I have been involved in the real estate business since 1974.  Most people in the business think of themselves in relation to the type of property they sell.  I don't.  It is the people, not the property.  Sounds trite doesn't it?  I specialize in one thing, helping my clients solve a problem.  For types of real estate I have sold or acquired single-family homes as user/investor, strip centers, office buildings, industrial buildings, land, and other assorted pieces from Hawaii to Florida and some places between.   Some I have never seen. 

I have taught real estate for local boards of Realtors, state Realtor organizations, and for the National Association of Realtors at their conventions.  I have also taught for a couple colleges and for evening classes at the local adult education section of a high school district.  I've been hired to speak for companies to their clients or potential clients too.

The then DuPage Association of Realtors was my first professional affiliation and soon thereafter the Northwest Suburban Association of Realtors, now Realtor Association of Northwest Chicagoland (ranwc)  These memberships, along with the accompanying Illinois Association of Realtors and National Association of Realtors are very important to me.  There is a Code of Ethics attached to these memberships.  I know it, abide by it, and expect others to do the same.

Since my first experience with DuPage back in 1974, where I served on their Finance Committee, I have been on many committees.  At RANWC I served in too many capacities to name them all.  MLS chairman, chair of the Commercial Realtors Council, member of board of directors, and president, to name a few.  I also served on the founding Board of Governors of Multiple Listing Service of Northern Illinois.  I have also served on committees with the MAP MLS.

When the opportunity came along to create a commercially minded board, I became a member of the task force that created the Northern Illinois Commercial Association of Realtors and served as their second president, among other things.

For the Illinois Association of Realtors I have served on their board of directors and commercial committee, among others.

For the National Association of Realtors, I have served on their Commercial Committee and subcommittees and forums, etc.  I've also had the privilege of speaking a couple times for seminars given at their national convention.

In the mid-70's I was exposed to the concept of buyer brokerage.  It seemed the right thing to do.  I, contrary to the then accepted methods, would represent the person sitting across the desk from me.  Or, if my "customer" was a buyer then I represented the buyer.  If my "customer" was a seller then I represented the seller.  But, only ONE in a transaction and they became my client.  I worked for their best interests.  The rest of the industry worked ONLY for sellers, never, or almost never, for buyers.  In the mid-90's the industry caught up with me and now, very suddenly, it is accepted practice to represent buyers or sellers.  Of course they have some distance to go to catch me since it is generally accepted that they can represent BOTH in the same transaction.  Give me a break.  Can't be done.

Soon I found what is now the Chicago Area Real Estate Exchangors.  Their marketing techniques and people based methods quickly became second nature to me.  I served two terms as president there and received some awards.  One in particular was the Client Service award and another was the Transaction of the Year award.

In all the many travels to these many meetings required from all these presidencies and other leadership positions, I met folks from the Realtors Land Institute.  They deal primarily with farms and land.  Great bunch of people and I have served as President of the Illinois Chapter. 

Finally, I knew that there was a lot to learn in this business.  Quickly, starting in 1974 I started taking classes.  My first designation was GRI, Graduate Realtors Institute.  When the then Realtors National Marketing Institute created the Certified Residential Specialist designation I was a charter designee.  The Commercial Investment Real Estate Institute of NAR presented me with their CCIM, Certified Commercial Investment Member, designation.  The Realtors Land Institute presented me with the ALC, Accredited Land Consultant, designation, and others.   Needless to say, each required taking classes, tests, and demonstrated performance for clients.  I've taken hundreds of classes and seminars and multi-day courses since 1974, and given scores of classes in colleges, for companies, for associations, etc.