Mark Peterson, CEO of Intersect Illinois, discusses the state’s economic attributes with a group of Illinois REALTORS® who will head to France in March to market the state and the REALTOR® brand.

Sanina Ellison, Don Pasek and Joy Axelson will help Illinois REALTORS® represent Illinois overseas at MIPIM in March.

Peterson: State has an abundance of selling points

lllinois REALTORS® heading overseas next month to market the state at an international real estate conference heard from one of the state’s top economic development officials on Wednesday.  

Mark Peterson, CEO of Intersect Illinois, talked about the state’s strong points when it comes to attracting overseas investment to the state. Intersect is the state’s public-private partnership which works with companies worldwide which are looking to locate operations in the Land of Lincoln.  

Peterson said the state has much to offer, not the least of which is the state’s traditional role as being in the center of the country.  

“That is a big selling point,” Peterson said. “It’s always been a force to be reckoned with.” 

The state has one of the most diverse economic bases in the country, Peterson said. While this diversity is a strength, it also makes telling the state’s story more complex.  

The presentation was for Illinois REALTORS® who will be attending the MIPIM international real estate conference in Cannes, France, being held in March. For the past three years the association has sent a delegation of members to the event which is used to make a largely European investor audience familiar with the state and the resources and guidance REALTORS® can provide.  

Illinois REALTORS® president Matt Difanis told those attending that the session was designed to help them hit the ground running when they arrive for the conference in Cannes. MIPIM brings together more than 12,000 real estate professionals for the four-day meeting.