Jake Lyons - The Chicago Home Source

05/22/2026

Had this listing go live on the EXACT day my local MLS stopped sharing their feed with Zillow over a legal dispute.
The result?
Multiple offers and under contract in less than 24 hours.
It’s ALMOST as if we never really needed some random website (whose whole model is to display/steal listings from productive agents and sell leads from those listings back to other agents) to begin with! 😎

03/07/2025

With all these tariffs and general economic drama playing out on the world stage right now, here’s a quick brain dump of how I could see this impacting real estate in the near-mid term future, particularly in Chicago, and things I’m thinking about in general. (Btw, the person I’m referencing at the end there is me 😄)

04/04/2024

I know many of you who are looking to buy or sell a home in the not too distant future have seen the headlines and read the articles about the recent National Association of Realtors (NAR) lawsuits and the pending settlement that has come from it and might be wondering how that impacts you and your goals

There is lots of false information, purposeful or not, being floated around as to what realistic expectations should be following this (proposed) NAR settlement event, from news outlets, other agents, barbershop conversations, social media, etc

After a couple weeks of taking it all in, here is how I see this realistically shaking out. (Assuming nothing significant changes in the terms of the deal)

Contrary to popular belief, I don’t expect very much of the way the real estate business is run to significantly change, at least not for a long time. Sellers will still be able to compensate the buyer’s agent the same way they were before. The only difference is that if a “co-op” commission is being offered, it will no longer appear on the MLS for agents and/or their clients to see

For those sellers unwilling to offer compensation to the buyer’s agent sufficient enough to cover the amount agreed to between the buyer and their agent, then the buyer will have to cover that cost themselves

I believe in the majority of cases, savvy sellers will see the value in compensating the buyer’s agent for the role of bringing them a qualified buyer and who can demonstrate a history of getting deals to the closing table

The silver lining is that it will force agents, especially on the buy side, to truly justify their value and why working with them over your friend’s sister’s boyfriend’s barber who does real estate on the side is better!

If you want to have a conversation with someone who is in the trenches on all of this and help you cut through the noise to come up with a strategy of achieving your real estate goals and navigating the changing landscape, reach out here or via the many ways of getting ahold of me in the link on my profile!

02/08/2024

This, right here, is the perfect example of why I love what I do! All the research, market updates, continuing education, marketing, analysis, and every other activity that involves being a real estate adviser is all ultimately at the service of one thing: Putting my clients in the best possible position to achieve their home ownership goals!

Very few, if any, aspects of your life will make a bigger impact on the reality of yourself, your family, and even future generations of your family, more than the seemingly simple decision of where you choose to live.

This is why, whether you are starting a new family, moving to a new city, an investor who wants to provide housing for others, or any other combination of circumstances, I take such pride in the trust that my clients put in me to give them advice and lead them through one of the biggest financial and emotional decisions they’ll ever make!

If you want to learn more about how I work, what the Chicago housing market looks like in the areas you care about, what you need to do to put yourself in the best position whether you are a day or a decade away from making a serious move, or just want to chat, it’s easy to do so! Send me a message on here or, best yet, fill out the Quick Start Questionnaire located in the link in my bio!

01/25/2024

New episode of Living In Chicago featuring Chris Anderson who tells us about the local Chicago music scene, living in Lincoln Square, managing the Green Mill, navigating the school system, and much more!

Chris Anderson, a mainstay in Chicago's jazz and blues scene, shares stories on living in Lincoln Square, managing the renowned Green Mill, his unique experiences in the city's music culture, the evolution of neighborhoods like Uptown, challenges and benefits of city life, and his personal journey i

01/18/2024

Me and the boys ready to take in this Chicago Association of Realtors for the year ahead in real estate!

Things like the economy, housing market, interest rates, supply chain, and all these things are notoriously difficult to predict. As the economy over the last year or two especially has proven, nobody really knows anything! But, the top notch economists speaking at this will have the best chance of anyone to at least provide something helpful that we can use in providing the best service possible to our clients.

I’ll share some of the more interesting bits I learn today, but in the meantime, what predictions do YOU have for the economy and housing market??

12/20/2023

Went back to my roots on this video. Just me doing my "talking head getting into the weeds of the data" thing as I explore the idea of whether wintertime in Chicago is really "the best time to buy" and "the worst time to list", as is often said.

One of the most tried and true tropes of Chicago real estate is some version of "buy in the winter because that's when you get the best deals." On the flip s...