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Despite the recent slow down in several housing markets across the country, fall home sales and prices sprung up in Chicago and in other cities around the state in September. The robust economy combined with an improving job market continues to energize the local real estate market. The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin Metro was ranked as the number one metropolitan area for corporate …

Referrals between real estate agents can be a lucrative form of additional revenue for both the sender and the receiver that can give their real estate career a lift. The agent receiving the referral gets a new customer and the referring agent gets a referral fee. But not all agents give referrals the attention it deserves which can create a …

So you’re thinking about getting a real estate license and wondering the best way to get started. You’re in good company. With baby boomers retirement in full swing now is a great time to start your real estate career, especially if you’re an energetic self-starter who likes to socialize and enjoys working with people. Also, having strong negotiating, sales and …

More home buyers are increasingly utilizing the expertise and knowledge of Realtors® even though they often begin their home search online, according to the Real Estate in a Digital Age report by the National Association of Realtors®. While buyers and sellers have more technological tools available to them than ever before, most understand the great value that Realtors® provide at …

Although price gains for the Chicago housing market may be moderating, existing-home sales and median prices have continued to surpass their year-ago comparisons. According to the Illinois Association of REALTORS®, Chicago real estate agents closed out the summer housing market with moderate gains in both the median prices and home sales in August, despite the inventory remaining lower than a …

Home sales across the country led to a steady rise in home prices in most metro areas in the second quarter of 2015, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). Increases in the number of closings were reported in 163 of the 176 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). Only seven percent of MSAs recorded lower median prices when compared to …

Here is some good news for anyone looking for Realtor® jobs or considering a career in real estate. Most real estate firms are confident that their income will increase next year, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) annual Profile of Real Estate Firms. In fact, only 22 percent of firms polled expect their income to remain the same. …

After months of stellar gains pending home sales is starting to show signs of decline in some real estate markets. According to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), the Pending Home Sales Index dropped 1.8% in June, yet is still considerably higher than during the same period last year. It is the first decline in the Pending Home Sales Index …

In an effort to increase revenue, Illinois lawmakers are considering enacting an up to 10 percent tax on the purchase of advertising services in the state. Since Realtors® and other small business owners often rely heavily on advertising and other marketing services they would be disproportionately affected substantially increasing their cost of doing business in the state. The Illinois Association …