General

Recreational marijuana becomes legal in Illinois on Jan. 1, 2020. For REALTORS®, this means having an awareness of how the new law would impact real estate transactions. Illinois REALTORS®' Chief Legal Counsel Betsy Urbance talks with the Illinois REALTORS® Podcast about the rules, and answers some questions members may have about legalized marijuana. Urbance discusses issues of interest to residential and commercial property owners, as well as managing brokers who are setting office policies. 
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In part two of getting to know our Industry Partners, Courtney Jones, President of Dearborn REALTIST® Board, Chicago chapter of National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), shares the story of his organization and how getting involved has helped shape leadership and business skills for a successful career in real estate.
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Illinois REALTOR® and trainer Chris Read recently conducted a webinar for the National Association of REALTORS® Center for REALTOR® Financial Wellness on how to approach winding down a business.
The topic is one that many REALTORS® don’t pay enough attention to, particularly because of the nature of a business where many are independent contractors.  
Read talks with the Illinois REALTORS® Podcast about the need to start early about thinking about an exit strategy for your business and the steps you can take to set yourself up for success in retirement.
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Dale Taylor of New Lenox, Ill., has been serving the homeless as a shelter manager and fundraiser for South Suburban PADS for more than a decade. His service was recognized in November with a Good Neighbor Award from the National Association of REALTORS®. The award honors a select handful of REALTORS® who make differences in the communities in which they work. Taylor is a REALTOR® with RE/MAX 10 in New Lenox, and has long been involved with his state association.
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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has proposed a real estate Transfer Tax which will hit many commercial and residential investment properties hard.  
The proposal, as outlined in a speech several weeks ago, would decrease Transfer Taxes paid at closing on properties valued at less than $500,000, but it would significantly boost the taxes on properties valued at more than $1 million.
Greg St. Aubin, senior vice president for governmental affairs for Illinois REALTORS® discusses the tax proposal which is expected to come up in the Illinois General Assembly’s veto session which is back in session the week of Nov. 11.  
St. Aubin, a longtime lobbyist for the association, said the Transfer Tax places an unfair burden on property owners who are already saddled with high property taxes. He notes that if a burdensome Transfer Tax passes and is signed into law, the ripple effects could be felt throughout the state, not just in Chicago.  
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Eddie Garcia, NAHREP [6:50], Curtis Hunt, NAGLREP [17:12], Nykea Pippion McGriff, WCR [27:56], and Peter De Jong, AREAA [40:04] share their story of their organizations and how getting involved has helped shape leadership and business skills for a successful career in real estate. 
 
 

Illinois farmland forms an important, but sometimes overlooked part of the real estate economy. Illinois REALTOR® Luke Worrell of Worrell Land Services in Jacksonville discusses what he's seeing with farmland prices, and where the market could be headed in a year where wet weather wreaked havoc with planting schedules. Worrell is president of the Illinois chapter of the REALTORS® Land Institute. 

Ed Neaves has worked in many roles over the years. He's built homes, co-owned radio stations, run restaurants and now oversees a real estate business. The 2020 Illinois REALTORS® president talks about his vision to promote the value of the trade association he leads in the year ahead. 
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Illinois REALTORS® has a program which seeks to build and support new leaders. Called the Leadership Development Program, this series of courses provides insight into association management, advocacy an communication skills necessary for volunteers. Illinois REALTORS® Bob Eby and Debbie Pawlowicz talk about what they got out of the program, and why Illinois REALTORS® should consider applying.

Caton Commercial CEO Bill Caton discusses Expo REAL, which is a massive European real estate trade show and conference held in Munich, Oct. 7-9. Caton says that the visit to Munich would benefit a commercial practitioner, no matter what stage of their career they are in. Illinois REALTORS and NICAR are offering stipends to cover the cost of registering for the event. Illinois REALTORS® can register here.