Chicago’s Premier Real Estate Event Since 1988
The Real Estate Forum has become Chicago’s premier annual real estate event. The event began in 1988, when the Lincoln Park Builders Club of Chicago hosted the first Real Estate Forum at its club headquarters for members and selected guests. The idea was to stage a thought-provoking discussion on the state of the real estate market in Chicago. After several successful events, the club decided to open up the Real Estate Forum to all Chicago real estate professionals.
Now, the event has long outgrown its origins and is attended by hundreds of the most influential Chicago real estate professionals each year. Chicago’s top developers, owners, brokers and investors all converge for one night in Lincoln Park to discuss the market and source new business opportunities.
At the centerpiece of the event remains the panel discussion, which annually features some of Chicago’s most successful real estate practitioners. The event also features the announcement of the annual Impact Award, which is bestowed upon a real estate professional who has made great contributions to the growth of the City of Chicago. View past panelists.
The panel discussion is followed by a dinner and cocktail party that generates the best networking the industry has to offer.
Lincoln Park Builders
The Lincoln Park Builders of Chicago is an honorary society of real estate builders, developers, managers, and principals, or individuals who are influential in the industry. The Club’s mission is to provide social camaraderie, support common causes and provide a venue to discuss and learn about real estate industry issues, trends, and opportunities.
The Club is dedicated to advancing Chicago’s architecture, development, and prosperity by promoting and supporting people and organizations that share our common mission. At the time of the Club’s founding in 1968, Lincoln Park was an economically challenged area of Chicago. The eleven original founders were influential contributors to the renaissance of Lincoln Park and Chicago’s northside. In the decades since inception, Lincoln Park has developed into a thriving neighborhood, and the LPBC members continue to improve the built environment of Chicagoland and beyond.
Membership in the Lincoln Park Builders of Chicago is an honor bestowed on those who have repeatedly demonstrated exemplary performance in their field, with superior integrity and the highest of ethical standards. Members vow to compete fairly while also helping the organization and fellow members to further the success of the group.
Annual Impact Award
Since 1999, Lincoln Park Builders Club of Chicago has annually bestowed the Impact Award to a real estate professional or business that has demonstrated long-term commitment to the growth and advancement of the city of Chicago. It is the organization’s highest honor, and past winners represent excellence in the real estate industry through both commercial and charitable endeavors.
In 2025, we were honored to name Michael Glasser, president of the Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance (NBOA), as our Impact Award recipient. A leader and advocate for our industry, Mike has made a lasting impact through his commitment to strengthening the local housing landscape and his tireless efforts to position Chicago as a pro-development city while supporting equitable housing for all. The founder and president of Magellen Properties, through which he owns and manages a portfolio of family-owned properties in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood and DuPage County, Mike is a longstanding member of the Lincoln Park Builders Club of Chicago and is also involved with the Rogers Park Builders Group, and organization he helped establish with other Rogers Park building owners. Additionally, he serves as president of the Northside Community Development Corporation and is an active volunteer with the Friends of Roger C. Sullivan High School.
