Create professional development programs that help REALTORS® strengthen their businesses.
Protect private property rights and promote the value of REALTORS®.
Advance ethics enforcement programs that increase REALTOR® professionalism.
Protect REALTORS® by providing legal guidance and education.
Stay current on industry issues with daily news from Illinois REALTORS®, network with other professionals, attend a seminar, and keep up with industry trends through events throughout the year.
Illinois REALTORS® reached out to potential homeowners and to like-minded private, governmental and not-for-profit organizations by sponsoring and participating in the Spanish Coalition for Housing’s 2022 Homebuyer Expo June 18 at Malcolm X College in Chicago.
Illinois REALTORS® and the Chicago Association of REALTORS® (CAR) secured a $5,000 NAR Housing Grant to help promote “Camino A Su Casa,” which drew about 400 people.
“Our goal at ‘Camino A Su Casa’ was to build familiarity with consumers from low- to moderate-income neighborhoods, teach them how homeownership builds generational wealth and show them how our association assists consumers achieve that goal,” Illinois REALTORS® Senior Director of Local Government & External Affairs Gideon Blustein said. “In addition, we wanted to build relationships with other exhibitors from private, government and not-for-profit community-based housing organizations. We surveyed consumers about barriers to buying homes and other important housing topics, registered consumers for the Real Property Alliance website and distributed our consumer guides.”
A contingent of Illinois REALTORS® handed out English and Spanish versions of our consumer guides titled “Don’t Go It Alone,” shared information about the Real Estate Educational Foundation’s (REEF) Minority Real Estate Scholarships and answered consumers’ questions about various aspects of housing. Representing Illinois REALTORS® were Governmental Affairs Director Katharine Bezares, REALTOR® David Ferrel of Su Familia Real Estate, Inc., in Chicago, REALTOR® Araceli Chavez of Karges Realty in Joliet, REALTOR® Natalee Dismuke of Realty One Group Excel of Aurora, REALTOR® Mabél Guzmán and REALTOR® Rachel Scheid of Coldwell Banker Realty in Chicago.
In 2021, the Spanish Coalition for Housing provided financial education, foreclosure prevention counseling, pre- and post-purchase education and rental counseling to more than 6,500 Chicagoland families. More than 75 percent of the Spanish Coalition’s clients come from low-income and underserved populations.
