There is advocacy strength in numbers and the more than 700 Illinois REALTORS® in Springfield for the Capitol Conference REALTOR® Lobby Day in April made that message loud and clear to state policy makers.

For the first time since 2019, all attendees were able to visit the Illinois State Capitol, meet with their state legislators and lobby on the regulatory and legislative issues important to the real estate industry and homeownership.

This year’s Capitol Conference was bigger than ever with a pre-show event featuring business growth expert Jeff Havens, who shared his tips for being more innovative. Illinois Speaker of the House Emanuel “Chris” Welch returned to the REALTOR® stage this year and commended members on their community involvement and their willingness to work to improve their communities and their state through volunteering and lobbying in support of private property rights.

The main Capitol Conference program featured keynote speaker David Axelrod, a national political strategist and former senior advisor to President Barack Obama, who shared stories about his political experiences. In addition to a legislative briefing before heading over to the Capitol to meet with legislators, the event also honored many REALTORS® for achievements including:

As the 2023 spring legislative session winds down, some of the key issues on the association’s agenda are advancing measures that would improve housing inventory and the availability of more housing of all kinds, for all income levels, throughout all of Illinois.