Illinois and other states need more housing inventory, and one solution could be targeting more development toward the “missing middle housing” sector. The term was coined by Opticos Design, an urban planning firm, in 2010 and identifies the need to build more dense, diverse and affordable housing options.

Demographics are shifting and the available housing stock is sometimes a mismatch with what people want, said Jennifer Settle, a senior associate with Opticos, in her session. Many Millennials and Baby Boomers want smaller homes in walkable neighborhoods, but less than 10 percent of all housing units that have been produced in recent decades fit that “missing middle” category.

• We need to start thinking differently about standards and styles of housing. One third of households are single and soon one in every five people in the U.S. will be over 65. Those demographics mean housing needs are also changing.
• There are barriers to “missing middle” housing that must be overcome: zoning restrictions on multifamily, economy of scale on smaller developments makes it harder to builders to spread out the cost, restrictive building codes and regulations make projects more expensive and neighborhood resistance to multifamily housing.
• Communities need to be open to more building styles that can boost “missing middle” housing including accessory dwelling units, duplexes, four-plex units, small apartments and cottage courts.

ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence (AI) tools can offer new ways to reach your clients, but it is important to use it responsibly and remember that it is just another tool to help you communicate, says industry trainer and host of NAR’s Center for REALTOR® Development Podcast Monica Neubauer. You bring a value that AI won’t replace.

“Our humanity is what will provide the job security and joy that we need moving forward in this marketplace,” she said. “It’s your humanity that is your superpower, not your ability to use ChatGPT. It’s just a tool.”

• Clients come back to you because of the way you communicated and handled their transaction. That human connection is what will provide job security and joy in a changing industry, but there are times when AI can help productivity.
• You can use AI to create business templates, build FAQs for your clients, write a press release, create variations for social media posts and create scripts for an educational series.
• Use AI to brainstorm new solutions to problems you might be facing in your business or to drum up new ideas of things you want to try.
• Don’t assume AI is infallible. It has been known to generate incorrect information and it can perpetuate gender and racial biases. Writing better prompts can improve your results but still fact check your results as you are responsible for what you put out in the world.

Differentiate yourself by identifying the unique value proposition you bring to your real estate business and the clients you work with, says top-rated national instructor and social media guru Amy Chorew. Figure out the value and then make sure everyone knows you are the market expert who can provide it. Share it with your agents, on your marketing materials, everywhere.

By defining your unique value proposition and using it in your personal branding, you will get more listings and you will be the person people call, especially in the current market, she says.

• Create a short elevator pitch speech on your value proposition so that you can introduce yourself and make quick business connections with other people.
• Make your unique value proposition part of your brand. Include it in your presentations, include it on your website, in marketing materials, even your email signature. You want your unique value proposition to be top of mind.
• Encourage your friends and sphere to share your unique value proposition too.

Despite your best intentions and planning, there are often gaps between your initial goals and final outcomes. That’s normal, but to be more successful at closing that gap (and achieving more business success) you have to be willing to make bold, uncomfortable but necessary choices, said keynote speaker, leadership expert and career coach Mike Staver.

“The minute you say, ‘I’m not that comfortable’ is the minute I’m going to say, let’s take a step in that direction because your greatest moment in your life is one step beyond comfortable,” he said.

• Seek out the rough waters or new opportunities because that is where the biggest rewards might be. Take bigger strides, do things differently, make a bigger impact.
• Stop thinking about time management and instead focus on energy management. Don’t spend your energy on things that don’t take you in the direction you want to go and instead focus on the things that will give you the highest return on your energy investment.
• Don’t overlook the power of gratitude. Even taking two minutes a day to recognize what you are grateful for improves your decision making and performance.

It can be a personal loss or professional setback, but change will happen, and if REALTORS® want to set better boundaries and create more balance in their lives, they need to be their own agents of change, says Pam Ermen, a REALTOR® and industry trainer.

Ermen pointed to the six characteristics of well-being recognized by the Berkeley Well-Being Institute and how you can use them to improve your life and business.

• Gratitude – Gratitude can be a choice. It can also be a reality check that no matter how bad your life is right now, there is probably someone else that would trade your hand of cards for theirs.
• Emotional resiliency – How do you respond to challenges? Do you give up or are you able to pivot and build your emotional resiliency? Take control of your life and your destiny.
• Low stress – Stress is being in conflict with your core values. Your core values tell you what you will and won’t do. Be willing to say no more often.
• Mindfulness – It can be easy to slide into autopilot in your life. You do the same thing every day, reproducing the same results. Turn off that switch and look at things a new way with mindful competence to discover better results.
• Healthy relationships – Build your relationships. Focus on people you want to invest in and give them your time, care and attention.
• Life purpose – Define who you are, and what’s important to you before you focus on those at the personal and then professional level.

About the writer: Stephanie Sievers is Illinois REALTORS® Director of Marketing.