Illinois Realtors Expands Lobbying Team

Illinois’ real estate trade group is beefing up its lobbying team, bringing in former government staffers to lead a push for housing reforms in Springfield and in Chicago.

Illinois Realtors said on Monday that it was adding Melia Carter as vice president of governmental affairs. Anne Emerseon and Audrey Harding are joining as local government affairs directors to work with the Chicago City Council and Cook County Board of Commissioners, respectively.

Jeff Baker, CEO of Illinois Realtors, told The Real Deal the group is preparing to push for policies that increase density in Chicago and statewide, while opposing potential property tax hikes and tenant protections it argues would stifle investment.

The organization will work on “securing policies that increase housing inventory, incentivize homebuying and thwart burdensome property tax hikes and regulations,” Baker said in a press release.

Carter will manage Illinois Realtors’ 12-member government affairs team, according to the release. Most recently, she led Verizon’s government affairs team across the Midwest and in Chicago.

On the local front, the association is bringing in insiders with deep ties to local governments to lead its lobbying efforts. Emerson, who will be focusing on Chicago, was chief of staff for the City Council’s Finance Committee from 2019 to 2023, according to her LinkedIn. She most recently was senior vice president at Mercury Public Affairs.

Harding, responsible for Cook County, is coming from a post as senior legislative assistant in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s intergovernmental affairs office. She has previously worked for the Cook County Board of Commissioners, first in Johnson’s office and later for Commissioner Tara Stamps, according to her LinkedIn.

The 2026 agenda

At the state level, Illinois Realtors is backing five bills Baker called the “Housing Stability & Affordability Initiative.”

Two of those bills aim to ease local zoning rules and allow for denser housing, Baker said. One would require cities to allow accessory dwelling units, a measure Chicago officials enacted in a limited form last year. Another would require larger cities to allow “middle housing,” including buildings with up to four units and townhomes, on lots of a certain size zoned for any residential use.

Other pieces of their state-level platform include a cap on impact fees on new developments, and tax advantages for first-time homebuyers. The group is also pushing a bill that would eliminate “crime-free” housing ordinances, which landlords and advocates have argued are used to discriminate against tenants based on race.

In Chicago, the organization will advocate for upzoning, especially near transit stations and on large lots, Baker said.

It will also continue opposing efforts to give tenants the right of first refusal to purchase their buildings, a measure that gained some traction last year and is in effect in some neighborhoods. Real estate groups say the policy makes it more difficult for landlords to sell their property and drives up housing costs.

“Realtors will also continue to be the largest advocate for property rights, whether that is from even more dramatic real estate taxes or restrictions on rentals that end up hurting tenants or driving homeownership further out of reach,” he said.

The City Council passed an ordinance giving tenants in the South Shore and Woodlawn neighborhoods the right of first refusal to buy their buildings last year. Similar measures are in place in some Northwest Side neighborhoods like Logan Square and Avondale.

Beyond the statehouse and city hall, the association plans to launch “housing supply accelerators” in 2026, Baker said. The program will target specific communities to study local zoning codes and recommend changes to bring down construction costs.