What was your most interesting job before going into real estate?

I worked for a startup email company, Dialcom Inc. (which became ITT Dialcom, and then BT Dialcom), first as an administrative assistant to the local sales manager, then to the regional sales manager and then as a marketing support agent, who basically did inside sales. This was in the early 1980s and a very exciting time for the internet and email development.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up first in Morton Grove, and then we moved to Glencoe, as my parents wanted us to attend New Trier.

Growing up, what did you want to be?

I always wanted to be a criminal defense attorney and then a judge.

What do you do to relax when you’re stressed?

To relax, I either watch older and more recent movies or I needlepoint. Also, a good long walk helps to relieve the stress.

If you could meet any well-known figure (living or not), who would it be and why?

I would have loved to have met each of the Beatles, as their music was and still is iconic, represented the changes going on in the world during my youth and has stood the test of time and technology. However, I would also have loved to have met and sat down and chatted with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, because she was someone who always stood for what was right, no matter how difficult it was for her to do that, and she held to her convictions and beliefs even in the face of great adversity.

What is Chicago’s best-kept secret?

Our neighborhoods are rich in culture and tradition, each of them possessing unique viewpoints on the city and the world. We are a welcoming city, despite all the bad press we have received over the years.

What do you love most about the industry?

What I love most about the industry is that it is always changing and, in most cases, for the better and benefit of the public. I love that we have a set of rules that forces us to focus on the interest of our clients, and the changes in license law and the code of ethics are designed to make us better professionals while protecting the public trust.

How do you distinguish yourself from the crowd of agents?

I would like to believe that I distinguish myself from the crowd by continuing to educate myself, not just to changes in license law, the Code of Ethics and Realtor best practices, but to potential and enforced changes to local, state and federal laws and requirements that may affect myself and my clients.

What is the most difficult aspect of your job?

In general, the most difficult aspect of my job, currently, is obtaining a person’s trust. People are reticent to share confidential details of their lives and are more likely to trust an app’s reviews from unknown individuals. Gaining trust can be difficult and is most important.

What’s your best advice for generating new leads?

The best advice I can give about lead generation is not to be a secret Realtor. Wear your badge or company gear/swag. You will meet people and new prospects by being visible in your community and everywhere you go for errands, family functions, etc. Everyone has real estate questions, and even if you meet someone who is loyal to a colleague, they must know others who are not connected. Also, be consistent in your outreach. It pays off.

What has been your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment has been being able to find homes for clients who have financial challenges and during stressful and difficult markets. Patience is truly a virtue, and if you are able to explain the relevant market conditions, you can be successful. I have been able to stay busy and working during down times.

What are you binge-watching/reading/listening to lately?

I recently binge-watched the fourth and final season of The Bear. I love the drama and intense interaction between the characters and how it is interwoven in the kitchen dynamics. I am also waiting for the next season of The Pitt for the above reason AND am anxiously awaiting the next season of FAUDA.

Architecturally speaking, what is your favorite building in Chicago?

My favorite building in Chicago has always been the Wrigley Building. It has always had a strong and beautiful presence high above Michigan Avenue. The classic architecture represents artistic craft of bygone days while blending seamlessly into more modern buildings. I would be devastated if it ever disappeared.

What’s one thing people are surprised to learn about you?

That I seem hard and rule-driven on the outside but am kind, caring and patient on the inside.

What is your favorite vacation spot and why?

I would say I am torn between Italy, France and Israel for varying reasons. Israel felt like home; France is beautiful, romantic and incredibly historical; and the people in Italy are so friendly, the food is amazing and fresh.

In 10 words or less, what is your advice for someone new to the industry?

Get involved in your community and something you love.

What’s your favorite real estate iPhone/Android app?

I love the Genius Scan app because it helps me process my documents with my office and other deal-related personnel.

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The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) said housing affordability worsened in the second quarter of 2026 as mortgage rates and new-home prices increased. At the same time, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported that applications for mortgages to purchase newly built homes fell in July, while Census Bureau data showed a sharp decline in housing starts and completions.

The NAHB’s latest Cost of Housing Index (CHI) found that a family earning the national median income of $106,800 needed to spend 34% of its income on the mortgage payment for a median-priced new home in the second quarter. That was up from 32% in the first quarter. For low-income families earning 50% of the median income, the share rose from 65% to 67%.

The change came as the average 30-year mortgage rate increased from 6.20% in the first quarter to 6.51% in the second. The median price of a new home also increased 2%, from $403,200 to $410,700.

In Illinois, however, housing is more affordable in some parts of the state than in other markets. Decatur was the least cost-burdened market on the CHI, with a typical family spending just 16% of its income on a mortgage for an existing home. Peoria and Springfield also ranked among the least burdened markets, at 18% and 20%, respectively.

“Buyers faced high mortgage rates and economic uncertainty, while builders dealt with rising construction costs, unnecessary regulatory burdens and labor shortages,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “The recently enacted 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act will help address many of these challenges, but implementation will take time.”

NAHB said affordability weakened for both new and existing homes. For a typical family, the share of income needed for a mortgage on an existing home rose from 32% in the first quarter to 36% in the second quarter.

“A nationwide housing shortage of roughly 1.2 million units continues to strain affordability, and the latest CHI data show that too many households remain cost burdened,” said Dietz. “Policymakers need to remove regulatory barriers, reduce economic uncertainty and support a stronger business climate so builders can produce the homes and apartments the nation urgently needs.”

The Mortgage Bankers Association’s July data showed that demand for new homes was also slowing. Mortgage applications for new-home purchases fell 5.7% from a year earlier and 1% from June.

MBA estimated that new single-family home sales were running at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 647,000 in July, down 3% from June’s pace of 667,000. The July pace was also below the average annualized sales pace of 664,000 during the first six months of the year.

It was the third decline in the annualized sales pace in four months, according to MBA.

MBA’s vice president and deputy chief economist, Joel Kan, said new-home inventory remained elevated and that weaker demand likely reflected increased sensitivity among buyers to higher mortgage rates.

The average loan size for a new home also declined slightly, from $375,218 in June to $374,438 in July.

The Census Bureau reported that housing starts fell to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.239 million in July, down 12.4% from June and 13.5% from July 2025. Single-family starts fell 9.9% from June to 808,000.

Housing completions also declined. The July rate of 1.212 million was 9.1% below June and 16.8% below July 2025. Single-family completions fell 5.8% from June to 878,000.

Building permits, however, moved in the opposite direction. Privately owned housing units authorized by building permits reached an annual rate of 1.443 million in July, up 5% from June and 3.1% from a year earlier. Single-family authorizations increased 2.5% from June to 894,000.

Overall, the reports show higher mortgage rates taking a larger share of household income while applications for new-home purchases are falling. The census data show that fewer homes were started and completed in July, even as the number of homes receiving permits increased.

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MassHousing’s Bringing Innovation to Lending and Development (BILD) program leverages private capital and public equity to finance mixed-income multifamily housing development across the commonwealth.

Already the program has contributed to the creation of 44 development projects with a combined 6,500 units of housing. BILD’s success offers an avenue to meet mounting demand in the market. It’s an important step, considering that the state would need to add 222,000 homes by 2035 to meet local demand, according to the Unlocking Housing Production Commission.

How the BILD model works

Usually, mixed-income multifamily developments receive around 60% of financing from mortgage debt and the remaining amount from sponsors or outside equity.

BILD instead offers below-market equity via the Momentum Fund. The result, a FORGE Loan, blends permanent senior debt originated by Berkadia and purchased by Freddie Mac with a subordinate permanent second mortgage loan from MassHousing.

“The Momentum Fund will help expand our state’s housing supply in a way that incentivizes the market to build housing for people of all income levels,” said Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus in a 2025 press release. “And the revolving nature of the fund ensures continued funds for future developments for years to come.”

Why it works

BILD projects must have at least 50 units, and at least 20% of these must be reserved for households earning 80% of area median income. Plus, the income restrictions must last the length of the loan term or 15 years, whichever is longer.

In “A New Financing Model to Catalyze Mixed-Income Housing,” a study from the Urban Institute, researchers Laurie Goodman, Daniel Hornung, Aniket Mehrotra and Kathryn Reynolds noted that: “The BILD program is designed to maximize public dollars to mobilize private capital, both debt and equity financing. On the debt side, MassHousing ‘de-risks’ the Freddie Mac-backed loan by taking a first-loss position in the event of borrower default. As a result, Freddie Mac is willing to give the lender both more favorable terms and a larger loan than in a typical structure.”

Implementation elsewhere

For states aiming to boost affordable and market-rate inventory, a program like BILD provides a pathway for secure, scalable development. The key, experts explained, is strong internal financing or a trusted outside partner.

“States should rigorously understand housing production trends and any barriers to mixed-income production and structure their program to meet local needs,” said the Urban Institute researchers. “Innovative public financing models demonstrate alternative approaches to public subsidies for creating housing. By making the math work for financiers and developers, entities such as housing finance agencies can help the private sector serve public needs, particularly for segments not well served through other programs.”

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The MBA’s Market Composite Index rose 0.8% in the week ended Aug. 28 compared to the previous week. The Refinance Index fell 1%, while the Purchase Index climbed 2%. 

“Mortgage rates reached their highest levels in four weeks as investors’ concerns about inflation and growing deficits push yields higher across the globe,” MBA Chief Economist Mike Fratantoni said. “Refinance volume dropped in response, but purchase volume increased modestly over the week and was slightly below last year’s level. In many local markets, potential buyers have plenty of homes to choose, and this is likely supporting transaction volume.” 

Fratantoni noted that the adjustable-rate mortgage share of activity hit a five-week high of 8%. The refinance share of activity, meanwhile, dipped from 42% to 41.8%. 

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances of $832,750 or less inched up to 6.79% from 6.78%.

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Over the past year, 30.9% of rental listing page views in Chicago came from out-of-towners. That represents a 3.7% year-over-year surge in the metro — the second-highest annual increase of any major city in the country, behind Buffalo, New York (up 4.2%).

While this trend signals a potential influx in Chicago’s rental market, it could also point toward a future housing market boom, Zillow said.

“Renting is often how people try out a new community before committing. When we see a market with a growing share of rental searches coming from outside the metro, that tips us off to a developing pipeline,” Chief Economist Mischa Fisher said in a press release. “A year-over-year surge in out-of-town browsing in places like Buffalo and Chicago tells us a wave of newcomers may not be far behind.”

A majority of Chicago’s out-of-town would-be renters — 1.4% — are in Milwaukee, suggesting a potential Midwestern transition in the coming months and years.

The post Rental interest points to Chicago as a housing market to watch appeared first on Chicago Agent Magazine.

1523 S. Warren Road (Photo credit: Dustin Pedder, Volo Photo)

This home in Maricopa, Arizona, may look kind of like an igloo, but it’s actually made entirely of fiberglass.

In addition to the two-bedroom, two-bathroom abode, the 3.3-acre property is protected by a slew of mature saguaro cacti.

1523 S. Warren Road (Photo credit: Dustin Pedder, Volo Photo)

The oblong desert dome is listed by Janell Ward of HomeSmart Maricopa for $245,000.

The post An oblong fiberglass dome in the desert appeared first on Chicago Agent Magazine.

Sanfilippo, who previously served as vice president of insights for Reality Labs at Meta, brings more than 20 years of experience across product, data, analytics and technology. 

While at Reality Labs, he led global teams across data science, data engineering and user research and helped build and grow the market for Meta’s AI-enabled wearable glasses. 

Sanfilippo also worked at WhatsApp to shape the product’s U.S. growth strategy. Prior to Meta, he led data and analytics at Intuit. 

Varun Krishna, CEO of Rocket Companies, said, “I worked with Alessio at Intuit and saw firsthand how he combines deep analytical thinking with a real instinct for the consumer. He has spent his career using data and technology to make complex products work better for enormous audiences. Now he gets to bring that experience to Redfin and help us connect home search, brokerage, mortgage, closing and servicing into one experience.” 

“I’ve used Redfin for years, including through some of the biggest decisions my family has made,” Sanfilippo said. “I still remember the pride I felt buying my first home. Redfin has always helped make an intimidating process easier to understand. I’m excited to work with this team and combine what Redfin has built with Rocket’s capabilities to make finding, buying and owning a home simpler for millions of people.” 

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Welcome to the 19th annual Who’s Who in Chicagoland Residential Real Estate. 

This special edition showcases the top professionals in the residential real estate market — the agents, loan officers, affiliates and association leaders who elevate each transaction so every client can relax. The profiles featured here highlight the accolades of each of these real estate titans, but they go deeper than that. They also reveal the motivations that drive these agents and lenders, the perspectives that make them unique and the reasons why their clients remain loyal.

These are the agents who go the extra mile, take on any challenge and stand out as leaders in their field. These are the lenders who problem-solve and expertly smooth out the homebuying process. These are the professionals who make the housing industry tick. They are Who’s Who in Chicagoland residential real estate.

See the participants here!

Photography by: Dan Machnick, Ryan Jackson

Special thank you to those who provided the beautiful photo shoot locations featured in the 2026 edition of Who’s Who in Chicagoland Real Estate:

1407 N. Hoyne Ave., Chicago, IL 60622
Listed by Tim Salm, Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty

24 Bridlewood Road, Northbrook, IL 60062
Lised by Rick Richker, @properties Christie’s International Real Estate

1877 Banbury Road, Inverness, IL 60067
Listed by Ashlee Fox, BHHS Starck Real Estate

1040 N. Lake Shore Drive, Apt. 37A, Chicago, IL 60611
Listed by Jennifer Ames, Engel & Völkers Chicago | Chicago North Shore

Optima Verdana, 1210 Central Ave., Wilmette, IL 60091
Designed, developed and managed by Optima, Inc.

17 Ambriance Drive, Burr Ridge, IL 60527
Listed by Linda Conforti, Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty

Cassidy on Canal, 350 N. Canal St., Chicago, IL 60606
Developed and managed by The Habitat Company

104 S. Monroe St., Hinsdale, IL 60521
Listed by Briana Brandt Murray, @properties Hinsdale

The Saint Grand, 218 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL 60611
Listed by Aaron Galvin, Luxury Living

Kingsbury Plaza, 520 N. Kingsbury St., Chicago, IL 60654
Developed and managed by The Habitat Company

141 Loretto Court, Wheaton, IL 60189
Listed by Jennifer Ames, Engel & Völkers Chicago | Chicago North Shore

5021 Minkler Road, Yorkville, IL 60560
Listed by Michael LaFido, LPT Realty

Arbor House, 25 E. Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005
Developed by Bradford Allen

1524 N. Astor St., Chicago, IL 60610
Listed by Jennifer Ames , Engel & Völkers Chicago | Chicago North Shore

725 Valley Road, Glencoe, IL 60022
Listed by Jody Dickstein and Michael Dickstein, @properties Christie’s International Real Estate

493 Hazel Ave., Highland Park, IL 60035
Listed by Allison Silver and Janet Borden, Compass

461 W. Melrose St., Chicago, IL 60657
Listed by Lorenzo Sanchez, Engel & Völkers Chicago

The Leo, 741 N. Wells St., Chicago, IL 60654
Listed by Aaron Galvin, Luxury Living

Lucca Fox Valley, 3955 Fox Valley Center Drive, Aurora, IL 60504
Developed by Atlantic Residential and Focus, with interiors by Morgante Wilson Architects

The post The 2026 Who’s Who in Chicagoland Real Estate is here! appeared first on Chicago Agent Magazine.

The study analyzed the charitable work of NAR members, broker-owners, association executives and MLS staff, finding that 64% of Realtors volunteered an average of eight hours per month, and 84% made charitable donations in the past year. Others in the industry gave back as well. The report found 78% of broker-owners volunteered monthly, and 68% of broker-owners encouraged their firm’s agents to engage in charitable work. Plus, 63% of association executives and MLS staff shared that their associations recognized charitable actions with awards.

The typical monetary donation sat around $1,500 for individuals and $14,500 for organizations.

The most common causes members supported included food banks, local schools, children’s sports teams, veterans support programs and youth mentoring and education initiatives.

“Realtors and their associations serve as pillars of their communities through their time, dollars and dedication,” said Jessica Lautz, NAR deputy chief economist and vice president of research, in a press release. “Charitable giving and volunteering are a defining feature of who Realtors are, and they consistently make time to invest in the people and places around them.”

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Since the Linigers founded the brokerage in 1973, it has expanded to over 145,000 agents operating in more than 120 countries.  

Its parent company, REMAX Holdings Inc., was recently acquired by The Real Brokerage Inc. The combined company now operates as Real REMAX Group Inc. 

“Gail was my partner in every sense of the word,” Dave Liniger said. “She was crucial to the success of REMAX, and in many ways was the steady force behind everything we built.” 

Short for “Real Estate Maximums,” REMAX was a significant contributor to the way modern brokerages operate. It aimed to attract top-producing, experienced agents with a maximum commission structure coupled with a host of support and professional development services. 

Liniger became CEO of the company in 1991, shepherding it through a period of international expansion and cultural transformation. She entered the leadership role after surviving and recovering from a near-fatal plane crash in 1983. 

Liniger ended her executive role in 2018 but remained on the company’s board until 2023 when she retired. 

“Gail Liniger was a rare and remarkable leader,” said Abby Lee, chief marketing officer of Real REMAX Group. “She led with grace and grit, and her influence on the REMAX brand and real estate industry is immeasurable. Gail built a culture of excellence, generosity and perseverance.” 

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