* The Illinois Realtors are apparently trying to get ahead of a story about a new housing proposal from the Illinois Municipal League. Press release…

At a time when Illinois families are already struggling to find affordable housing, the taxpayer-funded Illinois Municipal League (IML) is advancing a sweeping proposal that Illinois REALTORS® warns could further choke supply, inflate costs, and cross serious legal lines.

The proposal appears designed to gut and replace Governor Pritzker’s Build Up Illinois Development (BUILD) plan – the state’s most viable path to increasing housing supply – with a wish-list of anti-real estate measures.

“This proposal isn’t just misguided, it’s dangerous,” said Jeff Baker, CEO of Illinois REALTORS®. “It raises serious legal questions, proposes outright price fixing, and undermines the very goal of making housing more accessible. At the worst possible moment, IML is throwing a wrench into efforts that are actually moving Illinois forward.”

Among the most controversial elements is a push to regulate real estate transaction costs – an approach that violates U.S. antitrust laws. The proposal also layers on aggressive rent control policies and grants municipalities unprecedented power to override private HOA agreements, opening the door to forced, higher-density development with little regard for existing communities.

Illinois REALTORS® is calling on state leaders to reject what it views as a deeply flawed and disruptive proposal and to stay the course on policies that expand housing supply, protect property rights, and deliver real affordability.

“With more than 80% of voters demanding action on housing costs, this proposal does the exact opposite,” Baker added. “Illinois doesn’t need political distractions—we need solutions. This isn’t one of them.”

The Realtors have been working closely with Gov. JB Pritzker on his housing plan. But the IML appears to be flanking them on their left. Clever.

* From Brad Cole, CEO of the Illinois Municipal League…

Our proposal is aimed at improving housing affordability – that’s what we thought this was all about –not protecting the profits of REALTORS. We are simply putting forth policy alternatives for the General Assembly to consider, recognizing there are often multiple paths to achieve a shared goal. We look forward to further conversations about our proposal, and any other proposals, with the Governor’s Office, members of the General Assembly and other stakeholders.