The Illinois REALTORS® Winter Business Meetings continued Wednesday with committee meetings, training sessions and forums aimed at informing members about some of the key issues affecting the industry. Some Wednesday highlights included:
Legal Issues Forum
Illinois REALTORS® Legal Hotline Attorney Anneliese Fierstos shared some of the hot legal topics REALTORS® need to be aware of including: protocols to follow when switching brokerages, compensation questions when leaving offices and the legal pitfalls of REALTORS® buying their own listings.
The session also featured representatives from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) including Acting Director for Division of Real Estate (DRE) Laurie Murphy and Chief of Licensing and Education for DRE Jeremy Reed. They talked about a new process for registering virtual real estate offices that IDFPR will be launching soon.
REALTORS® Political Involvement Committee/Forum
In this session, REALTORS® who also are elected officials shared their stories of what it is like to be a working REALTOR® and run for elected office in their communities and the Illinois General Assembly. State Rep. Mark Batinick (R-97th District); Natalie Mulhall, a Belvidere alderwoman; and Max Schneider, a candidate for Tazewell County Board spoke about what led them to run for office and the impact REALTORS® have on government. REALTOR® and RPIC Chair Antonia Mills moderated the session. RPIC Vice Chair Mark Massey closed out the session.
Public Policy Forum
A panel of Latino Illinois REALTORS® and industry officials talked about homeownership rates in the Latino community, housing opportunity and their own family’s journeys to ownership. Panelists included Gaspar Flores, Sr. of Su Familia Real Estate; Erika Villegas of RE/MAX in the Village; and Camilo Escalante with Guaranteed Rate. Public Policy Forum Vice Chair Tracey Royal moderated the panel.
The forum also included a legislative update from Illinois REALTORS® Springfield lobbying team, Senior Vice President of Governmental Affairs Greg St. Aubin and Senior Advisor for Governmental Affairs Betsy Mitchell. Public Policy Forum Chair John LeTourneau moderated the discussion about possible legislation in this spring’s shortened legislative session including source of income legislation, environmental justice bills and other real estate-related measures.
During Winter Business Meetings, Illinois REALTORS® launched the EVERYONE deserves the American Dream of homeownership campaign. Learn more at: www.KeyToHomeownership.com
