Amenity demand and broker activity signal

Luxury landlords are still selling lifestyle, and brokers are adding people where high-end renters are shopping. (housingwire.com) On April 13, 2026, HousingWire reported that Sharon Rizzo joined RE/MAX Premier’s new Lake Forest office with The Rizzo Group, a Chicago team that posted more than $25 million in volume in the latest RealTrends Verified rankings. Rizzo has more than 40 years of experience and previously closed more than $114 million in residential sales in a single year as a solo agent. (housingwire.com) That move follows a bigger North Shore push. RE/MAX Premier said on September 3, 2025 that it had acquired and rebranded five former Compass offices in Glencoe, Glenview, Highland Park, Lake Forest and Winnetka, bringing its Chicago-area footprint to 10 offices. (news.remax.com) On the renter side, amenities remain a hard filter, not a flourish. Apartments.com said in February 2026 that 42 percent of prospective renters called off-street parking or a garage a requirement, while 37 percent said private outdoor space was crucial. (apartments.com) The same survey of more than 15,000 people planning their next move found that 65 percent required air conditioning and 64 percent required in-unit laundry. Those are basic features in much of the luxury market, which pushes owners to compete on extras above the baseline. (apartments.com) Trade publication Multi-Housing News reported in January 2026 that renters still expect a strong gym and outdoor amenities, while operators are widening “fitness” into a broader wellness package. That lines up with luxury buildings pitching pools, spa services, pet care and tightly managed access as part of the rent. (multihousingnews.com) The market backdrop is softer than the pandemic boom, but higher-end demand has not disappeared. Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies said asking rents for professionally managed apartments fell 0.6 percent year over year in the fourth quarter of 2025, even as high barriers to homeownership kept many higher-income households in rentals. (jchs.harvard.edu) Harvard also said renter household growth hit 784,000 at an annual rate in the second quarter of 2025 before slowing to 366,000 in the fourth quarter. In that kind of market, leasing teams have more reason to chase affluent tenants who can still pay for newer buildings and richer service packages. (jchs.harvard.edu) The pattern is straightforward: buildings keep stacking up amenities that signal convenience and status, and brokerages keep staffing up in the neighborhoods where those renters concentrate. In Chicago’s North Shore, RE/MAX Premier is betting that the luxury side of the market still justifies both. (housingwire.com, news.remax.com))