The Counselors of Real Estate is proud to announce creation of The Jared Shlaes Prize, a $10,000 award, presented annually, recognizing an article, published in Real Estate Issues, which “makes a real estate subject clear to the broadest possible audience.” The Prize, envisioned and endowed by the family of the late Jared Shlaes, CRE (1930 – 2020), honors the legacy of Mr. Shlaes, creator and founder of Real Estate Issues, the signature publication of The Counselors of Real Estate to which Mr. Shlaes remained a frequent contributor. A prolific and visionary writer in his own right, the dominant theme of Jared’s work through the years was not cutting edge methods or extremely precise measurements – but clarity of thought and purity of language. He had the ability to make complex situations clear and understandable, perhaps most aptly demonstrated in a body of work which included his book, Real Estate Counseling in a Plain Brown Wrapper.

In seeking the best way to honor their father, Jared’s children, Jane, Amity, and Noah, shine a light on his passionate commitment to “knowledge transfer” a concept he lived, embraced, and promoted. In doing so, they honor not only their father but the legion of former employees, students, and colleagues he inspired to write, publish, and edit more eloquently as a result of his guidance and outspoken insistence on simplicity. Jared Shlaes was most definitely a “Less is More” kind of person when it came to the written word. The Prize also seeks to honor and expand the reputation of credentialed Counselors of Real Estate as clear thinkers on complex issues.

The Criteria and the Prize

Awarded annually to the author or authors of an article, published in Real Estate Issues (REI) in that year, that most exemplifies the goal of “making real estate clear to the broadest possible audience.”

• The Editorial Board of REI shall select 5 finalists.
• The jury for the prize shall include the REI Board and the three donors (Amity, Jane, and Noah Shlaes).
• The jury has the discretion to select articles from outside the pool of finalists, but the winning article or articles must have been published in REI.
• The Prize shall be in the amount of $10,000, awarded each year for 10 years.

For information on submitting an article for publication in Real Estate Issues, please contact Larisa Phillips, Managing Editor (lphillips@cre.org; 312-329-8422). Editorial guidelines for the publication are available here.