 136th Inaugural Gala. Relive all the fun from this year’s event, with photos and videos celebrating our special guests. Step 1: Check out & tag the photos!   Step 2: Check out the speeches! 2019-2020 President Maurice Hampton   2019 REALTOR® of the Year Rebecca Thomson   2019 […]

2019 Hall of Fame Inductee: John Rutledge, Oxford Capital Group, LLC

John Rutledge Founder, President & CEO, Oxford Capital Group, LLC Inducted September 26, 2019 “Master Hotel Developer – Renaissance Man” A Chicago native, former Boy Scout, multi-sport athlete, voracious reader, devoted family man, decathlete in life and master real estate investor, developer and civic leader, John W. Rutledge is the Founder, President and CEO of […]