C.A.R. Winter Member Outreach Meeting: Trends, Tips & Opportunities

Thanks, Chicago REALTORS®, for joining our Feb. 23 Member Outreach meeting! We covered a lot of ground, from the Illinois real estate license law transition to professional courtesy. Here are a few highlights:

Welcome from President Bob Floss

- It’s tough going for agents these days – and we know it! You are not alone. Your association understands your reality and is here to provide the tools you need.

- REALTORS® assume that their ability to practice relatively easily in Illinois evolved naturally. It did not. The IAR Political Action Committee is a watchdog for our industry. Last year in Chicago alone, RPAC influenced two significant pro-real estate changes to proposed city housing ordinances. Please support RPAC with an annual contribution of at least $20.

Illinois Real Estate License Law Transition

- REALTORS® who fail to complete all aspects of transition by April 30 will not be licensed to serve clients. Act now. Get information and the courses you need through the C.A.R. REALTORS® Real Estate School.

Chicago REALTOR® Opportunities

- Networking is a key benefit of C.A.R. membership. Take advantage of our professional groups, including the C.A.R. Young Professionals Network (open to all ages!), Global Real Estate Forum and CommercialForum.

- Dive into our new FastStats program! A more in-depth version of “The Thing,” which you may know from MRED, FastStats offers a variety of up-to-date Chicago and neighborhood reports exclusive to Chicago REALTORS®. Use them for marketing your expertise to clients, in your newsletters, on your Web site and in personal meetings.

What Does Cloud Computing Really Mean? Tech Tips from C.A.R. Director Matthew Farrell, Urban Real Estate

- “Cloud” technology is the concept that all of your mobile and computer devices can be tied together through the Internet.

- Cloud computing dramatically expands your ability to incorporate tech tools into your daily business life.

- One program, Dropbox, enables you to access all your business documents from any computer or mobile device, including your smartphone.

- PDF Expert, an iPhone application, is awesome because it allows you to edit documents in a way that’s generally not do-able on PDFs. You can add in client signatures, for example. Combine PDF Expert with Dropbox and you’ll be prepared to service clients from anywhere with Internet access.

Broker Panel: What Matters Today

A four-member panel of brokers local to Skokie joined us in the morning and a panel local to Oak Lawn in the afternoon. Each discussed points they consider critical to REALTORS® today, including:

- It’s a great time to be in the business. Clients definitely depend on REALTORS® to help them negotiate today’s market. There are many opportunities for REALTORS® who are willing to work hard.

- Professionalism and the importance of policing our industry. If you encounter a problem with another agent, go first to your broker. Chances are, it can be talked through and successfully worked out. If not, file a complaint and strongly consider mediation before arbitration.

- Social media is an excellent tool for expanding our communications and prospecting capabilities. Don’t let it detract from your face-time with clients, though. In the end, our work is more about people than real estate.

- When you go home, set work aside. There are exceptions, of course. But generally, it’s important to maintain a work-life balance.

Member Outreach meetings are part of CAR2U, our member benefit program to bring information, tools and services where you need them. If you have questions about any aspect of this program, please contact our Member Care staff at 312-803-4900.