CR-Winter2023_Online

CR 

Chicago REALTOR ® 

Magazine 

V o l u m e 3 2 | Winter 2 0 2 3 

BUILDING 

TRUST 

WITH CLIENTS 

USING 

MARKET 

DATA 

Meet 

2023 PRESIDENT 

SARAH 

WARE 

& THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Where Comfort 

Meets Style: 

Upcoming 

Kitchen Trends 

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Chicago REALTOR ® Magazine — Volume 32, Winter 2023 

PAGE 

20 

Contents 

FEATURES 

9 5 Best Practices When Showing Units in Managed Buildings 

10 Introducing 2023 President Sarah Ware 

14 Meet the 2023 Board of Directors 

18 Chicago REALTORS ® Leading the Way 

20 Where Comfort Meets Style: Upcoming Kitchen Trends 

24 Make Social Media Marketing Work For You 

26 Welcome to Auburn Gresham 

30 Building Trust With Clients Using Market Data 

33 2023 Chicago REALTORS ® Affiliate Directory 

37 Back to Basics: 8 Actionable Business Tips 

Where Comfort Meets Style: 

Upcoming 


UPDATES 

38 Association News 

40 Government Affairs Update 

IN EVERY ISSUE 

4 President’s Perspective 

6 From the CEO 

8 Editor’s Note 

42 Photo Albums 

50 The Buzz 

51 Education Calendar 

PAGE 

42 

139 th 

th 

Inaugural 

Gala 

PHOTOS 

Page 10 

2023 PRESIDENT 

SARAH WARE 

www.ChicagoREALTOR.com 3

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE 

Y 

ears ago, I attended my first Inaugural Gala, and had 

my first exposure to this association, thanks to my 

friend, and past president, Zeke Morris. That event 

was the jumping off point for me, and I’ve been 

involved with the association ever since. 

At the time, I knew very little about the association or what it did for our 

members, our industry and our community. Even though I didn’t fully 

understand the scope of the association’s impact, it didn’t stop me from 

showing up, just as I was. And this year, I want all of you to join me, just as 

you are, to get involved with our association. 

Utilize our member perks to strengthen yourself as a professional. Through 

REALTORS ® Real Estate School, we have a variety of courses to help you start 

the year off strong, like the Short-Sales & Foreclosure Resource Certification, 

Pricing Strategy Advisor Certification or Essentials of Property Management. 

Throughout the year, we also host close to 100 events, both virtual and in 

person, where you can network with your fellow Chicago REALTORS ® and 

learn something new. From virtual events to breakfasts to awards shows, there 

is something for everyone– many of which are free for members to attend. 

Check out our Foundation scholarship and deadlines, 

as well as our upcoming Coffee with Your GADs events. 

Take a look at all the ways you can get involved throughout the year. 

Keep up with our special interest groups by signing up for a newsletter 

or checking out their resources. If you’re interested and find a niche, we 

open applications for our committees in the spring, so you can join and help 

direct the future of our association. 

And not only do you get the resources from our association, but you can also 

take advantage of what Illinois REALTORS ® and the National Association of 

REALTORS ® have to offer, too. 

All of these benefits will help you to become a stronger professional and be 

the best resource possible for your clients. 

I hope all of you choose to join us this year. I will meet you where you are, 

just as I am, and we will all work together to make a stronger industry for 

ourselves, our city and everyone in Chicago. Come as you R. 

SARAH WARE 

2022-2023 President 

Chicago Association of REALTORS ® 

4 Chicago REALTOR ® Magazine

event 

We're excited to bring you 80+ events 

this year. Here are a few highlights. 

Visit our website for a full list. 

HIGHLIGHTS 

register today 

19 

YPN 2023 Kick-Off Mixer 

January 

We’re celebrating starting a new year of 

business success with networking, music 

and cocktails. 

2 

February 

Black History Month 

Celebration 

Join us as we celebrate and commemorate 

Black History Month! We will honor and 

highlight our Black leaders throughout the 

real estate industry. 

9 

Green Luxury Summit: 

February 

Selling Sustainable 

Splendor 

A panel of experts will break down the 

in-demand, high-end home features that 

make a property quieter, "smarter" and more 

efficient to heat and cool. 

22 February YPN Breakfast 

Join us for the first breakfast of 2023 at 

Manny’s Deli for business advice, compelling 

discussions and networking! 

ChicagoREALTOR.com/Events 


FROM THE CEO 

Just like many of you, we’re focusing on business 

planning for both the year ahead and the years 

to come. This year, we’re proud to unveil our new 

strategic plan for 2023 to 2025. 

This strategic plan, developed by volunteer leaders and staff and approved 

by our Board of Directors, will be our roadmap for the coming years as 

we continue to provide value to you and, ultimately, help enhance your 

businesses. It will also allow us to keep focused on our association’s goals. 

On the following page, you can find the updated strategic plan as a whole, but 

there are a few things I would like to highlight. Along with having an objective 

focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, each strategic objective includes a 

DEI-focused component. This was done intentionally to ensure we are moving 

forward with DEI in mind in every aspect of our association. 

We are also excited to put our focus on areas we think are important to 

help you thrive, like positioning REALTORS ® as trusted advisors, proactively 

advocating for important issues and implementing a comprehensive data 

strategy to make us a more data-driven culture. 

During this process, we’ve also revised our mission and vision statements: 

• Mission Statement: The Chicago REALTORS ® unites all facets of the 

industry as a leading advocate for real estate, drives REALTOR ® 

business success and supports the economic development of our 

diverse communities. 

• Vision: All REALTORS ® and their communities across Chicagoland 

are vibrant and thriving. 

Our Foundation, the philanthropic arm of our association, also updated its 

statements. Now, the association and the Foundation share a vision statement, 

so we can ensure we are both moving towards a unified goal. 

I’d like to thank our volunteer leaders, whose input and insights helped us 

determine the direction of our association and form this strategic plan. We 

look forward to engaging with all of you to ensure REALTORS ® and our 

communities across Chicagoland are vibrant and thriving. 

MICHELLE MILLS CLEMENT, fasae, cae, rce 

Chief Executive Officer 



Chicago REALTOR ® 

CR Magazine 

2022-2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

PRESIDENT 

Sarah Ware 

PRESIDENT-ELECT 

Drussy Hernandez 

TREASURER 

Erika Villegas 

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT 

Antje Gehrken 

DIRECTORS 

Rafael Alvarado 

Sonia Anaya 

Gaspar Flores Jr. 

Amy Hall 

Anthony Hardy 

Lyle Harlow 

Kim Kerbis 

John C. Kmiecik 

Marki Lemons Ryhal 

Nick Libert 

Dwight Marroquin 

Lutalo McGee 

Ayoub Rabah 

Tracey Royal 

Erik Schwab 

Vicky Silvano 

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 

Michelle Mills Clement, fasae, cae, rce 

The Chicago REALTOR ® Magazine is published by the 

Chicago Association of REALTORS ® for its members. 

Advertising is purchased and does not necessarily 

represent the position of the Chicago Association of 

REALTORS ® . 

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 

Michelle Mills Clement, fasae, cae, rce 

michelle@chicagorealtor.com 

EDITOR 

Jessica Kern, rce 

jkern@chicagorealtor.com 

MANAGING EDITOR 

Cory Hall 

chall@chicagorealtor.com 

ART DIRECTOR 

Jim August 

jaugust@chicagorealtor.com 

For advertising information please contact 

Mary Beth Durkin 

(312) 214-5530 or mdurkin@chicagorealtor.com 

CAR CENTRAL 

430 N. Michigan Avenue 

Suite 800 

Chicago, IL 60611 

Ph: (312) 803-4900 

Fax: (312) 803-4905 

www.ChicagoREALTOR.com 

NOTICE TO MEMBERS 

Under long established policy of this Association, the Illinois REALTORS ® 

and the National Association of REALTORS ® : 

1. The broker’s compensation for services rendered in respect to any 

listing is solely a matter of negotiation between the broker and his or her 

client, and is not fixed, controlled, recommended or maintained by any 

persons not party to the listing agreement. 

2. The compensation paid by the listing broker to a cooperating broker 

in respect to any listing is established by the listing broker and is not 

fixed, controlled, recommended or maintained by any persons other 

than the listing broker. 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

2023–25 

Strategic 

Roadmap 

Five Strategic Objectives 

Approved by the Board of Directors, the Chicago REALTORS ® will spend the 

next three years focusing on impacting change in five strategic areas to drive 

towards our vision of the future: 

Increase consumer understanding about the role and value of the 

REALTOR ® as a trusted advisor in any real estate transaction and 

enable REALTORS ® to deliver on this promise. 

• Define role and competencies as “trusted advisor”. 

• Provide member training on roles and competencies. 

• Enhance public trust in REALTORS ® . 

• Develop members’ business acumen. 

• Improve REALTOR ® -to-REALTOR ® cooperation. 

Strengthen Chicago REALTORS ® ’ position as the leading voice for 

real estate in Chicago by increasing engagement with the public and 

proactively advocating to address inequity and other issues that impact 

our members’ business and the real estate industry. 

• Educate, engage and communicate with the public. 

• Enhance collaboration with Illinois REALTORS ® & NAR on local issues. 

• Proactively develop positions and initiate new legislation and policy. 

• Influence elected officials and advocacy groups. 

Broaden real estate practitioners’ understanding of Chicago 

REALTORS ® ’ value proposition and increase use of the Chicago 

REALTORS ® ’ offerings most relevant for enhancing their business success. 

• Create tailored value propositions for each segment of our membership. 

• Customize the member experience to add flexibility. 

• Help members understand and maximize the value of their membership. 

• Create capacity for new programs and services. 

Grow Chicago REALTORS ® ’ influence as a leading voice in real estate 

on diversity, equity and inclusion, and foster a sense of belonging for 

all members. 

• Expand diverse representation in leadership roles. 

• Ensure equitable access to the path to leadership. 

• Integrate inclusive and equitable practices, policies and processes 

across the organization. 

Develop and implement a comprehensive data strategy to collect and 

use more robust data to power decision-making for the benefit of the 

association, our members and the communities we serve. 

• Create mechanisms to better understand our audiences. 

• Shift culture to utilize data-driven decision-making. 

• Support DEI and enhance Foundation community efforts. 

• Become the leading source of marketplace data. 


EDITOR’S PICKS 

Hello, 2023! 

I always find the new year exciting – it’s a time to set new goals, explore 

new opportunities and position ourselves to have a successful year. 

JESSICA KERN 

Chief Communications Officer 

jkern@chicagorealtor.com 

In this issue, we’re sharing tips on showing units in managed buildings, 

looking at your social media strategy and more. We hope these tools will 

help set you up for success in 2023. We have also planned 85+ events for 

you in 2023 – visit our website for a full list, we hope to see you at one! 

Market Data & Building Trust with Your Clients 

As trusted advisors for your clients, staying up to date on market data and 

trends is a must. Your Chicago Association of REALTORS ® membership 

provides you with a myriad of resources to do just that. Our FastStats 

PDFs make it easy to share city and neighborhood stats quickly. 

Historical spreadsheets, dating back 20+ years, provide data for use in 

your marketing materials. InfoSparks through MRED is an amazing tool to 

really dive into stats in any way you may need. On page 30, Koi Tasaniyom 

and Lisa Blume share how they use these resources to build trust with 

their clients. 

If you missed our 2023 Market Outlook on January 11, I encourage you to 

visit our video library to watch or listen for more insights on the Chicago 

real estate market. 

Check Out the Fun from Casino Royale 

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2022 Casino Royale event 

in December. 

We launched this RPAC fundraiser 10 years ago and are thrilled to 

announce that in 2022 we raised our largest amount yet – nearly $ 110,000. 

Check out all the photos from this black-tie event on page 48. 

As always, don’t hesitate to reach out – I'd love to hear from you. 


5 BEST 

When Showing Units 

in Managed Buildings 

PRACTICES 

BY DAVE NASO, Vice President, Membership & Professional Standards, 

Chicago Association of REALTORS ® www.ChicagoREALTOR.com 9 

Showing a property in a managed building, such 

as a condominium, apartment or co-op, can 

present unique situations that often don’t exist 

when showing single-family homes. These situations require different 

protocols to be followed by both the listing REALTOR ® and cooperating 

REALTOR ® . Review these five best practices to ensure you’re set up for 

success for your next listing or showing in a managed building. 

1 

Introduce Yourself to Management 

and Door Staff 

Make a point to introduce yourself to the key staff in the building. This 

might include a property manager or door staff. These individuals hold 

the keys to the information you need – sometimes, they literally hold 

the keys! – and will be an asset in ensuring a successful sale. 

Property managers can often answer common questions about the 

building, where door staff can share access and showing protocol. Not all 

buildings operate the same. The key is to listen to the building staff and 

understand their policies and procedures. When introducing yourself, 

consider saying something such as, “My goal is to become familiar with 

your building’s rules and regulations, as well as sale/lease procedures so 

that I can be sure to follow your rules and get you everything that you 

need when the time comes. I want to make this as easy as possible for 

you.” This general practice of professionalism can help you win them over 

and gain a partner in the building to assist with your sale or lease. 

2 

Review and Follow Building Rules 

& Regulations 

Speaking of those policies and procedures, you’ll want to ask for a 

written copy of the building’s rules and regulations. Read sections that 

would apply to your services such as pet restrictions, move-in or out 

procedures, moving fees, open house restrictions, rules on signage 

and how to request documents, to name just a few. Knowing all of this 

information up front will ensure there are no surprises and that you are 

ready for each inquiry and showing. And while your seller or landlord 

should know this information already, it’s best to share your findings 

with them so that they can also plan ahead. 

3 

Familiarize Yourself with the 

Location of Building Amenities 

Make note of the location of any and all of the building’s amenities. Your 

seller or landlord may share this, or you may need to speak directly to 

the building staff for this information. Consider doing a dry run before 

your first appointment so that you can confidently execute a showing. 

If you will be providing access directly to cooperating REALTORS ® to 

show their prospective buyers or tenants the property, provide the 

location of these amenities in your showing instructions so that they 

can have a successful showing as well. 

4 

Always Accompany Prospective 

Purchasers or Renters 

Go back to those rules and regulations or the door staff to understand 

any security protocol for the building. Some might require an ID for 

entry, while others might require at least two agents for an open house. 

Whatever the policy, be sure to follow it and be consistent. Meet the 

prospective buyer or renter outside or in the lobby and stay with them 

until you have concluded your showing back outside or in the lobby. 

Whether you are the listing REALTOR ® or the cooperating REALTOR ® , 

you should never let prospective buyers/renters wander the building 

unaccompanied. 

5 

Only Access Units You are 

Authorized to Show 

This can be tempting. You’re already at the building, and you learn there’s 

another unit for sale or rent. The door staff provided you keys for your 

confirmed showing, so you ask them for keys to this additional unit, so 

you don’t have to come back. This would be a violation of the Code of 

Ethics if the seller or listing agent has not authorized a showing. Doublecheck 

the unit number(s) of any approved appointment before asking for 

keys or entering units, and only access units you are authorized to access 

by the seller or listing agent. 

Have a listing in a managed building, or do you anticipate one coming 

up? Do you frequently show properties in managed buildings? Take 

this opportunity to audit how you list or show in managed buildings. 

Introduce yourself to key building staff, familiarize yourself with 

building rules and regulations, update showing instructions in 

ShowingTime with the location of all building amenities, follow security 

protocol, always accompany prospective buyers or renters and double 

check those unit numbers so you don’t accidentally show the wrong 

unit. With these tips, you’ll stand out as a professional and your clients 

will thank you for your care and expertise!

Come As 

You R 


Sarah 

Introducing 2023 President 

WARE 

WARE REALTY GROUP 

Growing up, 2023 Chicago Association of REALTORS ® president 

Sarah Ware and her family would gather on Sunday mornings to read 

the Chicago Tribune. She was always drawn to and intrigued by the 

real estate section. Her family celebrated owning real estate, and she 

wanted to understand it better. 

Many years later, she can point to that ritual as where the seeds for her career began. 

While the path hasn’t always been easy, it has been made more clear by a single fact: Sarah never sits 

around waiting for anything; she just dives in and gets started. 

She forwent a college degree and jumped into the real estate market as a landlord, buying multifamily 

and single-family properties across the city. As an investor and a landlord, she learned a valuable 

lesson: buy a property because you like it, in case you end up living in it, which is something she found 

out through experience. She obtained her real estate license in order to represent herself and her 

properties. And from there, Ware continued to grow. She learned how to start a brokerage, launched 

a business, learned about partnerships and then launched her own brokerage, Ware Realty Group. 

The brokerage now works on both the residential and commercial side, partially due to its certification 

as a minority and women-owned business by the city of Chicago, which provides it with exclusive 

commercial projects throughout the city. 

p h o t o s b y KIRSTEN MICCOLI PHOTOGRAPHY 


Her journey into REALTOR ® leadership is a familiar one: past 

president Zeke Morris invited her to an Inaugural Gala. “I did not 

quite know what was going on. I even remember asking him, ‘What 

are all you guys doing here?’ I got there, looked around and thought, 

‘What are all these people doing here in tuxes and gowns, and 

how did I not know about this?’ That made me realize I needed to 

understand why I didn’t know about this, since, in my head, I’m a 

person who’s in the know,” she said during her induction speech at 

our 139 th Annual Inaugural Gala. 

After that, Ware started showing up at other events. Eventually, she 

began to volunteer on committees, like our Professional Standards, 

Finance and Public Policy Committees, and put her name in the hat 

for the board of directors. “I wanted to get into leadership because 

if there aren’t people who look like you, you might not understand 

all the benefits for you and your career,” she said. “I wanted to be a 

bridge for that, for those REALTORS ® who looked like me.” 

Many years of board service later, Ware was preparing for the 

next chapter in her career. “I had no interest in leading the Chicago 

Association of REALTORS ® . I was ready for someone else to take my 

place,” she said. “I was done. And then George Floyd happened.” 

She saw what REALTORS ® across the country were posting on 

social media — some good, yes, but many others who were 

negative and racist — and her fire rekindled. “I realized then that 

it was important for people to see me run, as a Black woman,” she 

said. “I wanted to be the one in the room leading, and I hope that 

by me being here, I can inspire at least one other person to step up 

and get involved.” 

Getting involved is a big passion for her. Her entryway to 

involvement came through advocacy and lobbying. Advocacy is also 

her avenue to tackling an issue close to her heart: homeownership 

and the wealth gap. “We have to understand that laws will be made 

with or without us,” she said. “It’s part of our business – we have 

a duty to our clients, past, present and future, to step up and take 

an active role in the legislation that directly 

impacts their investment.” 

Last spring, she was inducted into the 

REALTORS ® Political Action Committee 

(RPAC) Hall of Fame. It’s another way she is 

leading the way and setting an example for 

those who follow. 

“You cannot be what you cannot see,” she 

said. “Sometimes, we get a little comfortable 

here in Chicago, because we’re diverse, 

because we have leaders who represent 

every neighborhood in our city and from all 

kinds of backgrounds. But that is not the 

norm throughout our country. We need 

more leaders who look like me, and who look 

like you, to step up and get more involved 

and represent at a high level.” 

And it’s not just leadership — mentorship 

ranks highly as well. “To be a leader, you 


also need to be a mentor,” she said. It’s a calling that’s close to her 

heart; so close, in fact, that she also runs a consulting business, 

called Ware Consulting, where she provides education, coaching, 

mentorship and workshops. Her mentees benefit from much of the 

same advice doled out here; show up, dive in, work hard, be visible 

and resolve to figure it out. 

“Come as you are,” she said. “Just because you don’t know 

something, doesn’t mean you don’t show up. If it’s something that 

interests you, get your toes wet. I’ll meet you where you are, and 

we’ll figure it out together.” That’s her challenge to all Chicago 

REALTORS ® this year, and her rallying call: Come As You R. 

“Bring your stories and experiences, open doors for one another 

and ensure we continue to strengthen our industry and this 

association. It takes all of us, working towards this unified goal, to 

find success and I know we can get there,” she added. 

Her other goals for the year derive from that. Dive in and use the 

resources you’re already paying for as a member. These benefits are 

a great place to get started, whether it’s education through RRES, 

networking at an event or taking advantage of any of our member 

perks for discounted prices on tools that can help your business. 

And, if you don’t understand a benefit, just ask! There’s always 

someone who would be willing to walk you through them. 

Also, she stresses the importance of respect for our industry and 

for our peers. “Our industry has a huge role to play, so it’s important 

that we do what we can to keep the integrity and professionalism of 

our industry,” she said. 

And most importantly, answer the call to show up. “If we all commit 

to showing up, just as we are, we can work together towards a 

stronger industry for ourselves, our city and everyone within it,” 

she said. “I didn’t get here by accident — I’ve had help and support 

along the way. And I’m offering the same support to you today.” 

Oh — and about that college degree. She’ll be 

graduating from Governors State University 

with a bachelor's degree in spring 2023. Just 

another way she continues to raise the bar 

and prove what’s possible. 

Watch Sarah’s presidential speech 

from the 139 th Inaugural Gala. 

Left: Inaugural photo by Marcello Rodarte, Marcello Rodarte 

Photography 


Meet the 2023 

BOARD OF 

DIRECTORS 


RAFAEL 

ALVARADO 

SHIELD REAL ESTATE 

What is your favorite CAR member 

perk or benefit, and why? 

Safety has always been a big concern 

for me. FOREWARN is one of my 

favorite membership perks. This app 

has helped me identify and verify 

callers to better prepare myself and 

reduce personal risks. 

What is your favorite phone app, 

either personally or professionally? 

The most used app on my phone is 

Google Maps. It helps me navigate 

areas I am not familiar with and, most 

importantly, it helps measure time. I 

can better prepare myself from the 

very beginning, minimize my stress 

and enjoy the ride. 

GASPAR 

FLORES, JR. 

SU FAMILIA REAL ESTATE, INC. 

If you could only share one piece 

of advice with a fellow REALTOR ® , 

what would it be? 

Treat everyone and everything you 

work with like it's the only thing you 

are working on. 

What is your favorite Chicago 

attraction? 

Our lake. The south ledge of 

Montrose Beach has some of the 

best views. 

AMY 

HALL 

CATON COMMERCIAL 

REAL ESTATE GROUP 




Embrace focus and discipline as 

the foundational backbone of your 

business. Yes, being a real estate 

professional allows for a certain 

amount of flexibility, but if you don't 

treat it like a business, you will not 

reap the benefits of being a business 

owner. 


attraction? 

My long-standing, favorite attraction 

in Chicago is the Art Institute, though 

it is now tied with the immersive art 

experiences offered by Lighthouse 

ArtSpace Chicago. 

LYLE 

HARLOW 

KALE REALTY 




Never stop learning! 



OneNote. 

DRUSSY 

HERNANDEZ 

COLDWELL BANKER REALTY 

SONIA 

ANAYA 

AMERICA REAL ESTATE INC. 

What are you most excited to work 

on with CAR in the year ahead? 

Sharing the importance of investing 

in our industry and staying on top of 

everything related to our industry. 



Homesnap. 

Inaugural photo by Marcello Rodarte, 

Marcello Rodarte Photography 

ANTJE 

GEHRKEN 

A.R.E. PARTNERS 




Make your bed. Don't ask why, just 

do it. 


attraction? 

Is a restaurant an attraction? 

Because, if so, the food scene is the 

most compelling, after the lakefront. 

TONY 

HARDY 

KELLER WILLIAMS ONECHICAGO 



Real Property Resource Commercial. 

The access to information at our 

fingertips is phenomenal. It’s a great 

resource. 


on with CAR in the year ahead 

The new strategic plan. Guiding our 

members through the challenges and 

opportunities at this time is exciting. 



Advocacy. We need to be heard by 

the policymakers who make decisions 

that impact our business every day. 

Their action can have a direct effect 

on how our buyers and sellers can 

make transactions happen. 


attraction? 

There is nothing like the Chicago 

skyline. The view as you drive north 

on the Dan Ryan is breathtaking. I also 

love the Bean. 

continued on page 16 


continued from page 15 

KIM 

KERBIS 

@PROPERTIES | CHRISTIE’S 

INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE 




Play the long game: Chicago is a 

small town, and your reputation is 

everything. 



Well, favorite is a stretch, but I do 

rely on Park Chicago all the time! 

MARKI 

LEMONS 

RYHAL 

EXIT STRATEGY REALTY 



I am most excited to chair The 77, 

our Diversity Committee. The 77 will 

allow me to learn more about our 

members and the 77 communities 

that make up our wonderful city. 



My current favorite is Canva. Canva 

can be used for lead generation 

because you can create lead magnets, 

websites and update videos & photos 

while on the go or sitting at your desk. 

DWIGHT 

MARROQUIN 

NEIGHBORHOOD LOANS 


of advice with a REALTOR ® , what 

would it be? 

Build a trusted team and surround 

yourself with experts, members and 

the 77 communities that make up our 

wonderful city. 


attraction? 

Wrigley Field. 

MICHELLE 

MILLS 

CLEMENT 

CHICAGO ASSOCIATION 

OF REALTORS ® 



Our events! We have an amazing 

in-house events team that executes 

every event at a level like no other. 

I love the opportunity to mix and 

mingle with members during our 

events and programs. There's 

something available for everyone, 

and these events are curated with 

you in mind. Join us! 



Audible. I'm not a big reader, but I 

love to listen when I’m on the go, 

gardening or doing chores around 

the house. It's a special 

treat when the author 

reads their book! 

JOHN C. 

KMIECIK 

CENTURY 21 AFFILIATED 



Having served in various REALTOR ® 

leadership positions previously, 

I'm honored and excited to be 

working with various generations of 

REALTOR ® volunteers who offer a 

remarkably astute and progressive 

view of our industry. 


attraction? 

My favorite Chicago "attraction" 

is the variety of great restaurants 

throughout the city and suburbs. I 

love a good and simple meal at a local 

neighborhood restaurant, with 

staff members who truly 

appreciate our patronage. 

NICK 

LIBERT 

EXIT STRATEGY REALTY 



The free education provided through 

CAR is stellar, as well as the ongoing 

opportunity to earn industry 

designations and expand your 

knowledge base in order to provide 

more value to your clients. 


attraction? 

I use the Chicago lakefront path 

regularly to jog, bike, walk and 

meditate as well as reconnect. It 

replenishes the soul! 

LUTALO 

McGEE 

ANI REAL ESTATE 



My favorite benefit has quickly 

become our Legal Library. For us 

practitioners that hail from small 

or mid-size firms, this resource was 

timely and needed. 



Google Calendar. I would forget to 

breathe if it wasn't scheduled. 

AYOUB 

RABAH 





Embrace the Code of Ethics without 

compromise. 



MileIQ. 


TRACEY 

ROYAL 




Evernote is my favorite phone app 

both personally and professionally. 

Evernote allows me to make notes 

of things and recall information 

quickly no matter where I am or 

what I'm doing. 



In the year ahead, I am excited 

to help build upon our current 

president's mission to encourage 

more participation and 

involvement of the membership 

and to demonstrate that Chicago 

REALTORS ® provides so much value. 

VICKY 

SILVANO 

COMPASS 



The educational and networking 

events! It encompasses all different 

subject matters and includes all 

communities across our industry. 


attraction? 

I love Museum Park! 

ERIKA 

VILLEGAS 

RE/MAX IN THE VILLAGE 



I am excited to work closely with 

such a diverse group of professionals 

and the all-women executive team! 


attraction? 

Museum of Science and Industry. 

SARAH 

WARE 

WARE REALTY GROUP 



Office Depot member discount. I still 

have a lot of printing sometimes. The 

discounts on copies are crazy, and it 

saves me ink. 


attraction? 

The Lakefront Trail – on the 

south side. 

Meet the 2023 

BOARD OF 

ERIK 

SCHWAB 

CORCORAN URBAN 

REAL ESTATE 



To continue the great work CAR 

does to advocate and support our 

members, especially in member 

education. 



It would have to be the MLB app to 

help me keep track of the Cubs! 

DIRECTORS 


CHICAGO REALTORS ® 

LEADING THE WAY 

Thank You To Those Serving In Local, State & National Leadership Positions. 

We Are Well-Represented! 

NATIONAL LEADERSHIP 

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS ® DIRECTORS 

FREDERICK 

CARMEAN 

TOMMY 

CHOI 

ANTJE 

GEHRKEN 

GEOFFREY 

KASSELMAN 

MARKI 

LEMONS 

RYHAL 

MICHELLE 

MILLS 

CLEMENT 

ZEKE 

MORRIS 

NYKEA 

PIPPION 

McGRIFF 

AYOUB 

RABAH 

TRACEY 

ROYAL 

MATT 

SILVER 

REBECCA 

THOMSON 

SARAH 

WARE 

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS ® CHAIRS & VICE CHAIRS 

TOMMY 

CHOI 

VICE CHAIR 

RPAC 

Participation 

Council 

NYKEA 

PIPPION 

McGRIFF 

VICE CHAIR 

Business Issues 

Policy 

Committee 

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS ® COMMITTEE MEMBER APPOINTMENTS 

AEC Recommendations and Recognition 

Advisory Board 

MICHELLE MILLS CLEMENT 

Association Executives Committee & Forum 


Broker Engagement Committee 

ANTJE GEHRKEN 

DRUSSY HERNANDEZ 

SAM POWELL 

Commercial Committee 

MOSES HALL 

Consumer Advocacy Outreach Advisory Board 

ANTONIA MILLS WESSELINK 

ZEKE MORRIS 

Consumer Communications Committee 

MABÉL GUZMÁN 

ZEKE MORRIS 

Conventional Financing & Policy Committee 

FREDERICK CARMEAN 

Credentials and Campaign Rules Committee 

TOMMY CHOI 

Diversity Committee 

MEGAN OSWALD 

Federal Financing & Housing Policy 

Committee 

TRACEY ROYAL 

FPC Advisory Committee 

ERIKA VILLEGAS 

Global Alliances Advisory Board 

JIM KINNEY 

VICKY SILVANO 

Global Business and Alliances Committee 

NANCY SUVARNAMANI 

Housing Opportunities Committee 

GASPAR FLORES, JR. 

Insurance Committee 

NYKEA PIPPION McGRIFF 

Leading Edge Advisory Board 

AYOUB RABAH 

REBECCA THOMSON 

Membership Policy and Board Jurisdiction 

Committee 

ZACK WAHLQUIST 

MLS Technology and Emerging Issues 

Advisory Board 

LYLE HARLOW 

Multiple Listing Issues & Policies Committee 

LYLE HARLOW 

Professional Development Committee 

MARKI LEMONS RYHAL 

Professional Standards Committee 

LASHANDRIA SANDERSON 

Public Policy Coordinating Committee 




DAN WAGNER 

Real Property Valuation Committee 

MOSES HALL 

REALTOR ® Party Member Involvement 

Committee 

ERIKA VILLEGAS 

Research Committee 

OLIVER STONE 

RPAC Trustees Fundraising Committee 

MATT SILVER 

Smart Growth Advisory Board 

SARAH WARE 

State and Local Issues Mobilization Support 

Committee 

ZEKE MORRIS 

Strategic Planning Committee 


Sustainability Advisory Group 


*NAR and Illinois REALTORS ® involvement is only reflective of primary members. CAR involvement reflects both secondary and primary members. 


ILLINOIS REALTORS ® LEADERSHIP 

ILLINOIS REALTORS ® OFFICERS 

MATT SILVER 

PRESIDENT-ELECT 

TOMMY CHOI 

TREASURER 

ZEKE MORRIS 

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT 

ILLINOIS REALTORS ® DIRECTORS 

NYKEA 

PIPPION 

McGRIFF 

TRACEY 

ROYAL 

NANCY 

SUVARNAMANI 

REBECCA 

THOMSON 

ILLINOIS REALTORS ® CHAIRS & VICE CHAIRS 

TOMMY 

CHOI 

CHAIR, Finance 

Committee, 

& VICE CHAIR, 

Illinois REALTORS ® 

Plaza Committee 

GASPAR 

FLORES, JR. 

CHAIR, Illinois 

Local Government 

IE Committee 

ANTJE 

GEHRKEN 

CHAIR, Commercial & 

Property Management 

Committee & 

VICE CHAIR 

RPAC Fundraising 

Work Group 

MICHELLE 

MILLS 

CLEMENT 

VICE CHAIR, 

Association Executives 

Committee 

CHRIS 

PEZZA 

VICE CHAIR, 

Commercial & 

Property Management 

Committee 

TRACEY 

ROYAL 

CHAIR 

Public Policy 

Forum 

MATT 

SILVER 

CHAIR 

Illinois REALTORS ® 

Plaza Committee 

ILLINOIS REALTORS ® COMMITTEE MEMBER APPOINTMENTS 

Advisory Council 

JIM KINNEY 

JOHN C. KMIECIK 

ZEKE MORRIS 

GERALD PERLOW 

ROBERT ZORETICH 

Affordable Housing and 

Community Involvement 

Committee 

MATTHEW LITZENBERGER 

ALICE WEINERT 

Association Executives 

Committee 

NIKIA FITCH 

JESSICA KERN 

JAKEEVA LEE 


JAY TURNER 


Audit Committee 

TOMMY CHOI 

Commercial and Property 

Management Committee 

ANTJE GEHRKEN 

LINDA HATTAR 

SHAUN PINKSTON 

Ethics Citation Panel 

MARIO DILORENZO 

SAM POWELL 

Executive Committee 

TOMMY CHOI 

MATT SILVER 

Finance Committee 


TRACEY ROYAL 

SARAH WARE 

Global Forum 

JAKEEVA LEE 

Grievance Committee 

SHAUN PINKSTON 

Illinois General Assembly and 

Statewide IE Committee 

TOMMY CHOI 

ZEKE MORRIS 

HUGH RIDER 

MATT SILVER 

Illinois Local Government IE 

Committee 

LUTALO McGEE 

VICKY SILVANO 

Local Government Affairs 

Committee 

LUTALO McGEE 

ANTONIA MILLS 

WESSELINK 

Nominating Committee 

MEGAN OSWALD 


Ombudsman Committee 


SAM POWELL 

TRACEY ROYAL 

JOAN SANDRIK 

Performance/Compensation 

Review Committee 

TOMMY CHOI 

ZEKE MORRIS 

MATT SILVER 

Policy and Programs Group 

DION BRANCH 

TOMMY COWANS 

LINDA HATTAR 


MATTHEW LITZENBERGER 


AYANNA SAVAGE 

MATOYA TOLLIVER-BROWN 


ALICE WEINERT 

RISA WEISS 

Professionals Standards 

Committee 

MARIO DILORENZO 


LYLE HARLOW 

DRUSSY HERNANDEZ 

KIM KERBIS 

BARBARA NOVAK 

WILFREDO NUNEZ 

HUGO RODRIGUEZ 

TRACEY ROYAL 

JOAN SANDRIK 

MARGIE SMIGEL 

SARAH WARE 

Real Property Alliance Board 

NAJA MORRIS 

TRACEY ROYAL 

REALTOR ® of the Year 

Working Group 



REALTORS ® Political 

Involvement Working Group 

VICKY SILVANO 



RPAC Trustees 

TRACEY ROYAL 

SARAH WARE 

Strategic Planning Committee 

TOMMY CHOI 



NAJA MORRIS 

ZEKE MORRIS 

MEGAN OSWALD 

MATT SILVER 

SARAH WARE 

YPN Advisory Group 

JESSE COLEMAN 

CHRIS PEZZA 

ALICE WEINERT 

*NAR and Illinois REALTORS ® involvement is only reflective of primary members. CAR involvement reflects both secondary and primary members. 

CHICAGO ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS ® LEADERSHIP 

CHAIRS AND VICE CHAIRS 

ALONZO 

ABRON JR. 

VICE CHAIR 

Global 

Real Estate 

Council 

SONIA 

ANAYA 

CHAIR 

Public Policy 

Coordinating 

Committee 

WAYNE 

BEALS 

VICE CHAIR 

Sustainability 

Work Group 

LÁSHAUN 

BROWN- 

GLENN 

CHAIR 

Professional 

Development 

Committee 

JILL 

DANIELS 

CO-CHAIR 

Sales Awards 

Advisory Group 

SHIELA 

DANTZLER 

CHAIR 

Professional 

Standards 

Committee 

TYLER 

GREGORY 

VICE CHAIR 

YPN Advisory 

Board 

AMY 

HALL 

CHAIR 

CommercialForum 

Committee 

MOSES 

HALL 

VICE CHAIR 

CommercialForum 

Committee 

LINDA 

HATTAR 

CHAIR 

Global 

Real Estate 

Council 

DRUSSY 

HERNANDEZ 

CHAIR 

CARPAC 

KIM 

KERBIS 

CHAIR 

Forms & Contracts 

Committee 

MARKI 

LEMONS 

RYHAL 

CHAIR 

The 77 

LUTALO 

McGEE 

CO-CHAIR 

Sales Awards 


LONZETTA 

McKENNIE 

VICE CHAIR 

Professional 

Development 

Committee 

CHRISTINA 

McNAMEE 

VICE CHAIR 

Grievance 

Committee 

NONYE 

ONONOGBU 

VICE CHAIR 

Member Care 

Task Force 

MEGAN 

OSWALD 

VICE CHAIR, 


Work Group, & 

VICE CHAIR, CAR 

Foundation 

TERRY 

PERDUE 

VICE CHAIR 

The 77 

CARLAS 

PRINCE 

GILBERT 

CHAIR 

Grievance 

Committee 

SAM 

POWELL 

CHAIR 

CAR Foundation 

JIM 

ROTH 

VICE CHAIR 

Professional 

Standards 

Committee 

TRACEY 

ROYAL 

CHAIR 


Work Group 

LINDA 

SANCHEZ 

CHAIR 

Sustainability 

Work Group 

JOHN 

SCARPA 

VICE CHAIR 

Forms & Contracts 

Committee 

RACHEL 

SCHEID 

CO-CHAIR 

Inaugural Gala 


LINDA 

SCOTT 

CO-CHAIR 

Inaugural Gala 


MATT 

SILVER 

CHAIR 

Audit 

Committee 

STACI 

SLATTERY 

VICE CHAIR 

Public Policy 

Coordinating 

Committee 

ERIKA 

VILLEGAS 

CHAIR 

Finance 

Committee 

SARAH 

WARE 

CHAIR 

Executive 

Committee 

KEISHA 

WILLIAMS 

CHAIR 

Member Care 

Task Force 

AMY 

WU 

CHAIR 

YPN Advisory 

Board 


Interior design by Claire Staszak/Centered by Design, photo by Dustin Forest 

Where Comfort Meets Style: 

Upcoming 


If home is where the heart is, the kitchen may be the 

life blood of a house. It’s a place to congregate, cook 

and converse. According to the Houzz 2022 Kitchen 

Trends Study, many homeowners who are renovating 

their kitchens are utilizing the space for more than 

just cooking: they’re also using it as a work from home 

space. The desire to make the kitchen into a more 

homey space is greater than ever, and we’re seeing 

that play out in the trends that are leading kitchen 

interior design. 

Kitchens continue to be one of the most popular areas 

of a home, but gone are the days of all white, beige or 

grays. We spoke with Chicago area interior designers to 

get their insights on the popular trends in kitchen design, 

so you can know what your buyers are looking for. 


ERGONOMICS 

Interior design by Claire Staszak/Centered by Design, 

photo by Aimèe Mazzenga Photography 

Kitchens used to be all about functionality. Claire 

Staszak, Centered By Design, shared that, previously, 

kitchen designs were very utilitarian, and used solely for 

cooking. Now, the kitchen is being treated as more of 

a congregating space, with comfort at the forefront of 

people’s minds. 

“We really design a kitchen that’s part of the home, 

not its own entity,” Lauren Svenstrup, Studio Sven, also 

said of what she designs for her clients. As most homes 

these days have open floor plans, “It’s really important 

that the aesthetic of the kitchen flows with the rest of 

the home,” she added. 

Eat-in kitchens are becoming even more popular, with 

banquette seating and breakfast tables becoming a 

commonplace in many kitchens. Svenstrup echoed 

that banquettes are trendy, especially in kitchens with 

limited space. She loves designing fully upholstered 

ones, instead of the ones that have drawers or cabinets 

on the bottom. Now, you might also find comfortable 

lounge areas to create a more lived-in space. 

COLOR 

White, gray and beige used to be all the rage for kitchens, 

but currently, we’re seeing homeowners branch out into a 

new territory: color. “Clients are definitely more open to 

color,” Staszak said. 

There are a variety of ways color can be incorporated 

into a kitchen; it could be through accent colors in tiles, 

window treatments or rugs. Other homeowners may 

choose to paint a full kitchen, with blues and greens 

being the go-to color schemes for Chicago homeowners, 

according to Staszak. 

She did add that she’s experienced certain clients who 

are willing to try something different, but they likely 

won’t do it in open spaces. Instead, they choose a bold 

wallpaper or color for more secluded areas of the kitchen, 

like a butler’s pantry. 

Svenstrup said one of the places she’s seeing people 

play with color most is on the island, where people are 

choosing to paint it so the piece stands out rather than 

matches the wall paint. 






Interior design by Claire Staszak/Centered 

by Design, photo by Heather Talbert 

Photography 

Interior design by Claire Staszak/Centered 

by Design, photo by Heather Talbert 

Photography 

MATERIALS 

Materials that add texture to the space are now gaining steam. “People are 

a lot more open to natural woods,” Staszak said. Wood is being used in more 

creative ways, such as making islands look like a furniture piece, accenting the 

space or creating a kitchen entirely out of the material. 

Wood grain also continues to be popular among those completing a home 

renovation, with one in five choosing a wood tone for their cabinets, according 

to Houzz’s 2022 Kitchen Trends Study. 

When it comes to the countertop, Svenstrup is seeing her clients venturing back 

into natural stones for countertops, like marble. While natural stones will show 

wear and tear, like scratches and stains, she finds that clients like the lived-in feel 

that it brings to the kitchen. 

As a continuation of the countertops, Svenstrup says her clients are loving slab 

splashes. For slab splashes, they use the same stone as the countertops to create 

a backsplash with one large piece of same material. Svenstrup sees this as a 

statement piece for the kitchen. 



When it comes to metals, mixing finishes between plumbing hardware, lighting 

and appliances is gaining steam, Staszak said. Now, you might see stainless steel 

appliances, polished nickel plumbing and brass lighting and hardware all in the 

same kitchen. However, as a rule of thumb, Staszak suggests only mixing up to 

three finishes – any more than that can be seen as too busy. 


Svenstrup is seeing this trend with a variety of other 

materials. For instance, they might design a walnut island 

for a client but use black for the trim or reed panels 

as accent materials. But, when it comes to metals on 

cabinets, she prefers the less-is-more approach, choosing 

materials that are simple and blend in with the cabinets to 

highlight the cabinet's beauty. 

LIGHTING 

Statement lighting continues to be a big trend. However, 

where we’re used to seeing two or three pendants 

in a kitchen, we’re now seeing sconces becoming 

more popular. According to Staszak, even lighting you 

traditionally find in other rooms of the home – like lamps – 

are making their way into kitchens. 

When big islands are being used in a kitchen, Svenstrup 

loves to set them off with large chandeliers, similar to 

ornate ones you would typically see in dining rooms. 

CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ARTICLE 

CLAIRE 

STASZAK 

Centered By Design 

LAUREN 

SVENSTRUP 

Studio Sven 





APPLIANCES 

According to Staszak, there are two camps of people 

when it comes to kitchen appliances: keeping them 

hidden or working them into a cohesive design. 

Svenstrup finds hidden appliances to be more 

desirable. She uses panels to keep ovens, refrigerators 

and dishwashers hidden in plain sight. She utilizes 

retractable doors for smaller countertop appliances 

and will hide microwaves in cabinets. 

And, while highly decorative range hoods over ovens 

used to be all the rage, we’re moving towards hood 

inserts, or even placing them in cabinets or walls. 


Monday, January 9 

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nday, January 9 

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Monday, January 

1:26 


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Make 

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Social 


1:26 


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Media 


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Marketing 


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Work For You 


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By KATIE CALLAWAY, Marketing Manager, Back At You 

If the last few years 

have taught us 

anything, it’s that digital marketing 

is imperative for success. In a world 

where the majority of people are 

spending time in front of their digital 

screens, social media marketing ranks 

as one of the most effective methods 

for growing audience engagement, 

developing a strong brand Monday, voice January and 9 

ultimately, generating new business. 

Here at Back At You, we have a lot of 

insight about social media marketing 

for real estate professionals, so we put 

together Monday, January a few 9 tips on how your online 

1:26 

presence can help you achieve your 

2023 goals! 

1:26 

For the majority of home buyers, 

starting their search on the internet is 

simply a part of the purchase process. 

It’s no secret that posting on social 

media can help combat the age-old 

expression “out of sight, out of mind”, 

and it can be a powerful tool for real 

estate professionals to leverage. In 

fact, a recent National Association of 

REALTORS ® Technology Survey says 

that social media was the highestrated 

technology tool that provided 

REALTORS ® with the most qualified 

1:26 


1:26 

leads. But we don’t need shiny data 

to convince you of the importance of 

a strong social presence; you already 

know it matters. After analyzing 

your current social media situation, 

choosing the best platforms for you 

and curating high-level content that 

performs well, you’ll be set up for 

success to attract those quality leads. 

However, getting those leads isn’t 

as simple as posting your listings on 

the internet and expecting people to 

magically start contacting you. First, 

take inventory of your current social 

media situation. If you have business 

accounts Monday, January — and 9 if you don't, you 

1:26 

should! — you’ll have access to some 

handy data when it comes to your 

audience. Ask yourself: Monday, Am I reaching 

January 9 

1:26 

the right people, in the right age range, 

who are in the right location to use my 


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24 Chicago REALTOR ® Magazine 


1:26 



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9 

9 

9 

1:26 


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services? Social media platforms like 

1:26 


Facebook, YouTube, etc. all offer highlevel 

analytics that not only offer you 

the data above, but also insights about 

which content your audience responds 

to best, and what time you should be 

posting it. 

After looking at your analytics, you 

may notice that your social media 

strategy needs adjusting. One major 

issue that could be affecting your 

success is where you’re posting your 

content. Demographic data is key to 

understanding which social media 

networks deserve 

Monday, 

your 

January 

attention 

9 

1:26 

and marketing dollars. Pew Research 

tells us that Snapchat, TikTok and 

Reddit tend to lean toward a younger 

audience, while Facebook, YouTube 

and Instagram are more common 

in generations where people may 

already be homeowners or move-up 

buyers. While it’s true that Gen Z will 

eventually be home buyers and sellers, 

it is much more lucrative to invest the 

majority of your time on platforms 

like Facebook, YouTube and Instagram 

where home buyers and sellers spend 

1:26 


their time. Whether you want to target 

those selling luxury or vacation homes, 

couples with families or those looking 

for the perfect upgrade from their 

starter home, it’s likely you will find 

your audience on these platforms. 

Now that you know where to post, 

let’s chat about what to post - the 

content that works. When it comes 

to social media, the only constant is 

change. Just when you think or feel 

like you’ve found your niche with 

Facebook or Instagram, there’s a 

new trend of flashy content coming 

around the bend. Since it’s impossible 

to predict the next big social media 

trend, the best strategy is to post a 

variety of different content and see 

what resonates best with your target 

audience. With that said, there are two 

tips that seem to remain evergreen 

when it comes to social media: video 

and local content. 

Let’s talk about videos. On social 

media, we’re looking for ways to easily 

and efficiently consume information. 

That’s where video marketing comes 

into play. From long, cinematic listing 

tours to those vertical, catchy, shortform 

videos that have taken the 

social media world by storm over the 

last several years, video marketing 

remains king. Let’s take Instagram 

Reels as an example. Instagram’s 

algorithm notoriously favors new and 

shiny features on the Explore page. 

In fact, if you’ve scrolled through the 

platform recently, it’s likely that you’re 

seeing Reels more and more often 

from brands and content creators that 

pique your interest. Even Instagram 

admitted that adding Reels into 

your content mix is a great way to 

be discovered by people who don’t 

follow you, meaning the key to getting 

visibility and growth to your Instagram 

account is by posting video content, 

specifically Reels. 

The content you share serves as an 

example of your expertise, so it’s 

important to consistently share your 

unique knowledge with potential 

clients in the form of blogs, market 

data updates, listing videos or other 

content types to establish yourself as 

an authority in the real estate space. 

If you’re stuck on what content to 

post that week, focus on ways you can 

showcase yourself as a professional 

and expert about your community. 

Whether you’re posting a video 

or a long-form blog, one other tip 

has proven the test of time when it 

comes to success for REALTORS ® 

online: put the “social” back in “social 

media.” Because in real estate, it’s not 

just about the beautiful homes, but 

rather about the people that occupy 

them! Homebuyers want to know 

what it’s really like to live in your 

area, and sellers want to work with 

professionals who are experienced and 

knowledgeable about a neighborhood. 

Do you go to a specific coffee shop 

before listing presentations? Or do 

you utilize a certain bakery’s goodies 

for your open houses? Maybe a local 

car wash helped get your car polished 

and ready for a day of showings? Film 

a video showcasing your favorite local 

hot spots and tag them when you post! 

More likely than not, they’ll love your 

shoutout and repost your content. 

Start 

Sharing! 

Social media is the best place 

to find new leads, maintain 

relationships and expand brand 

awareness, but doing it well 

and staying up-to-date on best 

practices can be time-consuming. 

The Back At You Platform was 

designed to help REALTORS ® stay 

a step ahead of the competition 

by canvassing your market 

with automation and the latest 

marketing strategies. Through the 


member perks program, you can 

get started with a discounted 

subscription to the automated 

social media platform and save up 

to $50 on your subscription. From 

branded blogs and local market 

data to educational videos and 

buyer or seller guides, this platform 

can provide you with everything 

you need to create content and 

generate leads. 


also has other free, social media 

content creation tools for you to 

utilize. The Photofy app allows 

you to customize and share social 

media graphics that emphasize your 

expertise straight to your social 

media channels. 

Check out the Back At You discounted 

subscription through our member perks 

program and get started with our Photofy app. 


WELCOME TO 

AUBURN 

GRESHAM 

Close your eyes and think about a 

neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. 

The first places that come to mind might be 

Beverly, Douglas or South Shore. But there 

is a neighborhood where residents are 

passionate about their community and 

where investments are creating exciting 

opportunities. Welcome to Auburn 

Gresham. 

THE HISTORY 

According to the Encyclopedia of 

Chicago, Auburn Gresham, like so many 

neighborhoods in the south side, became 

well known and prosperous during 

the World’s Columbian Exposition in 

1893. During the World’s Fair, public 

transportation from downtown to the south 

side was created. This drew people from 

the crowded downtown neighborhoods to 

Auburn Gresham. During this time, city, 

stockyard and construction workers made 

the neighborhood home, and the population 

tripled by 1930. 

By the 1950s, Black residents of Chicago 

made their way into Auburn Gresham as 


the Black Belt became overcrowded, 

racial tensions grew and disinvestment 

followed. Currently, the neighborhood is 

about 96% Black, according to the Chicago 

Historical Society. 

THE ATTRACTIONS 

“Auburn Gresham is very unique with its 

residents, its parks, its schools and its 

churches,” the neighborhood’s 77 

representative, Cherron Phillips of The 

Real Estate Company, said. 

Churches are a cornerstone of the Auburn 

Gresham community, with many options 

for residents who are looking to attend 

services. One of the most recognizable is 

St. Sabina, a catholic church on 78 th Place. 

Not only does the church provide mass and 

services for the congregation, but it also 

established the ARK of St. Sabina, a nonprofit 

that enhances the lives, talents and 

spirits of Auburn Gresham and Englewood 

youths through education, mentoring and 

linkages to resources. 

The neighborhood is also park dense, with 

places like Auburn Park, a 5-acre oasis in 

the middle of the neighborhood, complete 

with a lagoon, waterfall, benches and a 

pond for fishing. King Park, named after 

Martin Luther King Jr., not only offers 

outdoor recreational areas but also includes 

an indoor roller rink and bowling alley in its 

Family Entertainment Center. 

Despite years of disinvestment due to 

city initiatives, Auburn Gresham is finally 

seeing a variety of new businesses and 

opportunities for residents. The brand-new 

Healthy Lifestyle Hub on 79 th Street was 

awarded a grant from the city’s INVEST 

South/West program. The building is 

home to health and wellness services, 

restaurants, banks and a Boys and Girls 

Club center, along with a roof terrace for 

urban agriculture and renewable energy 

opportunities. 

Auburn Gresham residents can easily get 

downtown via the bus and the red line, 

and I-94 is a short drive east to get you 

downtown in less than 30 minutes. A Metra 

station is also being developed, with plans 

to be open in 2024. 

THE RESIDENTS 

Residents of Auburn Gresham are nothing 

if not passionate about their neighborhood. 

They frequently use their voices to provide 

Continued on page 28 


Continued from page 27 

insights on initiatives and projects that are 

forthcoming in the community and help to 

drive investments to the neighborhood. 

Not only are they passionate about the 

neighborhood itself, but they’re also 

supportive of one another. Phillips, who 

grew up in Auburn Gresham, recalled there 

being a lot of trust in the community, and 

said everyone knows their neighbors – 

even those from a few blocks away. The 

neighborhood, she said, helps to create 

a sense of community with a variety 

of festivals, block parties and other 

community events. 

Many of these initiatives are mobilized by 

the Greater Auburn Gresham Development 

Corporation, which seeks to help improve 

and enhance the delivery of community 

and economic development. This initiative 

keeps residents informed on projects in 

their neighborhood, makes them aware of 

how they can use their voices on important 

community matters, and, of course, lets 

them know about fun get-togethers and 

ways they can give back. 

THE HOMES 

When walking down the residential, treelined 

streets in Auburn Gresham, you’ll find 

two main styles of homes: bungalows and 

two (or three) flats. 

Both styles of homes are popular for 

distinct reasons, according to the 2021 

Auburn Gresham top producer Frank Montro, 

Keller Williams Preferred. Bungalows allow 

for the opportunity to be expanded, as the 

style easily provides the chance to add extra 

floors on top. Two flats, on the other hand, 

can be used as a way for a homeowner to 

build equity by renting out the second unit 

in the building. In some circumstances, 

Montro said, it’s possible that the rent 

collected from a tenant could cover the 

amount of the mortgage on the home. 

Also, for home buyers who are willing to 

take on a challenge, Auburn Gresham is the 

ideal location for home renovations, Montro 

said. For instance, he’s witnessed many 

homebuyers utilize loans and grants, like 

the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 

Development’s 203(k) Rehab Mortgage 

Insurance program or the city of Chicago’s 

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program to 

help finance renovations, so homebuyers 

can purchase a home and make it the home 

of their dreams. 

And more investment is coming into the 

neighborhood through residential developments. 

In August, work began on a 58-unit 

apartment complex on 79 th Street, which 

was also funded by INVEST South/West. 

If you’re looking for a neighborhood with 

lots of pride and opportunity, look no 

further than Auburn Gresham. “If you 

want to move somewhere that has a lot of 

activity and community, it’s a great place,” 

Montro added. 


At A Glance 

77 REPRESENTATIVE: 

Cherron Phillips 

The Real Estate Company 

ALDERMAN: 

David Moore 

HOUSING STATS (OCTOBER 2022) 

Median Sales Price of Detached Home 

Year Over Year: 

$ 

200,500 

Median Sales Price of Attached Home 

Year Over Year: 

$ 

87,000 

YOY Change in New Listings of 

All Properties: 

26.9% 

YOY Change in Closed Sales 

of All Properties: 

-29.6% 

YOY Change in Inventory of Homes 

for All Properties: 

24.5% 


Building Trust 

WITH CLIENTS USING 

Market Data 

FEATURED 

CONTRIBUTORS 

KOI 

TASANIYOM 

CENTURY 21 

S.G.R. 

LISA 

BLUME 

Keller Williams 

ONEChicago 

The real estate market is constantly 

changing, especially over the last 

few years. As REALTORS ® , you’re 

the trusted advisors for your homebuyers 

and sellers, so it’s vital that you’re armed 

with the knowledge you need to earn your 

client’s trust and to help them make informed 

decisions during the transaction. One of the 

best ways to do this is to keep up with the 

market through trends and data. 

We spoke with two Chicago REALTORS ® to 

find out how they use market data to inform 

their strategies with their clients for buying 

and selling homes. 

CONTEXTUALIZING 

DATA 

Media will never paint a full market picture. 

News articles and social media posts can 

exaggerate headlines about the housing 

market. Koi Tasaniyom, CENTURY 21 S.G.R., 

aims to cut through the noise and provide 

straight-forward, localized information his 

clients need to know. 

else that might be of note. His strategy helps 

him anticipate questions that may come up 

from his clients. 

Then, he looks at InfoSparks and FastStats 

– both member perks you can access for 

free with your Chicago Association of 

REALTORS ® membership – to get a more 

local, granular look at the market. Through 

these tools, he is able to get data as specific 

as he wants, down to the neighborhood, 

and choose the data points to share with 

clients, from market price to market time and 

anything in between. 

USING THE DATA 

DURING THE 

TRANSACTION 

With each of his sellers, Tasaniyom creates a 

uniquely tailored listing presentation, which 

features a breakdown of InfoSparks data 

for their neighborhood. This acts as the first 

piece of data that he uses to discuss the state 

of the market and what to expect during the 

selling process. 


Tasaniyom starts his days by keeping an eye 

on the headlines, particularly on topics such 

as interest rates, political news and anything 

Lisa Blume, Keller Williams ONEChicago, 

echoes the same sentiment, saying that she 

shares neighborhood-specific data with both

her buyers and sellers to inform them of 

what’s happening in the market. “We really 

look at data when we set our price,” she said. 

As his client’s trusted advisor, Tasaniyom 

uses the neighborhood’s median sales 

price, market time and months’ supply 

of inventory as important markers when 

pricing a home. Once his clients get farther 

in the transaction, the data acts as support 

for his suggestions for a listing strategy, so 

his clients can make an informed decision 

on a price. 

As the market has recently begun to 

stabilize since the COVID-19 pandemic, 

Tasaniyom will typically look back at three 

years of data trends to best advise his 

clients, since the years during the pandemic 

may not be the best indicators of what his 

clients can expect from the market right 

now. He also makes sure to gather comps, 

and the median sales prices for those 

properties, from the last six months. 

Here are the top five data points Blume and 

Tasaniyom believe are the most important 

and impactful when talking to his clients: 

1. Median Sales Price: It’s important 

to gather both the median for the 

neighborhood as a whole, as well as 

the median for comps to get a good 

idea of how to price a property. 

2. Market Time: This is a good indicator 

so clients can anticipate when their 

property will go under contract. 

3. Months’ Supply of Inventory: 

Looking at inventory, combined with 

closed sales, will show what demand 

looks like in the market. 

4. Closed Sales: This indicator helps 

to show demand and, when looked 

at by neighborhood, can help to build 

confidence in the market for the area. 

5. Showings: According to Blume, if we 

see showings go up, we will likely also 

see time on the market increase. 

Letting her clients know about the 

showing statistics allows her to set 

and manage her sellers’ expectations 

before they list a property. 

Since these data points aren’t readily 

available to the public, Tasaniyom believes 

sharing his knowledge with clients proves 

his professionalism and expertise. 

He hopes that all this information will help 

his clients make the best decisions on selling 

their home because, “At the end of the day, 

it’s not the decision of us to make, but the 

decision of the client,” he says. 

When it comes to buyers, Blume shares 

median sales price, days on the market, 

absorption rate, showings and inventory 

with her clients. This information helps her 

and her clients inform their buying strategy. 

STAYING TOP OF MIND 

Tasaniyom doesn’t just share this data with 

his current clients, he also makes sure to stay 

top of mind with his sphere of influence by 

sharing the data on social media. But, with 

the fast-paced way the market is shifting 

and changing, he chooses to share data and 

housing news on his Instagram and Facebook 

stories, as opposed to posting it on the grid. 

“The data today may not be relevant to the 

data tomorrow,” he said. 

Blume and her team, on the other hand, 

have standardized the way they share data 

through social media to consistently provide 

information for her current and potential 

clients. Blume, and each REALTOR ® on her 

team, has picked five neighborhoods in 

Chicago that they each share data on every 

month. They decide which neighborhood to 

highlight based on the areas they specialize 

in. Then, they post-market data graphics on 

their social media platforms each month, 

right when the new data is released. 

Every month, Blume and her team also 

create and send an e-newsletter to their 

sphere. In that newsletter, they attach 

a Google Doc that includes data on 15 

Chicago neighborhoods, so the information 

is also accessible right in their inboxes. 

Ready to get started? 

Here are the data tools 

you can access for FREE! 

Through your Chicago Association of REALTORS ® membership, you have access 

to a variety of data at your fingertips for free! Check out what’s available to you 

below and start utilizing them today at ChicagoREALTOR.com/statistics. 

FastStats 

FastStats allows you to see the big picture with monthly overviews of the 

Chicago market, look local by viewing neighborhood-specific data and even 

check out the weekly citywide data trends. 

InfoSparks 

InfoSparks, which is available through ShowingTime, gives you the opportunity 

to analyze data by county, city, postal code, neighborhood or other 

geographical ways. You can compare different geographical areas on a variety 

of metrics. You can also customize and share these charts with your name, 

information and headshot when you share them with your clients! 

Statistical Spreadsheets 

These are a great resource for housing market trends in Chicago’s 77 

neighborhoods and 293 suburbs since 1995. Statistics consist of average sales 

price, median sales price, market time, units sold and percent changes for 

Chicago and the suburbs. 

Market Snapshot 

Each month, we post a blog on ChicagoREALTOR.com that breaks down the 

statistics and includes talking points so you can speak confidently about the 

Chicago real estate market. This blog also includes an infographic to easily 

review the data you need to know. 


The Social Media Content 

App Chicago REALTORS ® 

Love: Photofy 

Have you checked out Photofy yet? This platform allows you to demonstrate what you bring to the real estate transaction and 

beyond — in our Chicago neighborhoods and in understanding the local real estate market. This free member benefit allows you 

to customize and share professional graphics that underscore your value, straight to your social media channels. 

Why do your peers love this member benefit? 

“I absolutely love how I can leverage 

Photofy on all social media platforms 

to show our communities that we, as 

REALTORS ® , are experts in our 

market. The content offered is 

consistent, cohesive and an excellent 

tool to build your brand. It is marketing 

power at your fingertips and a vital 

tool to show your value to clients.” 

CHRISTOPHER ROBLES 

Fulton Grace Realty 

“The final product is always a 

professional marketing piece 

that I’m very proud to display. 

Photofy is another real estate 

tool that allows me to make 

clear and precise content with 

just a click of a button.” 

RODESSA JOINER 

Realty Services Consortium 

Check out our Fair Housing and Sustainability assets! 

Showcase your commitment to Fair Housing and Sustainability. These graphics demonstrate your commitment to your clients’ 

well-being through equal opportunities and health through sustainable lifestyles. Happy sharing! 

Get started for free today at ChicagoREALTOR.com/photofy. 


Scan with your smartphone camera!

2023 

Chicago REALTORS ® 

AFFILIATE 

DIRECTORY 

www.ChicagoREALTOR.com/affiliates 


2023 

AFFILIATE MEMBERS 

ATTORNEYS 

MICHAEL J. ANSELMO 

Codilis & Associates, P.C. 

630-546-2508 

Michael.Anselmo@il.cslegal.com 

www.codilis.com 

KAYLI ARELLANO 

Chicagoland Property Law 

773-775-7805 

kayli@chicagolandpropertylaw.com 

CAMBI CANN 

Law Offices of Cambi L. Cann P.C. 

312-450-2007 

ccann@cannlaw.net 

CRAIG M. CAPILLA 

Franklin, Greenswag, Channon 

& Capilla, LLC 

847-716-2380 

ccapilla@fgcclaw.com 

www.fgcclaw.com 

MARC ANTHONY CERVANTES 

Cervantes, Chatt, & Prince PC 

312-606-9529 

mcervantes@ccpchicago.com 

ccpchicago.com 

JILL DANIELS 

Jill Daniels LLC 

630-270-3393 

jill@jilldanielslaw.com 

jilldanielslaw.com 

CASEY HORNSBY 

Chicagoland Property Law 

773-775-7805 

casey.hornsby@yahoo.com 

chicagolandpropertylaw.com 

THEMIS KATRIS 

The Katris Law Group 

708-351-1199 

tk@katrislaw.com 

katrislaw.com 

EBONY LUCAS 

The Closing Firm, LLC 

312-672-2299 

elucas@theclosingfirmllc.com 

plgesq.com 

GARY MAGES 

Mages & Price, LLC Attorneys at Law 

847-405-7600 

gmages@magesandprice.com 

www.magesandprice.com 


RICHARD A. MAGNONE 

Reda | Ciprian | Magnone, LLC 

773-399-1122 

rmagnone@rcmlaw.com 

www.illinois-attorney.com 

NIKO MARNERIS 

Marneris Law 

312-243-6700 

ngm@marnerislaw.com 

YONDI MORRIS-ANDREWS 

Knight, Morris & Reddick Law 

312-574-0181 

ymorris@kmrlawgroup.com 

kmrlawgroup.com 

JUSTIN C. STRANE 

Shapiro Strane, LLC 

312-391-7788 

Justin@shapirostrane.com 

shapirostrane.com 

SARAH SUTTON 

Sutton Law LLC 

773-340-2678 

sarah@suttonlegalgroup.com 

www.suttonlegalgroup.com 

KASHYAP V. TRIVEDI 

Trivedi & Khan, P.C. 

224-353-6346 

kashyap@trivedikhan.com 

trivedikhan.com 

JONATHAN WEIS 

Levin Ginsburg – Attorneys at Law 

312-368-0100 

jweis@lgattorneys.com 

www.lgattorneys.com 

BUSINESS 

SERVICES 

JEFF IGEL 

OnTrack Credit Path 

630-745-0216 

jeff@ontrackcreditpath.com 

www.ontrackcreditpath.com 

LYNN LEEGARD 

Trust Funds LLC 

800-249-1616 

lynn@trustfunds.us.com 

trustfunds.us.com 

Affiliate 

2023Business 

Services Directory 

DOUG MANDEVILLE 

Commission Express 

847-448-0237 

chicommissionadvance@gmail.com 

www.commissionexpress.com/ 

platinum 

2023 

LIAM SUNDLING 

G2 Consulting Group 

847-353-8740 

lsundling@g2consultinggroup.com 

g2consultinggroup.com 

ADAM WESSELINK 

AIRE Sync, Inc 

847-361-0079 

adam@airesync.com 

www.airesync.com 

CONSULTANTS 

BERNARD RABINOWITZ 

Rabinowitz Associates 

312-925-1394 

brabinowitz@gmail.com 

JARED ROGERS 

Wilson Rogers & Co., Inc. 

773-239-8850 

jrrogers@wilsonrogers.net 

www.wilsonrogers.net 

HOME 

SERVICES 

RICHARD CAMACHO 

Prestige Real Estate Images Inc. 

773-540-9556 

prestigelistings2@gmail.com 

prestigelistingphotos.com 

LARA DAILEY 

AirBNB 

708-968-1486 

lara.dailey@airbnb.com 

airbnb.com 

ANANIAS GRANGER JR. 

A&D Property Services, Inc. 

773-933-7840 

president@adpropertyservices.com 

adpropertyservices.com 

MADELYN ISAACSON 

Valenti Builders 

224-223-5595 

Madelyn.Isaacson@Valentibuilders.com 

valentibuilders.com 

SAMEER KELKAR 

Piston Home Automation 

331-238-0279 

sameer@pistonhome.com 

pistonhome.com 

GRANT ROWLEY 

1-800-GOT-JUNK? 

815-469-5581 2023 

grant.rowley@1800gotjunk.com 

LIAM SUNDLING 

G2 Consulting Group 

847-353-8740 

lsundling@g2consultinggroup.com 

g2consultinggroup.com 

JOE WEIDMAN 

Junk Relief 

800-586-5735 

joe@junkrelief.com 

www.junkrelief.com 

HOME 

WARRANTY 

JULIE O’BRIEN 

Cinch Home Warranty 

773-383-3338 

jobrien@cinchhs.com 

cinchrealestate.com 

INSPECTORS/ 

ENVIRONMENTAL 

KATHRYN EGGERS 

Midwest Energy Efficiency 

312-374-0922 

keggers@mwalliance.org 

mwalliance.org 

CARY JOZEFIAK 

HomeTeam of Lincoln Park 

262-909-1206 

cjozefiak@hometeam.com 

www.hometeam.com/lincolnpark-chicago/ 

DEVIN RENBERG 

Moldman USA 

312-878-6444 

devinrenberg@moldmanusa.com 

www.moldmanusa.com

RAYMOND SAHM 

Sahm Home Services 

317-946-9040 

ray@sahmhomeservices.com 

www.sahmhomeservices.com 

INSURANCE 

JOSE R. GOMEZ 

Allstate, Gomez Insurance Agency 

773-777-7520 

jrgomez@allstate.com 

www.gomezinsuranceagency.com 

ALEXANDRA HOWE 

Goosehead Insurance 

312-764-5673 

alexandra.howe@goosehead.com 

MICHAEL PLAGEMAN 

Plageman Agency Inc – American 

Family Insurance 

847-823-0200 

mplagema@amfam.com 

plagemanagency.com 

MORTGAGE 

SERVICES 

CRAIG ACHTZEHN 

Draper & Kramer Mortgage Corp. 

312-961-7763 

craig@dkmortgage.com 

dkmortgage.com/craig 

DAVINA ARCENEAUX 

Motto Mortgage Home Services 

844-466-8864 

davina.arceneaux@mottomortgage.com 

www.mottomortgagehomeservices.com 

MICHAEL BENCKS 

Neighborhood Loans 

773-960-2278 

michael@neighborhoodloans.com 

mortgagebencks.com 

MICHELLE BOBART 

Guaranteed Rate 

312-379-3516 

michelle@rate.com 

rate.com/michellebobart 

DEVONTAE BROOKS 


847-232-2713 

dbrooks@rate.com 

rate.com/devontaebrooks 

JASON BRYANT 

Guaranteed Rate Affinity 

773-406-3795 

jason.bryant@grarate.com 

KATELYN CAMPBELL 


630-268-5536 

katie.campbell@dkmortgage.com 

PETER DE JONG 


847-233-1180 

peter.dejong@rate.com 

guaranteedrate.com/peterdejong 

JOSEPH DIBLASE 

Scott Credit Union 

312-415-8783 

joe@diblase.com 

www.scu.org 

ELISE ELIZALDE 

Guaranteed Rate Affinity 

312-252-2406 

elise.elizalde@grarate.com 

grarate.com/eliseelizalde 

FELTON REED ELLINGTON 

JP Morgan Chase Bank 

248-943-5510 

felton.ellington@chase.com 

CALEB FATH 

CrossCountry Mortgage 

312-379-8708 

caleb.fath@myccmortgage.com 

crosscountrymortgage.com/ 

The-Manglardi-Group 

ALEX FILIN 


773-897-3896 

afilin@rate.com 

rate.com/afilin 

CHRIS A. FRIIS, SR. 

First Secure Bank and Trust 

708-430-5000 (Main) 

708-237-3146 (Direct) 

Cfriis@firstsecurebank.com 

www.firstsecurebank.com 

HIPOLITO GARCIA 

Caliber Home Loans 

773-575-7200 

hip@caliberhomeloans.com 

caliberhomeloans.com 

JOHN GRAZIANI 

Regions Mortgage 

773-573-9515 

john.graziani@regions.com 

www.regions.com 

TAMMY HAJJAR MILLER 

The Federal Savings Bank 

773-726-4374 

tammy@thefederalsavingsbank.com 

www.tammyhajjar.com 

TIM ISAI 

iLoan 

773-977-7000 

tim@lionrate.com 

timisai.floify.com 

DAVID KASPRISIN 

Wintrust Mortgage 

312-208-4648 

dkasprisin@wintrustmortgage.com 

www.wintrustmortgage.com 

TK KHWAJA 

Paramount Bank 

847-800-5699 

tk@paramountbank.com 

ParamountBank.com/TK 

CHRISTOPHER KNAPP 


312-757-1801 

knapp@dkmortgage.com 

dkmortgage.com/knapp 

GREGORY KOHLHAGEN 


773-398-3518 

greg.kohlhagen@rate.com 

people.rate.com/gregkohlhagen-2100313 

MARC KRAMER 

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage 

312-320-8400 

marc.kramer@wellsfargo.com 

homeloans.wellsfargo.com/ 

mortgage/il/chicago/Marc-Kramer 

BRIAN KURTZ 

Wells Fargo Private Mortgage 

312-630-2274 

brian.j.kurtz@wellsfargo.com 

www.wfhm.com/brian-kurtz 

RENO MANUELE 

Neighborhood Loans 

630-688-6659 

reno@neighborhoodloans.com 

www.neighborhoodloans.com 

JAMES McCONNELL 


847-720-7714 

jim.mcconnell@dkmortgage.com 

dkmortgage.com/mcconnell 

BERNIE MILLER 

The Federal Savings Bank 

312-738-6262 

bernie@thefederalsavingsbank.com 

www.thefederalsavingsbank.com/ 

About/People/Bernie-Miller 

NMLS # 210808. The Federal Savings Bank is an 

Equal Housing Opportunity Lender. Member FDIC 

DON PRELL 


312-592-8049 

don.prell@wellsfargo.com 

KELLY PRICE 


773-501-6653 

kprice@wintrustmortgage.com 


TODD PROBASCO 

Lakeside Bank 

708-205-2983 

t.probasco@lakesidebank.com 

lakesidebank.com 

MEAGAN QUINN 


312-462-7714 

meaganqnn@gmail.com 


NICK SAFIS 

Huntington National Bank 

312-888-6359 

nick.safis@huntington.com 

LINDA SCOTT 


773-883-4157 

lascott@wintrustmortgage.com 

www.lindascottmortgagescoop.com 

MATT SCRIBNER 


312-592-5626 

matt.scribner@wellsfargo.com 

homeloans.wellsfargo.com 

ANDREW J. SURMA 

Wells Fargo Private Mortgage 

Banking 

312-952-8872 

andrew.j.surma@wellsfargo.com 

andrewjsurma.com 

AMIR SYED 


312-620-4663 

amir@rate.com 

www.rate.com/amir 

CHRISTIN TAYLOR 

CrossCountry Mortgage 

312-771-6969 

lucky@myccmortgage.com 

luckytaylorloans.com 

ROY TAYLOR 


630-376-0454 

roy.taylor@dkmortgage.com 

dkmortgage.com 

TITLE 

COMPANIES 

DARREN BENNEFIELD 

Carrington Title Partners LLC 

630-317-0049 

dbennefield@carringtontitle.com 

carringtontitle.com 

EDWARD GAL 

@Home Title Services 

312-500-4663 

e.gal@athometitleservices.com 

athometitleservices.com 

PATRICK HEALY 

Citywide Title Corp. 

312-492-8934 

phealy@citywidetitle.com 

LISA MISTRATA 

Chicago Title Insurance 

773-372-5798 

lisa.mistrata@ctt.com 

cmetro.ctic.com 

SARA O’CONNOR 

Greater Illinois Title Company 

708-424-8600 

sara.oconnor@gitc.com 

www.gitc.com 

CHRIS OSWALD 

Greater Illinois Title Company 

312-236-7300 

chris.oswald@gitc.com 

www.gitc.com 

ALISON STOGSDILL 

Chicago Title 

630-297-2502 

alison.stogsdill@ctt.com 

MIKE WOOD 

ATA National Title Group 

312-546-1330 

mwood@atatitle.com 

www.atatitle.com 


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BREAKFAST 

TAKEAWAYS 

Good Business 

Habits Stem From A 

Strong CRM System 

• Create a database as soon as 

possible, and track everything: 

birthdays, anniversaries, lease 

renewal dates, text message 

conversations, follow-up dates 

and more. Who goes into your 

database? Everyone you know. 

• CRMs do not have to be 

complicated. Pick something 

that works for you! Google 

Spreadsheets work for some 

people as much as formal 

software does for others. 

Treat Follow-Ups 

As Relationship 

Building 

• Forming and maintaining 

business relationships is 

about the long game. Stay 

top-of-mind with respectful, 

personalized follow-ups! Use 

your CRM to send move-in 

anniversary emails or birthday 

notes. 

• Create follow-up systems you 

can sustain. Between emails, 

text messages, phone calls, 

letters, postcards and more, 

customize your process to 

something authentic to you. 

FROM: “How You Can Niche Your Way 

to Six Figures” 

• Work smarter, not harder! Set 

templatized email responses 

for the questions you get the 

most. Format an official 

checklist or timeline document 

for the start of every new 

client relationship. 

By niching down, you're not turning away business. You're heightening it. 

Networking already exists in your friends and family and their friends and 

family. Start small or start off in areas like 

leasing, then when people are ready, and 

you’re advertising your expertise, they’ll reach 

out to you. 

GUEST: MELANIE MILLER, Coldwell Banker Realty 

HOST: EUNIQUE GILL, Coldwell Banker Realty 

FROM: “Challenging Hustle Culture” 

A respectful thing to do if you’re sending something over the weekend or 

getting caught up on a Saturday night is to say, "Hey, look, no need to 

respond to this right away. Just wanted to get this in motion. Let me know 

sometime tomorrow when you have a chance." Give them permission to 

not respond right away. There's a lot of subtle 

things we can be doing as agents to help 

support each other and to create some space 

between when we're working and we're not. 

GUEST: KELLY PARKER, COMPASS 

HOST: DEVON CHANDLER, Dream Town Realty 

BACK TO BASICS: 

8 Actionable 

Business Tips 

Your Ultimate Goal 

Is To Create A 

Positive Experience 

• You are an educator! Listen to 

people’s goals and motivations, 

supply information with 

intention and communicate 

often. By leading with 

knowledge first, you’re creating 

a great transaction experience. 

• Establish a timeline from the 

start. It should include when 

specific things will happen and 

who makes what decisions and 

when. This timeline will help 

prevent miscommunication. 

You Are Not Alone: 

Lean On Support 

Systems 

• The association has networking 

groups and communities with 

other REALTORS ® going 

through similar situations to 

you! Connect with YPN, Global 

Real Estate Council, 

CommercialForum and more. 

• Be intentional about the events 

and classes you choose to 

attend. Pick topics that interest 

you or market areas you want 

to work in. You will meet 

like-minded people. 

PODCAST TAKEAWAYS 

FROM: “Breaking Down Basics: 

Converting Renters to Buyers” 

A CRM is the most valuable thing you can 

have. The more you can grow your breadth 

of clients and people that know you, the more 

you will get back. 

GUEST: GRIGORY PEKARSKY, Vesta Preferred Realty 

HOST: QUENTIN GREEN, Downtown Realty Company 

FROM: “Why You Should Add Luxury Rentals 

To Your Business” 

It’s very important to know the inventory like the back of your hand. In the 

first three months, make an excel sheet of buildings and neighborhoods, 

and go tour the buildings to get to know the 

inventory. Try to tour about three to eight 

a day. 

GUEST: JODI DUAN, Americorp Ltd. 

HOST: DJ PARIS, Kale Realty 


Association News 

Local Plant Shop & Retail Store Receive 

Hispanic Small Business Grants 

While many small businesses were affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, 

the five business sectors most affected by COVID-19 generate almost 

50% of the revenues of all Hispanic and Latino-owned businesses and 

individuals are 65% of Hispanics and Latinos work in these sectors, 

according to McKinsey. Many of these businesses and individuals are 

still trying to get back to their pre-pandemic normal. 

Wall of Good Boys. The store also donated a Monstera plant and gift 

card to One Tail At A Time’s Houndstooth Ball, a dog-friendly gala 

which supports its no-kill rescues initiatives. 

According to Cotto, the grant will go towards business operations that 

will help the young business keep their doors open. 

The Chicago Association of REALTORS ® Foundation and The 77 

Diversity Committee continue to help local small business owners 

affected by the pandemic through small business grants. During 

Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place from September 15 to 

October 15 every year, we awarded two grants to Hispanic, locally 

owned businesses: a plant shop and retail store. 

The Made Shop 

4440 N. Milwaukee Ave. 

The Made Shop is a local retail store 

that sells handmade items from 

entrepreneurs, artists and other creatives from across Chicago. 

Make sure to stop by and support their establishments. 

Terracotto Plants 

3056 W. Diversey Ave. 

Fernando Cotto is passionate about plants. 

He worked at a greenhouse for many years but 

was unhappy with the shifts in the company 

when the COVID-19 pandemic began. So, he took matters into his 

own hands. Cotto left his job in 2020 to open his own retail nursery, 

Terracotto Plants, in Logan Square. 

Terracotto Plants is a 

neighborhood plant 

store that prides 

itself on having a 

knowledgeable staff 

and everything a 

plant parent could 

need to ensure their 

customers’ new 

plants feel at home. 

Beyond plants and 

pots, the store also 

offers plant repotting 

services, in-home 

Sarah Ware, Ware Realty Group, Fernando Cotto, 

Terracotto Plants, Marki Lemons Ryhal, EXIT Strategy 

Realty, & Michelle Mills Clement, Chicago Association 

of REALTORS ® . 

consultations, classes and events like yoga and plant exchanges. And, 

for free, the store offers a community cutting wall, where people can 

come in and take, or leave, cuttings whenever they would like. 

Terracotto Plants plays an integral role in the community, specifically 

when it comes to residents’ furry friends. It honors their customer’s 

dogs, who are welcome at the store, by showcasing them on the 

Owner Christina Parker based the store around the idea of pop-up 

shops. She was also inspired by her desire to sell her own work, which 

was a journey plagued with many barriers. She knew she wasn’t alone in 

this struggle, so she opened a place where others could sell their goods. 

At The Made Store, 

you can find earrings, 

clothes, home goods, 

candles and much 

more. Every three 

months, Parker 

rotates products to 

give as many artists 

as possible the 

opportunity to sell 

their products. 

Over the last year, 

the store has given 

back to those in need. When Ukraine was attacked, Parker made shirts 

in-house and donated the proceeds to the children of Ukraine who 

were affected by the tragedy. 

This grant will help with business operations, as the store has been 

forced to close its doors over the last few years periodically due to 

COVID-19 and COVID-19 exposure. 

Sarah Ware, Ware Realty Group, Christina Parker, 

The Made Shop, Marki Lemons Ryhal, EXIT Strategy 

Realty, & Michelle Mills Clement, Chicago Association 

of REALTORS ® . 

We will continue to support other Chicago-based, minority-owned small 

businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the year. 

Keep an eye out for our small business grant application announcements 

and share them with those who qualify. Together, we will continue to 

uplift our communities and those who keep them thriving. 


Association News 

Global Real Estate Council 

Receives NAR’s Platinum 

Global Achievement Program 

Award for Fifth Year in a Row 

The Global Real Estate Council has 

received the NAR 2022 Platinum Global 

Achievement Program Award for 

the fifth year in a row! The award is 

designed to recognize and reward 

the council with the most active 

associations in global business. 

Our Global Real Estate Council 

continuously works to find innovative ways 

to connect and grow our council. By supporting members in their 

business with global markets (inbound and outbound transactions 

and/or consultancy) through marketing and communications, events 

and education, and personal outreach, our council continues to grow 

as a global community. Thank you to NAR’s Global Achievement 

Program for this recognition. 

CEO Michelle Mills 

Clement Honored 

on Crain’s Notable 

Black Leaders & 

Executives List 

Mills Clement 

CEO Michelle Mills Clement was honored 

on Crain’s 2022 Notable Black Leaders & 

Executives list. 

“Mills Clement also guided the launch of the 

association’s new diversity incubator, the 

Leadership Accelerator. Under her direction, 

CAR issued an apology for past actions 

promoting segregation in Chicago, and she 

wrote a Tribune op-ed seeking equity for Black 

REALTORS ® and equal treatment for minority property owners,” her 

profile states. Congratulations on this honor, Michelle! 

Griffin’s Auto Care 

Awarded Our Community 

Champion Award 

Griffin’s Auto Care 

was awarded with the 

Foundation Community 

Champion Award and 

received a $ 3,500 grant to 

use towards the business’s 

charitable outreach efforts. 

Griffin’s Auto Care, owned 

by Mark Griffin and located 

at 9506 S. Indiana Ave., is 

known in its community for 

educating and employing 

Foundation Immediate Past Chair Rachel Scheid, 

@properties | Christie’s International Real Estate, 

Mark Griffin, Griffin’s Auto Care, Foundation Chair 

Sam Powell, Dream Town Realty, & Immediate 

Past President Antje Gehrken, A.R.E. Partners. 

individuals with diverse backgrounds, as well as giving a helping hand 

when someone doesn’t have the finances to afford a repair. 

The Community Champion Award, which was launched this year, 

was created to honor a local, non-charitable, small business that is 

enhancing the vibrancy of our city through its charitable outreach. 


Government Affairs Update 

The Government Affairs 

Updates You Need to Know 

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE 

2023 BUDGETS 

The city of Chicago reviewed a $16.4 billion budget. The budget did not 

include a property tax increase, although it was considered. Overall, 

there will be a property tax levy of $7.13 billion. Mayor Lightfoot 

dropped the 2.5% increase on property taxes following pushback from 

alderman and groups like the REALTORS ® . 

THE SEARCH FOR LONG-TERM, 

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR 

HOMELESSNESS CONTINUES 

Bring Chicago Home is an active campaign focused on increasing 

the transfer tax to help fund homeless support programs in Chicago. 

Advocates of Bring Chicago Home are asking for a 1.9% increase in 

the real estate transfer tax on transactions over $1 million. 

While a property tax increase was not included in the budget, the 

possibility of an automatic property tax increase still exists in Chicago’s 

municipal code. This past July, a group of aldermen introduced an 

ordinance (O22–2498) that would repeal an automatic ability for this 

mayor and future mayors to include a Consumer Price Index (CPI) or 5% 

increase, whichever is less. For example, in 2022, 

CPI was over 8%. As of today, without this ordinance, a mayor 

can increase property taxes by 5%. If inflation levels continue to 

hover around 7 or 8% over the next year, there could be additional 

increases. This law is very problematic when considering the possible 

compounding of property tax increases over time. It is unfair to 

property taxpayers when they do not have a direct vote on the matter. 

Going into 2023, $200 million of the city’s budget will be devoted 

specifically to homelessness and affordable housing initiatives. Since 

the city did not spend at least $98 million of the approved funding in 

2022, we must first review current policies and programs to identify 

what’s working and what is not. 

Not only do tax increases take equity from families and future 

generations trying to build wealth, but our underserved neighborhoods 

also already suffer from disinvestment and commercial vacancies. It 

is important to note that over 32,000 properties would be impacted, 

including small residential buildings with ground-level retail, grocers, 

healthcare facilities and small businesses in our neighborhoods. 

REALTORS ® strongly support repealing a mayor’s ability to 

automatically increase property taxes. In fact, according to the Institute 

of Housing Studies at DePaul University, 30.7% of owner-occupied 

households are cost burdened; and almost 50% of renter-occupied 

households are cost burdened. The automatic increase in property 

taxes would also result in an automatic increase in rent. 

We are working to provide alternatives to alderpersons for a long-term 

funding mechanism to help house the homeless. Increasing transfer 

taxes is not the solution. 

Furthermore, businesses must choose between rising prices or shutting 

their doors, which contributes to the already persistent problem of 

vacant storefronts, retail and food deserts. This past year, we’ve seen 

a new record high of office vacancies, with some reaching over twenty 

20%. Tax increases hurt all neighborhoods. 

The county’s budget is $8.75 billion, which does not include a property 

tax increase. The total amount of revenue collected from property taxes 

is $807 million county-wide, or 9.2% of total revenues. The other area of 

the budget impacting real estate is the transfer tax. The transfer tax for 

2023 is projected at $56 million total, a reduction from 2022. Increased 

interest rates and low home inventory are the expected reasons for the 

decrease year over year. Keep in mind that there are separate transfer 

taxes collected for Chicago, Cook County and the state. 


IMPACT OF LATE PROPERTY TAX BILLS 

ON PROPERTY OWNERS 

Property tax bills were delayed in the fall; the mailing of the second 

installment bill was at least four months late. The second installment is 

important for Chicago property owners as the 2021 reassessment will 

be reflected on this bill, determining if a property owner’s payment will 

increase or decrease. This means, in early 2023, property owners will 

receive back-to-back bills. Owners that escrow will likely receive a letter 

detailing how their payments will change. Further, the delay in 2022 will 

most likely create delays in 2023 and, possibly, 2024. It is assumed that 

some of the due dates for property tax payments will also be delayed. 

INCENTIVE TAX OPTIONS FOR 

FOOD DESERTS 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has identified 807 low 

income and low access census tracts in Illinois where urban residents 

must travel more than half a mile and rural residents travel more than 

10 miles to the nearest supermarket. Cook County has the greatest 

amount of food deserts — 302 out of the 807 tracts across the state. 

Considering these numbers, Cook County would like to increase 

access to healthy food, reduce obesity and improve health outcomes 

by offering a new property tax incentive program for grocery stores to 

open (22-5345). Class 7D will reduce the property tax assessment of 

a grocery store located in a food desert (defined by USDA) for a store 

that either expands or renovates, and provides fresh produce, bakery 

items, meat/deli department and more. At least 55% of employees 

must be employed on a full-time basis to receive the reduced 

assessment, which mid-level grocery stores do. 

REALTORS ® were supportive of the new property tax incentive class. 

Although REALTORS ® were supportive, public comments provided by 

staff expressed the need to review the entire property tax incentive 

program. Staff acknowledged how property taxes can easily become 

burdensome, pointing to numbers released in October by the Cook 

County Treasurer’s office regarding over 55,000 properties with 

delinquent property tax payments and an indication of possible future 

vacancies. Obviously, future economic conditions cannot be predicted, 

but the concern over property taxes continues to be a burdensome 

aspect for families, individuals and businesses. The incentive might be 

helpful, but the county needs a plan to prevent vacancies. 

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE REALTOR ® 

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Contact your GAD Adriann Murawski, Director of Government 

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briefs, go to ChicagoREALTOR.com/Advocacy. 

Join us on the... 

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1 2 

139 TH INAUGURAL GALA 

3 

1. Molly Boyd & David Bracy, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago, & Yolanda Jeffries, Coldwell 

Banker Realty; 2. 2022-2023 Board of Directors Vicky Silvano, COMPASS, Kim Kerbis, @properties | 

Christie’s International Real Estate, Amy Hall, Caton Commercial Real Estate Group, Gaspar Flores Jr., 

Su Familia Real Estate Inc., Rafael Alvarado, Shield Real Estate, John C. Kmiecik, CENTURY 21 Affiliated, 

Marki Lemons Ryhal, EXIT Strategy Realty, Lutalo McGee, Ani Real Estate, Antje Gehrken, A.R.E. 

Partners, Drussy Hernandez, Coldwell Banker Realty, Sonia Anaya, America Real Estate, Inc., Sarah 

Ware, Ware Realty Group, Lyle Harlow, Kale Realty, Erika Villegas, RE/MAX in the Village, Erik Schwab, 

Corcoran Urban Real Estate, Dwight Marroquin, Neighborhood Loans, Ayoub Rabah, Coldwell Banker 

Realty, Amir Syed, Guaranteed Rate, & Michelle Mills Clement, Chicago Association of REALTORS ® ; 

3. Caitlyn Culbertson, Ben Schuster & Kelley Gandurski, Elrod Friedman; 4. Kyle Naylor & Joan LoCascio, 

Fulton Grace Realty; 5. Meagan Guinn, Wintrust Mortgage, Katrina Barry, Guaranteed Rate, & Lisa Evans, 

COMPASS; 6. Myra Nimchaiyong, COMPASS, & Drussy Hernandez, Coldwell Banker Realty. 

4 

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SPONSORED BY: 


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3 

5 

1 

6 

7 

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1. Marquis Tolbert, Jean Pierre Realty International, & Nina Hollins, 

Owners’ Real Estate Services; 2. Antje Gehrken, A.R.E. Partners, 

Frank Williams, F.J. Williams Realty, & Gaspar Flores Jr., Su Familia 

Real Estate Inc.; 3. Nykea Pippion McGriff, Coldwell Banker Realty, 

& Sarah Ware, Ware Realty Group; 4. Marc Little & Carrie Little, 

CarMarc Realty; 5. Tracy Ammons, Lutalo McGee & Michelle 

Fields, Ani Real Estate; 6. Kelly Price, Wintrust Mortgage, Deena 

Zimmerman, SVN Commercial Real Estate, Matt Farrell, Corcoran 

Urban Real Estate, Sam Powell, Dream Town Realty, and Rebecca 

Thomson & Nykea Pippion McGriff, Coldwell Banker Realty; 7. Julia 

Chiquito, Caliber Home Loans, Monica Pineda, Associated Bank, 

& Patty Garza Prince, CIBC Bank; 8. Zeke Morris, EXIT Strategy 

Realty/EMA Realty & Management, & Michael Gobber, CENTURY 

21 Affiliated; 9. Danny Lewis, Dream Town Realty, & Olivia Larson, 

Fulton Grace Realty. 

Photos by Marcello Rodarte, Marcello Rodarte Photography 

and Francis Son, Francis Son Photography 


1. Inaugural hosts Amir Syed, Guaranteed Rate, 

& Marki Lemons Ryhal, EXIT Strategy Realty; 

2. 2022 Hall of Fame Inductee Leon Walker, 

DL3 Realty Advisors, with the DL3 Realty 

Advisors team; 3. Sarah Ware, Ware Realty 

Group, & Antje Gehrken, A.R.E. Partners; 

4. Miguel Sanchez, Ruiz Realty Inc., & guest 

Lorena Sanchez; 5. Guests John Villegas & 

Edgar Cruz, and Lety Cruz & Erika Villegas, 

RE/MAX in the Village; 6. Sheldon Good, 

Good Realty Group LLC, Leon Walker, DL3 

Realty Advisors, & Rachel Scheid, @properties | 

Christie’s International Real Estate; 7. Michelle 

Mills Clement, Chicago Association of 

REALTORS ® , Nykea Pippion McGriff, Coldwell 

Banker Realty, & Antje Gehrken, A.R.E. Partners; 

8. Antje Gehrken, A.R.E. Partners, & Rebecca 

Thomson, Coldwell Banker Realty; 9. Antje 

Gehrken, A.R.E. Partners, & Amy Wu, Keller 

Williams Success Realty. 

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3 

4 

Photos by Marcello Rodarte, 

Marcello Rodarte Photography and 

Francis Son, Francis Son Photography 

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Golfers doing what they do. 


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2022 REALTOR ® AWARDS 

At the 139 th Annual Inaugural Gala, the real estate 

community gathered to honor exceptional members 

of our Chicago REALTOR ® family. Congratulations to 

the recipients of the 2022 REALTOR ® Awards and the 

2022 President’s Awards. 

2022 AFFILIATE OF THE YEAR 

AMIR SYED, Guaranteed Rate 

2022 REALTOR ® ACHIEVEMENT 

MATT DIFANIS, RE/MAX Realty Associates 

2022 COMMERCIAL ACHIEVEMENT 

MOSES HALL, MoHall Commercial and Urban Development 

2022 REALTOR ® COMMUNITY SERVICE 

LINDSAY GUHL, @properties | Christie’s International 

Real Estate 

VICKY SILVANO, COMPASS 

2022 MANAGING BROKER OF THE YEAR 

(1-50 licensees): 

PERDURE CARTER, Dream Spots Leasing Inc. 

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1. Michelle Mills Clement, Chicago Association of 

REALTORS ® , Matt Difanis, RE/MAX Realty Associates, & 

Antje Gehrken, A.R.E. Partners; 2. Michelle Mills Clement, 

Chicago Association of REALTORS ® , Vicky Silvano, COMPASS, 

& Antje Gehrken, A.R.E. Partners; 3. Michelle Mills Clement, 

Chicago Association of REALTORS ® , Lyle Harlow, Kale Reaty, 

& Antje Gehrken, A.R.E. Partners; 4. Michelle Mills Clement, 

Chicago Association of REALTORS ® , Matt Silver, Corcoran 

Urban Real Estate, & Antje Gehrken, A.R.E. Partners; 

5. Michelle Mills Clement, Chicago Association of 

REALTORS ® , Amir Syed, Guaranteed Rate, & Antje Gehrken, 

A.R.E. Partners; 6. Michelle Mills Clement, Chicago Association 

of REALTORS ® , Tracey Royal, Coldwell Banker Realty, & 

Antje Gehrken, A.R.E. Partners; 7. Michelle Mills Clement, 

Chicago Association of REALTORS ® , Lindsay Guhl, 

@properties | Christie’s International Real Estate, & Antje 

Gehrken, A.R.E. Partners; 8. Michelle Mills Clement, Chicago 

Association of REALTORS ® , Moses Hall, MoHall Commercial 

and Urban Development, & Antje Gehrken, A.R.E. Partners; 

9. Sarah Ware, Ware Realty Group, Perdure Carter, Dream 

Spots Leasing Inc., & Michelle Mills Clement, Chicago 

Association of REALTORS ® . 

9 

See all the videos, photos & speeches 

from the 139 th Inaugural Gala. 

2022 MANAGING BROKER OF THE YEAR 

(51+ licensees): 

LYLE HARLOW, Kale Realty 

2022 INDUSTRY PARTNER MEMBER AWARD 

TRACEY ROYAL, Coldwell Banker Realty 

2022 BRIAN A. BERNARDONI 

POLITICAL ADVOCACY AWARD 

MATT SILVER, Corcoran Urban Real Estate 

2022 BRIAN A. BERNARDONI 

PUBLIC OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR 

BRIDGET GAINER, Cook County Commissioner, 10 th District 

2022 REALTOR ® OF THE YEAR 

NYKEA PIPPION McGRIFF, Coldwell Banker Realty 

2022 PRESIDENT’S AWARDS RECIPIENTS: 

AMY WU, Keller Williams Success Realty 

CHICAGO ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS ® STAFF 

2022 XAVIER O. JOY PRESIDENTIAL 

INSPIRATION AWARD 

REBECCA THOMSON, Coldwell Banker Realty 


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4 

2022 YPN 

KICKBALL 

TOURNAMENT 

5 

On September 8, the Young Professionals 

Network hosted their Kickball Tournament 

where real estate professionals gathered 

at UIC’s Roosevelt Field to compete in the 

ultimate kickball showdown. Thank you to 

our sponsors and all who joined us. 

Congratulations to our 2022 champions, 

A and N Mortgage! 

GRAND SLAM SPONSOR 

6 

7 

BOTTLED WATER SPONSOR 

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12 13 

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17 

16 

1. Front Row: Lovell Houston Jr., Marco Rodriguez 

& Augusto Noreno, Kale Realty. Middle Row: 

Meagan Quinn, Wintrust Mortgage, & Michelle 

Whitmore, Kale Realty. Back Row: Patrick Loftus, 

Loftus Law, and Alex Margulis & D.J. Paris, Kale 

Realty, Emma Day, Wintrust Mortgage, & Michelle 

Young, Kale Realty; 2. Jessica Henry, Draper & 

Kramer; 3. Sandra Davila, Draper & Kramer; 

4. Eli Kruse, Neighborhood Loans, Kevin Boggs, 

Goosehead Insurance, Dave Campione, Andrey 

Rikels & Joe O’Callaghan, Neighborhood Loans, 

guest Kylin Turnbull, Michael Bencks, Emma 

Butler, Amber McClain, Rick Mauro, Marco Marin, 

Dwight Marroquin, Justin Rodriguez & Isabella 

Rico, Neighborhood Loans; 5. Front Row: Lauren 

Herskovic & Billy Cooper, COMPASS. Back Row: 

Patrick Dodd, Lance Kirshner, Lindsay Stout, 

Greg Vinn, Sohe Reyes, Claudia Carlucci, Omar 

Gonzalez, Jake Sanford & Billy Fisher, COMPASS; 

6. Keisha Williams, Fulton Grace Realty; 7. Aaron 

Palacios, Roy Taylor, Jessica Henry, Bob Carr, 

Katie Campbell, Craig Achtzehn, Sandra Davila, 

Rich Williams, Drew Derrieux, Ryan Gates & John 

Tupas, Draper & Kramer; 8. Front Row: Megan Ross, 

Allie Tassi & Raymond Melencio, Keller Williams 

ONEChicago, & Jennifer Bender, Guaranteed 

Rate. Back Row: Andy Hasdal, guest Tyler Smith, 

LaQuan Henley, HomeSmart Connect, Brian Moon 

& Tommy Choi, Keller Williams ONEChicago, Zach 

Kogut, COMPASS, & Willem Nong-Lambert, 

Keller Williams ONEChicago; 9. Michael Bencks, 

Neighborhood Loans; 10. Teams watch a game; 

11. Hernan Campuzano, A and N Mortgage, Jesus 

Garcia, Coldwell Banker Realty, Landon Hoon 

& Mason Schroder, A and N Mortgage, Henry 

Zehnal, COMPASS, Josh Dotson, Brian Ashe & 

Taylor Adams, A and N Mortgage, Taylor Nirchi, 

Dream Town Realty, and Savannah Remkus & Scott 

Marchall, A and N Mortgage; 12. Nick Velicka, 

Americorp, Ltd, Ryan Musgjerd, Guaranteed Rate, 

Joe Hosch, @properties | Christie’s International 

Real Estate, JC Fleming, Americorp, Ltd, Rob 

Yoshimura, COMPASS, Joe Novak & Jaime 

Luevano, Americorp, Ltd, Niko Marneris & 

Cynthia Marneris, Marneris Law, P.C., & Catherine 

Holbrook, Americorp, Ltd; 13. Front Row: Jared 

Houghton, Alondra Guevara, Kyle Naylor & Yaxeni 

Sanchez Camilo. Middle Row: Keisha Williams, 

Leticia Andrade, Jorge Anaya & Cecilia Castellanos, 

Fulton Grace Realty. Back Row: David Davis, Joshua 

Irizarry, Alex Petrich & Tim Sacks, Fulton Grace 

Realty, & Elise Elizalde, Guaranteed Rate Affinity; 

14. Front Row: Dennis Ansong, Ansong Law, LLC, 

Lindsay Wallace, Keller Williams ONEChicago, Kim 

Kelly, COMPASS, & Freddie Crenshaw, State Farm 

Insurance. Back Row: Brandon Banks, Coldwell 

Banker Realty, Alex Filin, Guaranteed Rate, Jordan 

Fuller & Christian Bernhagen, COMPASS, DeVon 

Chandler, Dream Town Realty, Kyle Capone, Baird 

& Warner, & Julian Negron, Dream Town Realty; 

15. Ryan Dates & Drew Derrieux, Draper & Kramer; 

16. Front Row: Leo Jimenez, Maggie Welsh, Andrew 

Perez, Alexis Gonzalez, Robbine Kim, Chase Moore 

& Daniel Chookaszian, Chase. Back Row: Nathaniel 

Lyon, David Hermiz, Andy Tisler & Ricardo Lopez, 

Chase; 17. DeVon Chandler, Dream Town Realty. 

Photos by Chicago Association of REALTORS ® staff. 

Photos by Cory Hall, Katie Howell and Jessica Kern, 

Chicago Association of REALTORS ® . www.ChicagoREALTOR.com 47

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2022 

CASINO ROYALE 

On December 1, we hosted our black-tie 

RPAC fundraiser, Casino Royale. This event 

was co-hosted by the Young Professionals 

Network and the Women’s Council of 

REALTORS ® Chicago at The Drake Hotel. 

Thank you to our sponsors and everyone 

who attended! 

1. Keisha Williams, Fulton Grace Realty, & LáShaun 

Brown-Glenn, EXIT Strategy Realty; 2. Amy Wu, 

Keller Williams Success Realty, Chris Pezza, The 

Apartment Source, Moses Hall, MoHall Commercial 

& Urban Development, Skyler Lemons, EXIT Strategy 

Realty/EMA Management, Alexandre Stoykov, 

COMPASS, Michael Bencks, Guaranteed Rate, 

Rachel Scheid, @properties | Christie’s International 

Real Estate, LaQuan Henley, HomeSmart Connect 

LLC, Tyrone Green, RE/MAX NEXT, Cory Hall, Chicago 

Association of REALTORS ® , Tommy Choi, Keller 

Williams ONEChicago, & Jordan Pyle, COMPASS; 

3. Jason Heming & Jennifer Ames, Engle & Völkers, 

& Michael Plageman, American Family Insurance; 

4. Jai Outland, Eric Cathey, Benita Cathey, & Margie 

Smigel, The Margie Smigel Group, LLC; 5. Rebecca 

Thomson, Coldwell Banker Realty, & Hipolito Garcia, 

Caliber Home Loans; 6. Guest Jacob Hattar & Linda 

Hattar, ACO Commercial. 

3 

4 

5 6 

SPONSORED BY: 


1 2 

1. Fernando Rocha Jr., RE/MAX Loyalty, Justin Rodriguez 

& Willy Wu, Neighborhood Loans, & Oscar Toledo, RE/MAX 

Loyalty; 2. Brittany Bussell, @properties | Christie’s International 

Real Estate; 3. Dwight Marroquin, Neighborhood Loans, & 

DeVontae Brooks, Guaranteed Rate; 4. Sarah Ware, Ware 

Realty Group, & Antje Gehrken, A.R.E. Partners; 5. Hipolito 

Garcia, Caliber Home Loans, Michelle Mills Clement, Chicago 

Association of REALTORS ® & Megan Oswald, Coldwell 

Banker Realty; 6. Moses Hall, MoHall Commercial & Urban 

Development, Myra Nimchaiyong, COMPASS, Niko Apostal, 

Keller Williams ONEChicago, & Grace Kaage, COMPASS; 

7. Ernesto Camacho & Lucy Camacho, Baird & Warner; 

8. Evelyn Fred, Baird & Warner, Sarah O’Connor, Greater Illinois 

Title Company, & Linda Scott, Wintrust Mortgage; 9. Attendees 

play a table game. 

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4 

5 

6 

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Photos by Marcello Rodarte, Marcello Rodarte Photography. 


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