Illinois REALTORS® President Ezekiel “Zeke” Morris received the President’s Special Recognition Award from the Dearborn REALTIST® Board of Directors. Morris was one of several honorees at Dearborn’s 81^st Annual Installation Gala at the DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago last week.

Morris is the Illinois REALTORS® president and is the designated managing broker of EXIT Strategy Realty/EMA Management on the South Side of Chicago. He and other members of the Illinois REALTORS® Executive Committee are Dearborn members. Morris was one of several REALTORS® honored at the installation gala. For information on the other honorees, visit the Dearborn REALTIST® Board website.

Morris background

He began his real estate career in 1989 as a member of the Chicago Association of REALTORS® (CAR). By 2011, he became CAR president and by 2013, he was named its REALTOR® of the Year. The Chicago association awards a Zeke Morris Scholarship supporting the education efforts of those who have shown a commitment to the stabilization and economic development of southside Chicago communities.

At the state level, Morris has been involved in several working groups and committees and has chaired the Finance Committee, Housing Opportunity Working Group, the Bylaws Committee, the Public Policy and Government Affairs Member Involvement Group and the State Legislative Contacts Working Group. He has served multiple terms on the Illinois REALTORS® Board of Directors and is the state association’s first African American president.

At the national level, Morris is serving on the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Board of Directors and was its 2020 Liaison for Community Engagement. He has lent his expertise to numerous committees. He chaired the NAR Fair Housing Act Anniversary Working Group and the Fair Housing Act Anniversary Implementation Group and helped lead the NAR’s efforts to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act in 2018.