During this decade of change and upheaval in residential real estate, Steve Cook has guided some the industry's leading corporations and associations through the toughest issues of the times to position them as leaders

During his seven years as vice president of public affairs and strategic planning at the National Association of Realtors, Cook created and directed the public relations programs that helped keep Realtors at the center of the transaction and the forefront of the movement to make listings and services accessible online.  Cook quarterbacked the industry response to anti-trust litigation with a multi-faceted campaign including high-level media interviews, working with the New York Times, 60 Minutes, Washington Post, 20/20, Wall Street Journal, economic studies, opinion surveys and white papers; recruitment of third party allies.  When the nation's largest banks sought to consolidate and reduce competition in real estate brokerage, he created a campaign to help block the banks in Congress.

Cook designed and supervised the Hope Awards, the first industry program to honor minority homeownership.  As NAR's representative on the Homeownership Alliance, he helped organize the industry participation in Homeownership Month and he served on the steering committee of Habitat's Congress Building America program.

In May 2009, he launched the Real Estate Economy Watch, a Web site covering real estate economics, market trends and government policy for the real estate trade.

Twice Cook has been named one of the 100 most influential people in real estate.  He's been recognized by the National Association of Real Estate Editors and served for six years on the Speakers' Committee of the National Press Club.

During his 30 years in public affairs, Cook has been a broadcast news correspondent, served two Members of Congress as press secretary and was a senior executive in the world's largest independent public relations firm in Washington and Chicago.