Illinois REALTORS® gathered for the “Illinois Rockstar Panel” discussion Thursday during the Virtual Xplode Conference 2020 and shared cutting-edge tech ideas colleagues can implement in their businesses, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Guest contributors included: Illinois REALTORS® President Sue Miller, Mainstreet Organization of REALTORS® President and Illinois REALTORS® Board of Directors member Linda Dressler, Mainstreet Immediate Past President Brian Kwilosz, Mainstreet CEO John Gormley, West Chicago-area REALTOR® Carrie Little, REALTOR® Association of Southwestern Illinois (RASI) CEO Deb Frazier, Heartland REALTOR® Organization CEO Jim Haisler and MRED Chief Technology Officer Chris Haran.

“We wanted attendees to get a couple important takeaways from the discussion,” said Gormley. “First, Illinois REALTORS® has really helped members during the pandemic with timely advocacy, information, resources and virtual programs that they can use to be informed and keep doing business. Second, we wanted attendees to continue to learn, learn, learn . . . especially in times like these.”

Topics included: technology that has made business more efficient; advocacy and new legislation members need to embrace; tools for teaching and for safe virtual transactions.

In addition to the panel discussion, the Virtual Xplode Conference allowed participants to access four six-hour “tracks”: agent, broker, teams and tech junkie.

Recordings of the virtual presentations will be available for participants to review at a future date, Gormley said.

Illinois REALTORS®, Mainstreet and Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) sponsored Virtual Xplode Conference 2020. Other supporting sponsors included: REALTOR® Association of the Fox Valley, Heartland, RASI, the Chicago Association of REALTORS® and the Three Rivers Association of REALTORS®.

Get more information about the instructors/presenters during Xplode.

(Clockwise from top left) John Gormley, Sue Miller, Brian Kwilosz, Chris Haran, Jim Haisler, Deb Frazier, Carrie Little and (center) Linda Dressler.