Illinois Association of REALTORS® 2013 Annual Report

Annual Report

2013

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Table of Contents Introduction 2013 Leadership and IAR Staff 2013 Board of Directors Operations Awards 2013 Timeline Governmental Affairs RVOICE RPAC Legal Professional Development Communications Information Technology

Dear IAR member: Welcome to the 2013 Illinois Association of REALTORS® Annual Report. As you’ll see, this year’s edition is packed with facts about the organization and its members.

IAR is nearing 100 years of service to REALTORS®, and a review of this year’s accomplishments shows why this association has remained relevant for so long.

You’ll find highlights on:

Advocacy: From the state Capitol in Springfield, to Congress in

Washington, D.C., to city halls throughout Illinois, IAR maintains an aggressive and respected lobbying operation to promote sound real estate policy. The association’s Political Action Committee (RPAC) is one of the largest in the state, and donations ensure your business is protected.

Education: IAR offers a wealth of opportunity to grow and learn in the

real estate business. The association works with those just starting their real estate career as well as longtime veterans who need continuing education credit.

Of course, there’s much more. Your association provides legal guidance through its hotline, professional standards training, seminars and conferences and news which helps members better navigate the complex and changing world of real estate.

I am proud of the work we’ve done together in 2013, and it was an honor to serve as IAR president.

Sincerely, Illinois Association of REALTORS® 522 S. Fifth Street Springfield, IL 62701 (217) 529-2600 web: www.illinoisrealtor.org e-mail: IARaccess@iar.org blog: www.IARbuzz.com

www.facebook.com/Illinois AssociationofREALTORS twitter.com/ILREALTOR 2

www.illinoisrealtor.org

Michael D. Oldenettel, CRS, GRI RE/MAX Professionals Springfield 2013 President, Illinois Association of REALTORS®

2013 Leadership

President Michael D. Oldenettel, CRS, GRI RE/MAX Professionals Springfield

President-Elect Phil Chiles ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES Real Estate Group Springfield

Treasurer Jim Kinney, ABR, CRB, CRS, GRI Baird & Warner Chicago

Immediate Past President Loretta Alonzo, CRB, GRI Century 21 Alonzo & Associates La Grange Park

Mission: To protect and promote private property rights while fighting for, educating and serving Illinois REALTORS速 and consumers.

IAR Staff Gary L. Clayton, CAE, RCE, Chief Executive Officer Rebecca Carraher, Executive Secretary

Member and Association Engagement Ann Londrigan, CAE, Director of Member and Association Engagement Lindsay Lippa, Member Care Specialist Dana Gurnsey, Member Care Specialist Kim Buscher, RPAC Fundraising Coordinator Carie Cycholl, RPAC Fundraising Coordinator Jim Clayton, Market Research Jenny Rich, Part-Time Marketing Associate Lyndee Fein, Marketing Manager

Communications Jon Broadbooks, Director of Communications Stephanie Sievers, Associate Editor Kara Kienzler, Webmaster/ Communications Coordinator

Governmental Affairs Greg St. Aubin, Director of Governmental Affairs Julie Sullivan, Assistant Director Legislative and Political Affairs Mike Scobey, Assistant Director RVOICE and Local Advocacy Aimee Bick, Program Coordinator RVOICE and Local Advocacy Sharon Gorrell, Housing Policy Advisor

Local Governmental Affairs Directors (GADs) Kyle Anderson - Egyptian, Greater Gateway and Southwestern Illinois Brian Bernardoni - Chicago Conor Brown - Belvidere, Heartland, Rockford and Northwestern Illinois Kristie Engerman - BloomingtonNormal, Lamoine Valley, Livingston, Mid Valley, Peoria Area, Quad City Area, Quincy, Pekin Area and West Central Illinois Howard Handler - North Shore/ Barrington and Mainstreet (Lake County) Tom Joseph - Kankakee-Iroquois Ford, Three Rivers and Mainstreet (South Suburban Cook County) Kristen Jungles - HomeTown, Illini Valley, Fox Valley, Sauk Valley Mainstreet (DuPage County) Neil Malone - Capital Area, Central Illinois, Champaign County, Danville Area, Decatur, Jacksonville and Logan County Jeff Merrinette - Mainstreet (DuPage County, Northwest Suburban Cook County)

Information Technology Matthew Brewer, Director of Information Technology Ralph Carbonell, Help Desk Technician

Professional Development Wayne Edwards, CAE, RCE, Director of Professional Development (retiring) Kristen Butcher, CMP, Director of Professional Development Carrie Elliott, Education Manager Stacy Mahinda, Assistant Education Program Manager Dana Gurnsey, Administrative Assistant Lindsay Lippa, Administrative Assistant

Operations Len Taylor, Director of Operations Bethany Barnes, IAR Registrar Chris Barnes, Accounting/Operations Associate Becky Clayton, Continuing Education Processing Coordinator Dalton Cordier, Student Intern Chelsea Domescik, Operations Assistant Randy Domescik, Business Manager Debbie Harper, Membership Records Coordinator Cathy Madaus, Accounting Manager Roger Oxby, Assistant Membership Coordinator Scott Sacco, Senior Accountant

Foundations Laurie Clayton, Foundation Manager of the Illinois Real Estate Educational Foundation (REEF)

Legal Counsel Betsy Urbance, Legal Hotline Attorney

2013 IAR Annual Report

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Board of Directors Ron Abrams Loretta Alonzo Janet Andreotti-Plecki Jim Barbagallo Amy Barnes Scott Beilfuss Genie Birch Terri Booker Laura Boyer Monica Burkholder Tonya Burris Pat Callan Donald Cave Christine Chase Grant Chignoli Philip Chiles Colleen Clavesilla Tonya Corder Ellen Credi Richard Crosby Jean Crosby Heather Cunningham Patrick Dalessandro Mike Drews Thomas Ewing

Ronald Ewing Matthew Farrell Agnes Fay Tyler Fuhr Andrew Gagliardo Bobbie Gerbrecht Jerry Gibson Sheryl Grider Whitehurst William Griffin Mabel Guzman Ronald Hardgrove Lisa Hathaway Dana Hudson Richard Hunt Karen Irace Phil Johnson Thomas Jones Jim Kinney Patricia Kloepping John C. Kmiecik Thomas Krettler Alex LaBelle Tony Lape Rita Liberatore Crystal Lilley

Dondi Maricle Jane McClelland Judith McConville James Merrion Sandy Michel Susan Miller Eileen Milligan Charles Montgomerie Ezekiel “Zeke” Morris Steve Myers Michael D. Oldenettel Michael Onorato Patricia Palzet-Taylor Michael Parent Gerald Perlow Jack Persin John Purple Randall Raynolds Dave Richert Hugh Rider Karen Robertson R. Rex Rowland Eric Ryden Todd Salen Chris Seniker

Board highlights

Hydraulic fracturing a focus of task force

Illinois is poised to see an energy exploration boom through the use of hydraulic fracturing. The process, which shoots pressurized water, chemicals and sand deep underground, has potential ramifications for REALTORS®, particularly those living and working in southern Illinois.

In 2013, IAR Treasurer Jim Kinney chaired a task force to look at what REALTORS® needed to now about hydraulic fracturing. Kinney was uniquely suited to the task, having come from a family that was involved in the oil business in Illinois. The task force talked to state regulators and legal experts, and as a result provided training on the energy extraction process and what REALTORS® should be aware of as they work with clients.

“What REALTORS® need to know about hydraulic fracturing, Part 1,” available on IAR’s YouTube channel.

Leo Sheridan Toni Sherman Carol Shields Pradeep Shukla Stan Sieron Chris Smith Constance Stellhorn-Schanter Nancy Sutton Glenn Swick Tricia Tialdo Phillip Trautman Vicky Turner Lois Tyrrell Mary Ulfers James Votanek Dan Wagner Martin Walsh David Wayman Linda Wheaton Kay Wirth Greg Zanger Robert Zoretich

The task force drew members from throughout the state, and provided valuable insight into what the future might hold as Illinois works toward regulating energy exploration in a way that protects the environment, landowners and business.

Board actions

In 2013 IAR transitioned to a 28-member board, a move that began with a 2012 vote by the full 107-member Board of Directors. The change was made to create a more focused board able to respond more quickly to market and strategic changes. The new board met for the first time in December, 2013.

Front row, left to right: Connie Conway, Chris Read, Loretta Alonzo (past president), Michael Oldenettel (immediate past president), Mike Drews (treasurer), Phil Chiles (president), Jim Kinney (president-elect), Thomas Krettler, Patrick Dalessandro (past president), Stan Sieron (a past president who was selected as an at-large member). Back row, left to right: Andrew Cook, Susan Miller, Piero Orsi, Vicky Turner, Christopher Tenggren, Mike Buscher, Michael Onorato (past president), Sheryl Grider Whitehurst (past president), Jeff Kolbus, Robert Eby, Pat Callan (past president), Michael Parent, Max Mitchell, Kay Wirth, Charles Wiercinski, Daniel Wagner, Ed Neaves, John C. Kmiecik (ex officio, Region 7 NAR VP). Not pictured: Pat McCarthy.

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Operations Dues Distribution

Membership

Dues Rate: $150

IAR membership rose slightly

Reserves/Capital Management/ Operations

in 2013 to 42,783 members, Meetings/NAR

up from 42,701 in 2012. There were and average of 284 new

$23

licensees per month in 2013.

Advocacy

Communication

In 2013, IAR collected $2,077,900 in RVOICE assessments and spent $2,167,003 on RVOICE expenses. Overall, there was $3,412,363 remaining in the RVOICE assessment fund in 2013.

$18

Education

$17

$16

$10

Member Services

$66 Governmental Affairs Lobbying

The Illinois Association of REALTORS® paid off its headquarters in Springfield in 2013. IAR broke ground on the building at 522 S. Fifth Street in downtown Springfield in 2005 and made its final mortgage payment on the $4 million building in December 2013.

IAR Headquarters Timeline: August 5, 2004

Earnest money to hold lot ($25,000)

Oct. 14, 2004

Worked with Steckel Parker Architects

Jan. 30, 2005

Purchased lot

Feb. 7, 2005

Retained Melotte-Morse-Leonatti as architectural firm

July 12, 2005

Committee approved sketch of building with a few updates

Aug. 2, 2005

Springfield Historic Sites Commission approves drawing

Oct. 6, 2005

Groundbreaking ceremony

5. License Law Manual, 22,700 sold

Oct. 11, 2005

Sent out bids to contractors

6. Seller Disclosure, 21,600 sold

Dec. 5, 2005

Signed acceptance of BRH bid

7. Radon Disclosure Form, 13,250 sold

Dec. 6, 2005

Signed a lease with IAR Plaza Inc. and IAR

8. Getting It Sold - Your Resource for Staging Curb Appeal and Selling Success, 12,850 sold

Dec. 15, 2005

Signed loan documents with Geneva for $4 million

February 2006

Began construction

June 2007

Moved in

July 2007

Began to pay the Geneva note payable off

Dec. 31, 2013

Made final payment on the Geneva loan

Top items requested from the REALTOR® store in 2013: 1. Federal Lead Paint Pamphlet, 81,350 2. Radon Testing Guidelines Pamphlet, 37,250 sold 3. Broker Option 1: 75-hour Pre-License Topics Home Study, 26,400 sold 4. The Consumer’s Guide to Real Estate Agency in Illinois, 26,150 sold

9. Carbon Monoxide Detectors in Your Home, 11,900 sold 10. Fair Housing, A Seller’s Guide, 8,700 sold

2013 IAR Annual Report

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Awards Vranas named REALTOR of the Year ®

John Vranas, CPM, owner of Vranas Ventures Inc., a property management company in Chicago, was named the 2013 Illinois REALTOR® of the Year by the Illinois Association of REALTORS®. Vranas began his real estate career in 1978 and earned his broker license in 1984. Vranas is a member and past president of the Chicago Association of REALTORS® and was named Chicago REALTOR® of the Year in 2004. In 2006, Vranas received IAR’s Distinguished Service Award, which honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions and service to the Illinois Association of REALTORS® and their local communities.

“John is a devoted REALTOR® and leader who has spent much of his career giving back to improve the real estate industry and also his greater community,” said Michael D. Oldenettel, CRS, GRI, president of the Illinois Association of REALTORS®. “His commitment to political advocacy and furthering the REALTOR® cause has been felt at the local, state and national association levels.”

Perlow honored for political involvement Gerald N. Perlow, CPM, CRB, GRI, MAI, senior consultant with Property Valuation Services in the Chicago area, was honored with IAR’s Political Involvement Award. Perlow has been a REALTOR®, appraiser and property management consultant in the Chicagoland area and nationally for more than 30 years.

He is a past president of the Chicago Board of REALTORS® (now the Chicago Association of REALTORS®) and the Illinois Association of REALTORS® in 1991. Perlow was named Chicago REALTOR® of the Year in 1987 and Illinois REALTOR® of the Year in 1994.

“Jerry passionately believes in and advocates for the values of the REALTOR® organization, and he has consistently conveyed the position of the association to the many key leaders that he’s developed contacts with throughout the years,” said Michael D. Oldenettel, CRS, GRI, president of the Illinois Association of REALTORS®.

“He has met with governors. He has taken our message to many powerful people who might not share our view and yet he does it in a very diplomatic way.”

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Distinguished Service Awards

Sue Miller is a longtime REALTOR® and

educator who holds the GRI, CRS, ABR, LTG, PMN, SFR and ePro designations.

She was honored for her more than 30 years of service to the profession. Miller has been a director and president for her local association, served as a federal political coordinator, and has served on more than 30 committees for the state association. She’s a managing broker at Coldwell Banker Honig-Bell in McHenry, Ill.

Al Suguitan, CAE, the association

executive for the Greater Gateway Association of REALTORS®, was honored for more than 40 years of service. He served as a state Real Estate Commissioner, is a member of the REALTORS® Political Action Committee Hall of Fame and has led the state association’s association executive committee.

Each year, the outgoing association president recognizes individuals who have worked tirelessly on behalf of the organization’s members. At the board meeting at the 2013 Fall Conference in St. Charles, IAR President Michael D. Oldenettel celebrated the work of five people with Presidential Medallions.

Wayne Edwards,

CAE, retired with 33 years of service to IAR, where he was director of professional development.

Edwards oversaw the association’s education outreach efforts, and was responsible for IAR events.

Charlie Heitbrink,

a longtime Jacksonville, Ill., REALTOR® with RE/MAX Results Plus, Inc. He served on the Illinois Real Estate Commission for 11 years.

Jean Crosby, CRB,

CRS, GRI was honored for chairing the association’s Nominating Committee. Crosby is owner/partner at Prudential Crosby Starck REALTORS® in Rockford.

Deena Zimmerman,

was recognized for her work with the IAR Young Professionals Network, which provides training and networking opportunities for REALTORS® who are newer to the profession. The state’s YPN chapter was recognized as the best state program in the country by the National Association of REALTORS®.

She’s with Jameson Commercial Real Estate in Chicago.

Lynn Madison was

honored for her work with RPAC. She was 2011 IAR REALTOR® of the Year and is nationally known for her work in real estate education.

2013 IAR Annual Report

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Timeline 2013

January

IAR held its annual Public Policy meetings in East Peoria. At the event, John Vranas, CPM, owner of Vranas Ventures, Inc. in Chicago, was named REALTOR® of the Year and Gerald N. Perlow, senior consultant with Property Valuation Services in the Chicago area, was named the recipient of the IAR Political Involvement Award.

IAR launched the year-long “Lunch and Learn” webinar series for members, offering tips and strategies on marketing, technology and business ideas.

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February

RVOICE unveiled a new advocacy brochure, REALTOR® Community Activist Toolkit, to help members get involved and learn how to become local “watchdogs” in their communities.

March

IAR offered convenient educational webinars for members to earn CE in time for the April 30, 2013, managing broker license renewal deadline. Courses were available in an interactive, online format and at the Springfield headquarters.

April

Hundreds of Illinois REALTORS® attended the Capitol Conference in Springfield.

The second annual Illinois Housing Leaders Conference featured special guests, Gov. Pat Quinn and Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

The Multicultural Summit was held in Oak Brook and focused on real estate opportunities in the Caribbean and South Africa.

More than 100 REALTORS® attended the oneday event that included speaker presentations on Grenada, Jamaica, South Africa and a keynote address from Julius L. Cartwright, president and CEO of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers.

May

REALTORS® from Illinois traveled to Midyear meetings in Washington, D.C., where they met with Illinois’ congressional representatives.

During the National Association of REALTORS® Board of Directors meetings, Illinois REALTOR® John C. Kmiecik was elected Region 7 vice president.

IAR held its annual Spring Conference & Expo in Collinsville and featured sessions and CE with Doug Devitre, Dr. Tom Hill, Lynn Madison, Mark Barker and an update from IDFPR. Industry vendors took part in an Expo at the Gateway Center.

June

The Illinois Young Professionals Network (YPN) collected donations to raise money for

Homes for Our Troops, a not-forprofit that builds homes for disabled veterans.

IAR released its 2013 Legislative Scorecard highlighting 14 of the association’s most notable legislative victories from the spring session of the Illinois General Assembly.

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#PowerofR

July

IAR debuted a video and website, Nosprinklermandate.com, opposing a statewide fire sprinkler mandate pursued by the State Fire Marshal’s office. Ultimately defeated, the mandate would have cost Illinois home owners millions by requiring fire sprinklers in new residential construction and older apartments and condos.

The IAR Consumer Help Line/Ombudsman Service opened to help resolve disputes and answer questions related to real estate transactions.

This free service allows consumers and REALTORS® to tap the expertise of experienced real estate professionals, or ombudsmen, who have been trained in problem solving.

August

IAR launched the Let’s Talk Real Estate with Illinois’ Congressional meeting series.

The events allow REALTORS® to meet face-toface with their Congressional representative and talk about issues affecting the industry.

The #PowerofR was chosen as the theme and hashtag for the IAR Fall Conference & Expo and the upcoming year.

The hashtag later goes national when the National Association of REALTORS® chooses to use the hashtag to spotlight REALTOR® advocacy.

September IAR’s Hydraulic Fracturing Task Force met to study the potential impact of hydraulic fracturing “fracking” on property and the real estate industry.

A golf outing held in St. Charles raises money for the Real Estate Educational Foundation (REEF).

Since 2000, REEF has awarded $412,300 in scholarships.

October

The IAR Fall Conference & Expo are held in St. Charles. With the theme Power of R, attendees heard presentations on new technology, business strategies and a look at housing and the economy. Phil Chiles, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES, is installed as 2014 association president.

Nearly 100 people attend a REbarcamp, powered by Illinois YPN and held in conjunction with IAR Fall Conference. During the unstructured “unconference” attendees shared ideas on everything from technology trends to professionalism.

November

When tornadoes devastated many communities across Illinois, the REALTOR® family mobilized, raising more than $200,000 and donating supplies for the victims. IAR partnered with two organizations to accept donations: IAR Tornado Relief and REALTORS® Relief Foundation.

IAR offered two fast-track options the IAR Proficiency Exam and the GRI Course I Equivalency Program - to help members earn credit for GRI Course I and be ready for Course II in December in Itasca.

December

2014 IAR President Phil Chiles presided over the first IAR Town Hall Meeting webinar and discusses issues and items that will be addressed in the upcoming IAR Board of Directors meeting. The online webinar is recorded for all IAR members to view.

IAR launched 1,000 Points of Light Ambassador Campaign aimed at boosting RPAC participation by recruiting 1,000 ambassadors to encourage more $20 “fair share” contributors.

2013 IAR Annual Report

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Governmental Affairs Each year IAR lobbyists track hundreds of bills to make sure they don’t hurt REALTORS® or consumers. Here’s a look at some of the more notable efforts in the 2012-2013 General Assembly.

Bills that became law

IAR often provides needed insight for lawmakers who are crafting legislation. Here are a few examples of bills that bore input from REALTORS®.

License Act Cleanup: Senate Bill 1655 received unanimous approval in both chambers. This bill makes clarifying and clean-up changes to the Real Estate License Act. Of note, the changes will allow a person holding a managing broker’s license to exchange that license for a broker’s license. (PUBLIC ACT 98-531, effective August 23, 2013).

Erroneous Homestead Exemptions: After two years of legislative wrangling, an agreement was negotiated on Senate Bill 41, which deals with erroneous homestead exemptions in Cook County. This bill treats a property taxpayer, who simply failed to pro-actively determine and notify the Assessor of their ineligibility, in a much fairer way than what was initially introduced. The amended bill also enhances the information provided to property taxpayers to ensure that the property owner claims only those exemptions for which they are qualified and contains an amnesty period for this year and going forward as part of the assessment notice.

(PUBLIC ACT 98-93, effective July 16, 2013)

State permits for real estate signs: House Bill 2764 dealt with the Illinois Department of Transportation and the overreaching regulations of on-premise and real estate for sale or lease signs was unanimously approved in both chambers. This bill ensures that REALTORS® will not be subject to State permitting and fees for signs advertising the sale or lease of property along highways. (PUBLIC ACT 98-56, effective July 5, 2013)

Community Association Manager License Changes: House Bill 595 was approved only after the amendment requested by the IAR was attached.

The amendment cleaned up several technical flaws, and exempts Managing Brokers from the additional 10-hour course requirement for the new “supervising” Community Association Manager license. (PUBLIC ACT 98-365, effective January 1, 2014)

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Other action of interest Among the bills that can be beneficial are some that would hurt REALTORS® and their clients.

RELA Funds: IAR lobbyists ensured that no bills

were advanced that raided the Real Estate License Administration Fund (RELAF) for funding other State programs or other licensed professions.

Crime-Free/Landlord Licensing: IAR stopped

Senate Bill 1155 which would have granted all counties and municipalities the authority to issue licenses for landlords to rent property, mandate safety training and require background checks. A similar measure, House Bill 2437 was not called by the sponsor.

Retainage bill: The House Judiciary Committee, once again, overwhelmingly defeated legislation to require commercial real estate developers to include certain provisions regarding “retainage” in their agreements with contractors. House Bill 1227 would have required developers to place retainage funds in an escrow account with interest accruing to the contractor.

Freedom of information: House Bill 2326, sought to amend the Freedom of Information Act. This bill, opposed by IAR, and would have altered the

definition of “commercial purpose” and changed the procedure for requesting public records and potentially greatly increased the costs. The sponsor did not call this bill for a final vote.

Compliance liens: House Bill 2937, which sought to grant additional powers for local governments to collect on liens for property maintenance and nuisance clean-up by putting the charges on the owner’s property tax bill was stopped again this year.

Private property rights: House Bill 3262 was

stopped this year after IAR objected to language that would have removed the requirement for a Public Water District to get the consent of a private property owner to place pipes or conduits in an easement originally granted for highway purposes.

Lake County surcharge: Senate Bill 1244 which

would have authorized Lake County only to establish an affordable housing trust fund and to impose another fee on property owners without voter approval, was defeated. IAR has opposed this bill since 2010, even as the amount of the fee has been adjusted downward.

Calls to Action Calls to Action are an important way to quickly mobilize IAR members to lobby on a particular legislative issue. In 2013, IAR issued six Calls to Action and members responded by sending thousands of emails to their local legislators.

In 2013, IAR issued six Calls to Action: •

SB 1155 & SB 1244 - Urging a NO vote on bills that would have created an additional fee on recorded documents in Lake County. (Committee Vote) -

1,993 member emails sent •

SB 1244 (Senate Floor Vote) - 1,736 member

emails sent •

SB 1244 (Senate Floor Vote) - 1,503 member

emails sent •

SB 41 - Urging support for a compromise erroneous homestead exemption bill for Cook County (Senate Floor Vote) - 1,484 member emails sent

•

Fire Sprinkler Rules (JCAR) - 3,174 member emails

sent •

Watershed Management Ordinance (MWRD) -

4,608 member emails sent

NAR’s Broker Involvement Program NAR’s Broker Involvement Program (BIP) gives enrolled brokerowners and managing brokers a quick and effective tool for rallying their agents on critical legislative issues. Illinois is a

Let’s Talk Real Estate with Members of Congress

leading state when it comes to participation and is one of only six states to have reached 20,000 enrollment in the program. In 2013 there were 5,329 active brokers and 28,513 Illinois agents enrolled in the program.

In 2013, IAR began a series of conversations with Illinois’ Congressional delegation called “Let’s Talk Real Estate.” IAR held seven events in 2013 and is continuing the series in 2014.

In 2013, REALTORS® met with: • • • • • • •

U.S. Rep. Bill Enyart, 12th District U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, 8th District U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, 16th District U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, 13th District U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, 7th District U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, 11th District U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, 10th District

2013 IAR Annual Report

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Text:

V ICE Throughout the state, IAR’s team of advocates works at the local level to protect members’ interests. RVOICE (formerly known as the Advocacy Program) enables the Government Affairs team to use every possible strategy to best represent REALTORS® in the public policy arena.

Illinois Association of REALTORS® Advocacy Program

Outlines:

Here are some examples of the resources that are available to us when we fight on your behalf with governmental proposals: •

Grassroots mobilization of property owners and voters • Legal analyses of proposed ordinances and regulations • Public opinion surveys • Grassroots mobilization of REALTORS®

Here is a summary of notable RVOICE lobbying activities in 2013: In Monee, a legally questionable real estate transfer stamp policy was rescinded.

The policy had the effect of giving the municipality the power to hold up real estate transfers.

A stormwater management ordinance that primarily affected redevelopment of non-residential properties in suburban Cook County was amended to minimize costs for those who redevelop property and must conform with stormwater detention rules.

An ordinance regulating residential rentals for less than 30 days narrowly passed in Evanston. After receiving feedback from local REALTORS®, the city agreed to four key exemptions.

REALTOR® advocacy in Chicago helped produce a

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more equitable bedbug ordinance. The ordinance affects rental properties.

A proposed commercial lease tax was blocked in Deerfield.

Proposals for sprinkler mandates in new single-family home construction were blocked in: • Will County (unincorporated) • Several municipalities in the

A proposal in Harvard which would have permitted voters to create a designated “overlay” district in which single-family homes would be prohibited from being rented out was stopped.

• •

Quad Cities area North Barrington Peoria County (unincorporated)

An onerous sprinkler retro-fit requirement (affecting non-residential properties) was significantly scaled back in Oak Park.

Proposals that would have required licensure of owners and agents of residential rental properties were blocked. Licensure puts the cities in a larger regulatory role. More reasonable policies that require registration of properties were enacted with considerable input from local REALTORS® and landlords.

Registration enables the municipalities to have a point-of-contact for those responsible for property maintenance and other issues. This happened in: • Freeport • Skokie • Highwood • Highland Park • Rockford

REALTORS® in Peoria County worked to develop a sensible policy on septic systems that does not interfere with real estate transactions.

Impact fee ordinances were revised in McHenry County, Woodstock and Crystal Lake. The revisions will bring the fee amounts in line to reflect actual land values.

RVOICE led the push to ensure that an occupancy permit ordinance being discussed in the Village of Godfrey allows for the easy selling and renting of property.

A home rule referendum was defeated in South Chicago Heights.

In Joliet, the concept of a pointof-sale home inspection (for possible connections to the sanitary sewer system) was shelved.

When Belleville passed a “crimefree” housing ordinance, REALTORS® worked to make sure the fees were kept low and the requirements were reasonable.

Realtor Party ®

Skylights Launched: Online Way for Members to Stay in Touch on Local Issues ilskylights.com

IAR Uses NAR Funds for Municipal Races in 2013 In 2013, resources were made available to IAR through the NAR’s “My REALTOR® Party Program” which allowed IAR to provide additional support to candidates in the form of direct mail and robo calls to voters in key races in the April Municipal Elections.

Candidates were selected based on their strong support of REALTOR® positions on local issues. The candidate support was determined by an Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee of IAR. This activity was done independently of the candidate and his/her campaign and without any coordination with the campaign or the candidate. Nineteen candidates received IE support.

Thirteen of the 19 IE-supported candidates won their races (68 percent win rate).

In May 2013, IAR presented a first-of-its-kind database (www.ilskylights.com ) which allows members to:

• Get constant updates on the local issues that affect IAR’s 41,000 members and property owners in Illinois.

• See which state legislative and Congressional districts you live in.

IAR worked with its partner, SGS Inc. to develop the system. The concept won a “Game Changer” Award from the National Association of REALTORS®, recognizing the database’s ability to quickly and efficiently deliver information about IAR’s role in protecting real property rights.

Illinois Association of REALTORS® Advocacy Program

2013 IAR Annual Report

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RPAC RPAC: Illinois REALTORS® shattered goals set by the National Association of REALTORS® for the REALTORS® Political Action Committee in 2013. IAR’s members met and exceeded goals for the total amount raised, President’s Circle and Major Investors.

$934,906 44

President’s Circle members in 2013

Total raised in 2013

Amount Raised Contributors President’s Circle Major Investors Auction Stickhorse Derby

2013 NAR Goal

2013

$524,491

$934,906 (178%)

26%

22%

30

44 (143%)

303

321 (106%)

--

$84,553

--

$25, 539

14 Major Investor Dinners 107 New Major Investors for a total investment of $127,109 Hall of Fame These individuals have been recognized as among the top investors in the country to RPAC, with at least $25,000 in lifetime contributions.

The six inductees will have their names included on the Wall of Fame at IAR’s Springfield headquarters.

Local Association/Boards of the Year Division i: Logan County Board of REALTORS® Division ii: Decatur Association of REALTORS® Division iii: Bloomington-Normal Association

Daniel W. Bock

I Mac Boyd

Ginger Downs

of REALTORS®

Division iv: Peoria Area Association of REALTORS®

Division v: North Shore-Barrington Association of REALTORS®

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Jim Kinney

Frank Wehrstein

Stan Sieron

Greg St. Aubin

Legal IAR Legal Hotline

Legal Webinars

Questions about license law, in particular involving property management, continued to be a hot topic on the IAR Legal Hotline in 2013. The top 10 most used question categories for the year were:

IAR continued to offer monthly Legal Webinars on timely topics:

TOP

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1. License law: scope, 341 calls and emails 2. Contracts to purchase property, 328 calls and emails 3. Agency, 241 calls and emails 4. License law: Business practice, 237 calls and emails 5. Escrow accounts, 191 calls and emails 6. Advertising, 186 calls and emails 7. Disclosure defects, 170 calls and emails 8. Fair housing, 120 calls and emails 9. Commission disputes, 102 calls and emails 10. Leases, 97 calls and emails Ombudsman Program The biggest issues have been disclosures, lack of communication, property management issues and advertising.

•

Wrap it Up...And Start Anew

•

Your Questions and Cook County Fair Housing, Revisited

•

E&O Insurance...What is Covered...Or Not?

•

Commercial Issues and Disclosures - the Sequel

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Disclosures...Revisited; Plus Updates on Cook County Fair Housing Ordinance, etc.

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Your Legal Questions Answered

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#What’sTrendingLegally

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Competitive Practices and Independent Decision Making

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Scope of the brokerage license and potential consequences for crossing the line

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New Fair Housing Rule

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Who’s My (Sponsoring) Broker or Which Team Am I On?

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License Law Compliance Issues

Through 12/31/13:

55 Requests filed; 38 were successfully resolved.

15 IAR-trained Ombudsmen.

In 2013, IAR also began producing short legal videos for members including: •

Notice to Tenants in Foreclosure and Auction Situations, 232 views

•

Overview of Updates to Illinois Community Association Managers,

164 views • •

Checking Brokerage Status and RELA,

119 views

Affordable Care, 105 views

2013 IAR Annual Report

15

Professional Development Attendance at IAR events

IAR holds a myriad of conferences and training opportunities for members each year. Here’s a look at 2013 attendance figures:

216

386

Illinois Housing Conference, Springfield

38

I A R

AE Workshop, BloomingtonNormal

88

IAR Capitol Conference, Springfield

IAR Multicultural Summit, Oak Brook

644

1,260

IAR Spring Conference & Expo, Collinsville

IAR Fall Conference & Expo, St. Charles

REEF Scholarships In 2013, the Illinois Real Estate Educational Foundation (REEF) awarded $47,000 in academic scholarships and $21,500 in training and continuing education scholarship awards.

REEF awarded ...

1 Academic Scholarship 1 Morgan L. Fitch Scholarship 1 Thomas F. Seay Scholarship 4 Richard D. Wiegers Scholarships 38 James Kinney Scholarships 29 Illinois Minority Real Estate Scholarships 4 Robert Cook Scholarships 1 Rich Port Scholarship 1 Past Presidents Scholarship 16

www.illinoisrealtor.org

REEF sponsored a successful golf outing at the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles to raise money for REALTORÂŽ scholarships.

GRI Graduates

Anywhere On-Line Proctoring

was announced last year at the IAR Fall Conference. The first exams were scheduled in November. It has been a popular addition to the IAR Licensing & Training Center.

Webinars

In 2013, IAR made it easier than ever to get your educational requirements by offering an interactive webinar series: Pre-License - 4 webinars June 21-22: 16 participants August 22-23: 31 participants October 29-30: 35 participants November 19-20: 27 participants

Course II - 57 Course III - 56 GRAD - 108

Lunch and Learn Webinars In 2013, IAR produced a monthly series of free, educational webinars featuring some of the industry’s top trainers offering tips and tools on everything from marketing to technology: • Office Anywhere: How you can use free services to enhance

your ability to sell and market, with G. William James

Post-License - 1 webinar September 17-18: 19 participants Instructor Development Webinars: July 31: 6 participants August 24: 7 participants

• Screen to Screen Selling: How to sell without being physically present, with Doug Devitre

Managing Broker Pre-License Webinar July 23-24: 7 participants Broker Management CE Webinars March 8-9 April 3-4 March 18-19 April 26-27 March 27-28 July 1-2

Webinar Topics: • Broker Pre-license Applied Real Estate Principles • Managing Broker Pre-license Applied Management & Supervision • Instructor Development Workshop • Broker Post License Applied Real Estate Practices

• The Listing Presentation that Works Every Time, with Greg Herder • Top Ten Social Media Tips, with Matthew Ferrara • Maximize your Marketing Opportunities with

Strategies that Make More Sales, with Terri Murphy

• Steps to building greater business value, with John Reyes

The webinars are archived at www.illinoisrealtor.org/Proseries

2013 IAR Annual Report

17

Communications Websites

iarbuzz.org

IAR maintains multiple websites...

Illinoisrealtor.org

GO

GO

The association’s main website has information for all of IAR’s programs, links to news releases and housing market data.

IAR’s blog provided more daily industry news and advocacy updates to its more than 680

subscribers with 440 blog posts in 2013.

WhyIBuy.org

In 2013: 752,968 page views,

GO

IAR’s quarterly magazine reached the association’s 41,000 members and was available in print and online. In 2013, Illinois REALTOR printed four issues including three theme issues on Open Houses, Industry Professionalism and Niche Markets.

229,868 visits and 126,628 new visits The number of people visiting the website with iPads grew to 17,846 while those using iPhones reached 19,530 Top pages sought by visitors included: Find a REALTOR® and the license lookup page.

Also popular were education pages related to pre-license, broker pre-license and prelicense classes.

YourIllinoisHome.com

GO

Other IAR publications: IAR maintains this website which tracks state consumer demographics regarding home purchases.

In 2013, the site had 2,138 page views, 942 visits and 721 new visits.

Social Media

IAR’s social media presence grew in 2013...

IAR’s consumer-oriented website offers information about the buying and selling a home, data and the benefits of working with a REALTOR®.

In 2013, the site logged 23,979 page views and 15,189 visits, of which 13,310 were new visitors to the site.

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www.illinoisrealtor.org

Illinois REALTOR®

nearly 9,800 followers to IAR’s @ILREALTOR Twitter account more than 5,600 likes on Facebook

2,171 members in our LinkedIn group and company page

• • •

Illinois REALTOR® Weekly Connection D.R. Legal News State Capitol Report

In 2013, IAR increased the number of informative videos it produced for both members and consumers.

Top 2013 Videos:

1

3 REALTORS® in Action: Fixing SB 41, 513 views

2

IAR Legal Webinars: Notice to Tenants in Foreclosure, 226 views

4 Stop the Sprinkler Mandate in Illinois, 426 views

Overview of updates to Illinois Community Association Management law, 172 views

Lights, Camera...Action!

Video is an increasingly important tool for communicating with members. IAR built a video studio at the association’s headquarters in Springfield in 2013. The space lets the Communications Department better control light and sound during recording, and allows ample room to set up backdrops and sets.

The association also invested in the necessary video editing software and camera equipment to help bring the association’s messages to its members. Among features recorded in the studio was an overview on Skylights, information on how to help tornado victims and the first of a monthly series of video reports on the housing market.

IAR MarketStats Infographics

In 2013, IAR launched an infographic series on the housing market. The IAR MarketStats infographics are a new way for IAR and members to share with consumers information and trends on Illinois real estate data, financing and homeownership.

2013 IAR Annual Report

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Information Technology RAMCO IAR officially signed a contract with RAMCO to begin work on moving the member database from an iSeries DB2 platform to the Microsoft Dynamics-based RAMCO Association Membership System. Much of 2013 was spent making preparations to our data and training users on the new system. IAR plans to go live with RAMCO in May 2014.

IAR Education Exam Grading/ Notification System IAR continued to improve the quality of the grading and notification system that allows some of our IAR school branches to scan in student exams and send them to IAR for grading and result notifications via email and text message. We’ve had great feedback from students that receive a text message, often within an hour of taking the exam.

Server\Firewall Upgrades We were able to reduce the amount of physical servers in our server room by adding bigger and better servers that would run multiple virtual servers. The firewall was upgraded as well and has added the benefit of a built-in wireless controller, which allows us to secure the staff WiFi and still allow guest WiFi logins.

Phone System Upgrade IAR upgraded its phone system to Shoretel. The quality of calls increased and it gave us the ability to forward calls to our mobile phones.

Security Cameras IAR upgraded old security cameras and added a few new ones in and around REALTORÂŽ Plaza, including the parking lots surrounding the IAR building. The video surveillance software was upgraded for improved performance and better user experience.

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www.illinoisrealtor.org

Illinois Association of REALTORS速 522 S. Fifth Street Springfield, IL 62701 (217) 529-2600 www.facebook.com/Illinois AssociationofREALTORS twitter.com/IlREALTOR

web: www.illinoisrealtor.org e-mail: IARaccess@iar.org blog: www.IARbuzz.com