Market Investor Day events are designed for market practitioners and participants to gain a deeper understanding of how we assess and model commercial, retail, multifamily, and other property types. These events also feature an economic outlook for Cook County, including market highlights and forecasts from Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi, our Data, and Valuations teams. Always focused on providing insights into our valuation methods, the events feature extraordinary panelists with significant influence and expertise, offering valuable perspectives on property values and market trends.
Market Investor Day: 2025
The Assessor's Office hosted its annual Market Investor Day on April 2, 2025. If you were unable to join, watch the recorded event for in-depth discussions and panels on the latest commercial trends and key insights from Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi and his leadership team. Gain valuable knowledge about data tools that enhance predictability and hear expert tips from our Valuations department and industry leaders.
Improving Predictability Roundtable
Moderator: Liz Holland, Abbell Associates
Panelists:
Mike Reshke, Prime Group
Michael Fassnacht, Clayco
Market Investor Day: 2024
The Assessor’s Office hosted its annual Market Investor Day on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. The event featured conversations between CCAO executive staff, industry leaders, and attendees about how property values are modeled and the state of commercial real estate in Chicago.
During his opening remarks, Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi discussed the popular “urban doom loop” theory. This theory holds that declines in office building values within large cities will lead to declining property tax revenues. But Cook County is positioned to avoid it.
“In Cook County, our taxing districts determine in advance how much is going to be collected. Assessments determine the share of this pie, but they don’t change the size of this pie,” he said. “Eight billion dollars is collected in Chicago in property taxes, and that will be collected this year regardless of where assessments go.”
Market Analyst Day: 2020 & 2021
The Assessor's Office, in partnership with the City of Chicago, hosted the second CCAO Market Analyst Day on January 29, 2021. The CCAO and the City of Chicago presented tools, data, and information for building owners, commercial real estate analysts, and market underwriters who invest in the City of Chicago and Cook County.
In these presentations, executives from the CCAO and the City of Chicago provided:
- Details on Chicago’s financial outlook, including substantial deficit reduction
- Analysis of past impacts in Chicago, and discussion of 2019 and 2020 assessments (including COVID adjustments)
- Broad market research for Multi-Family, Office, Retail, and Industrial sectors
- Demonstration of how Real Property Income & Expense data can be used in multi-family valuation
Mayor Lori Lightfoot gave a keynote speech to kickoff the event.
Market Analyst Day: 2019
On December 11th, 2019, the Assessor’s Office, in partnership with the City of Chicago, hosted the first CCAO Market Analyst Day. In front of a packed house of real estate market participants, the CCAO and the City of Chicago presented tools, data, and information for building owners, commercial real estate analysts, and market underwriters who invest in the City of Chicago and Cook County.
In these presentations, executives from the CCAO and the City of Chicago provided details on Chicago’s financial outlook, an outline of the Cook County property tax system, and a thorough background on the commercial property mass-assessment system. CCAO debuted the CCAO Property Tax Simulator Tool, a spreadsheet workbook intended to help explain the impacts of levies and assessments on property tax bills.
Presentations from Market Analyst Day 2019 can be downloaded below.
- City of Chicago’s 2020 Budget, Levy, and Financial Outlook
Jennie Bennett, Chief Financial Officer; City of Chicago - How Cook County’s Property Tax System Works
Fritz Kaegi, Assessor; Cook County - Commercial Property Assessment: Cook County Statutes, Data, and Models
Donald J. Meyer, Chief Valuations Officer; Cook County Assessor’s Office - CCAO Property Tax Rate Simulator Tool
Robert Ross, Chief Data Officer; Cook County Assessor’s Office
