"Chicago is at an interesting time in the real estate market," says Rich Kelley, RealShare Conference series director. "People are not sure what's going on and what will become of the market, so it makes an event like this more important and valuable from an educational standpoint. More importantly, the conference is a chance to network and form a foundation to do business together."

Kelley says one thing that will differ from last year is a new addition to the conference lineup. Mimicking ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption," the day's itinerary will include "PTI Chicago-style" with Steve Stratton of Staubach and Kent Swanson of the John Buck Co., who will go back-and-forth on a variety of pertinent topics to Chicago's real estate market and business community. "Points will be made quickly and succinctly, because PTI will cover a lot of ground in 15 minutes," says Kelley.

Although specific points will be revealed exclusively to conference attendees, topics throughout the day will address Chicago's market conditions, which have been following macro trends. In the multifamily/condo sector, questions remain as to whether all the units being built will be absorbed, while in the office market, modest job growth and double-digit vacancies are leading to sluggish results. In the industrial and investment markets, however, activity remains at an all-time high.