Contact:
Mary Schaefer
217-529-2600

Illinois REALTORS® to Assemble at the
Annual IAR Convention in St. Charles, Sept. 29-Oct. 1

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — REALTORS® and other real estate professionals from throughout Illinois will gather September 29 – October 1, 2010, for the Illinois Association of REALTORS® (IAR) 94th Annual Convention and Expo at the Pheasant Run Resort and Spa in St. Charles.

This year’s convention, themed “Motivate, Innovate, Celebrate,” will inspire REALTORS® with the latest market trends, technology tools and time-tested marketing and top producer tips they need to get ahead in the industry. Featured speakers include:

• Trainer and negotiation pro Steve Harney – “Inspiring Greatness – What it Means to Be a REALTOR®”
• Coach and columnist Bernice Ross – “ You Snooze, You Lose: Trends to Take Your Business to the Top in 2011”
• Top trainer Kim Daugherty – “Good Morning America! The 7 Critical Wake-Up Calls about Today’s Market You Don’t Want to Miss”
• Tech expert Doug Devitre – “ Social Media: Power Prospecting and Renewing Referrals”
• Trainer Lynn Madison – “Positional Marketing for Maximum Exposure”
• Memory coach Tom Weber – “Discovering your Memory Power”

“Information is power and lllinois real estate agents and brokers don’t want to miss this
chance to learn from some of the top industry trainers and experts about the educational, professional and social media strategies they need to navigate and get ahead in this changing market,” said IAR President Mike Onorato.

REALTORS® have the opportunity to earn up to six hours of continuing education (CE) credit toward their licensing requirements with two CE classes. Instructor Lynn Madison will highlight what REALTORS® need to know about disclosure, fair housing, antitrust and more in her class, “Legal Issues – Risk Management Remix for Today’s Market,” on September 29, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Instructor Kevin Stahle will teach REALTORS® how to use technology tools and highlight potential changes and developments in his class, “Technology Application in Real Estate” on October 1, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Real estate industry vendors will showcase their products and services in a state-of-the-art trade expo. Hours for the expo are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on September 30, and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on October 1. A Virtual Expo is available after August 16th on the IAR website, www.illinoisrealtor.org/convention/expo.

Inaugural gala activities include a reception, dinner and dance in honor of the incoming 2011 IAR officers. The incoming officers are President Sheryl Grider Whitehurst, ABR, CRB, GRI, Development and Operations Coordinator with Traders Realty in Peoria; President-Elect Loretta Alonzo, broker-owner of Century 21 Alonzo & Associates, La Grange Park; Treasurer Michael Oldenettel, broker-owner of Re/Max Results Plus, Jacksonville.

For more information about the 2010 IAR Convention and Expo, visit the Illinois Association of REALTORS® website at www.illinoisrealtor.org or call 217-529-2600.

IAR Members registering by August 25 get the early-bird rate of $125. Advance registration before September 15 is $135 for members and $175 for non-members. Walk-in registration for the full convention is $145 for members and $175 for non-members. Walk-in, one-day registration is $105 for members and $115 for non-members and trade show-only registration is $40.

The Illinois Association of REALTORS® is a voluntary trade association whose 46,000 members are engaged in all facets of the real estate industry. In addition to serving the professional needs of its members, the Illinois Association of REALTORS® works to protect the rights of private property owners in the state by recommending and promoting legislation that safeguards and advances the rights of real property ownership.

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