15 Tips for Getting Your Money's Worth at Real Estate Conferences
There are a lot of real estate industry conferences coming up, and they are a great opportunity for agents, brokers, and the staff at franchises, MLSs, and associations to network, learn, and let off a little steam. Most pros agree that there's just something about being in a room full of people who just get what you do — the energy is palpable and exhilarating, and once people find their favorite conferences, they return year after year! In this post, we're sharing 15 tips on how to make the most of these real estate conferences, seminars, and trade shows and make sure you get your money's worth. Why should real estate professionals attend industry events? One major reason to attend industry events is — they're fun! Organizers usually choose fun locations you might not otherwise have a chance to visit where the weather is warm and the sun is shining. But beyond just being fun, industry events are a great opportunity to up your game and become a better professional. How? How real estate conferences help you be better You can forge stronger relationships. Real estate is a relationship-driven business. What better way to forge new relationships and strengthen old ones than at a real estate industry event? You can see former colleagues, find a new mentor, and even rub elbows with industry legends! You can learn new things. With so many real estate industry experts in one place giving talks, teaching workshops, sharing their insights, and revealing the tricks of their trade, you are bound to learn something new. Have you wanted to break into luxury real estate? Relocation? Rentals? Or any other niche you've always wanted to know about? Industry events are great places to learn from the pros. Both independent and franchise broker/owners can learn how to optimize their operations and manage their teams better, and MLSs/associations can learn more about what their members really need (and what other MLSs are doing). You can stay up to date on the latest real estate tech developments. Our industry is evolving at the speed of light, and so is the technology that powers it. Attending industry events lets you hear right from the innovators making the technology about the challenges they're solving, their product roadmaps, and how developments like artificial intelligence (AI) are changing what they do. Oh, and did we mention that the cost of attending real estate conferences is tax deductible? How can real estate professionals best prepare for industry events? All pros know that preparation is the key to success. You wouldn't try to sell someone's home without adequately preparing every detail of the listing, and you shouldn't show up at a real estate conference without doing some preparatory work ahead of time. Here are a few tips on how to prepare for a real estate event: Review the agenda, sessions, and any "extra curriculars" in advance Truth be told, once the event starts, you won't have time to read every session description, pick which ones you want to attend, plan your lunch hour, or know which night the most exciting mixer is on. Take time before you get there to check the schedule, plan out where you want to go and what you want to learn, and how you'll spend your evenings. You'll be glad when you don't accidentally double-book yourself! Check the attendee list and set up meetings with people you'd really like to meet Will your former mentor be attending? What about your best work friend from your very first real estate job? Or a content creator or blogger whose advice you really admire? If you see they are attending and want to meet up, connect with them well in advance. Their schedule, like yours, will fill up quickly, and you won't want to miss the opportunity to keep your best relationships strong and make your new ones stronger. Plan on attending at least one networking event and one extra-curricular event Real estate seminars and conventions would not be the same were it not for the networking. Make time to meet new people (both during and outside of the main event) by attending at least one networking event and one "extra" event, which could be a company cocktail party, special happy hour, or offsite dinner. Make sure you've got plenty of business cards (or a snazzy digital business card) with you We've all been there: you're unpacking your suitcase at the hotel and find out you forgot your business cards, brought the wrong box, or thought you had 500 but only have five. Have extras printed well in advance of the event or consider switching to a near-field communication (NFC) digital business card that lets you share your contact information and social profiles by simply tapping it to someone's phone. They are a game changer! Walk through the venue once when you arrive to get your bearings Some conference venues (we're looking at you, Las Vegas!) are built like mazes, so it can be a huge help to take a walk around before you have to be anywhere so you can locate where the conference rooms, session rooms, exhibit hall, coffee stations, restrooms, and any other important locations are, so that once the event really starts, you don't wind up getting lost. While you're there: getting the most out of real estate conventions You've planned, you've prepared, and now… you're there! What's the secret to getting the most out of industry events so you can say it was worth the trip? Here are some tips: Take advantage of the moment Carpe diem, seize the day, smell the roses… however you want to call it. Most industry events are short-lived. In a couple days, you'll be back to business as usual. So, take advantage! Say yes to the opportunities that come your way, speak up when you have something to say, ask that engaging presenter your burning question, and invite that nervous-looking person at the water cooler into your conversation. You'll want to return home knowing you did everything you wanted, not wishing you had done more. That said… Pace yourself Don't spread yourself too thin! You don't have to do everything. Make sure you take a little time for yourself, so you can recharge your batteries. Skip a session and go for a walk outside, meditate in your room, or take a morning jog. Some events even have morning yoga to help you start your day off on the right foot. If you're rested and relaxed, you'll enjoy the event that much more. Peruse the exhibit hall at least once Sure, exhibitors are there to sell you stuff. But they're also there to help you solve your biggest challenges and provide useful tools that let you work smarter, not harder. They're usually great conversationalists and they tend to have great (free!) swag for you to take home with you. So, go check out that CRM, that digital marketing suite, that relocation platform, and ask questions to your heart's content. You might be surprised by what you learn! Attend at least one "weird" session Maybe you have no interest in artificial intelligence, listing data refresh rates, agent recruitment and retention, or social media strategy. But finding a session that's outside of your normal market, niche, or area of expertise gives you a valuable opportunity to learn something completely new and meet people you otherwise might not have met. Sometimes, you find gems in unexpected places. Seize at least one networking opportunity per day Chatting over a croissant, inviting yourself to lunch, attending a happy hour or speed networking session, grabbing coffee in the exhibit hall… you never know where you'll meet someone who can help you out or teach you something new. Engage on social media Even if you don't usually "do" social media, sharing about what you've learned, whom you've met, and how you're feeling is a great way to connect with other attendees, the conference organizer, sponsors, and all of your colleagues around the country who couldn't make it. You can build strong relationships, both in person and virtually, and demonstrate that you care about networking, continuing education, and being an active participant in the industry. Leveraging industry events after you've returned home Even after you've said your goodbyes and made your way back home, much of the work you can do to get an even better return out of your real estate conference investment has only just begun. Here are three ways to keep the momentum going and leverage your attendance even more: Follow up with the people you met If you did your conference right, you definitely met a ton of people! Don't lose touch: add them on social media, especially LinkedIn, and send them a warm message about how great it was to meet them. Offer to help them if they need anything, and hopefully they'll reciprocate. Write a short blog about the event for your website Blogging is a great way to grow your real estate business, whether you're a broker/owner, agent, or MLS/association staff. Blogs drive organic traffic to your website and give you the opportunity to showcase your expertise and share everything you learned. Consumers will be glad to know you're staying up on industry trends. MLS members will be happy that their MLS is making continuing education a priority. Put what you learned into practice Maybe most importantly of all, apply what you learned! You probably attended at least one session about streamlining your brokerage, selling houses smarter, reducing operating costs, mastering social media, using AI to write listing descriptions, or future-proofing your business. Implementing these insights will be the best way to reap long-term benefits from attending your conference, benefits that you'll feel for years to come. To view the original article, visit the Constellation1 blog.

Innovation through Improv
Improv is funny and magical. Many companies who lead in innovation across all industries leverage the simple rules of improv. Leadership teams can find great opportunities for innovation and improve just about any aspect of your business. The key to improv is based on one simple rule: someone starts with an idea, the next person says "yes, and..." For example: Player 1 – Welcome to the doctor's office. We have your new brain in the fridge and we are ready to do the surgery if you are. Player 2 – Yes, I am excited but I would like to change my brain choice to change me into a man. And so on and so forth. There are a few keys to improv: Always say yes Listen and be present Make other people look good Embrace change and failure Be positive Failure VOW: if it's not working, stop and start over To get started, grab a partner and write a letter. You do not actually write the letter down, you just speak the letter. Partner One: DearPartner Two: PresidentPartner One: ReganPartner Two: HowPartner One: IsPartner Two: ItPartner One: BeingPartner Two: inPartner One: HeavenPartner Two: withoutPartner One: thePartner Two: Media Then you just keep it going. You will find that it is easy to get on the same page with your partner; this gives you the confidence that you and your team can use improv to innovate. It's really fun. In this game, you and your partner create something together by applying the principles of improv. Everything your partner says in the letter is an offer that you must accept. You must listen to your partner and go with what they contribute. You are vested in working with your partner to make the letter sound great – whichever the way the letter goes. Have your executive team partner up and write the letter. Have them do it a few times. This is an icebreaker exercise that opens your mind to creativity and allows everyone to engage in each other and truly listen to the flow of the conversation. The information is not the important part; what is most important is the feeling that you get when your teammate is truly listening to you. It's how you connect. After you write the letter, there are two more exercises that you need to try – to really notice the difference. The first exercise is to say "no" to every idea. For example: Pretend like you are going on a picnic. You suggest an item to bring and the partner needs to say, "No, but we should bring _______." Do this for a few minutes. Then try to plan a picnic but be indifferent. You suggest an item to bring and your partner says, "Sure, whatever, I probably wouldn't have any, but we should bring ______." Also do this for a few minutes. You will feel differently about the conversation when you are doing improv in the negative tone or an indifferent approach. Now, do the same picnic exercise, but excitedly say, "Yes, and let's bring a blanket. Yes, and let's bring hotdogs. Yes, and let's bring ______." You will find that when you say yes, you will be aware and responsible for your impact and contributions to your teammates. You have a huge impact on the team when you say yes – and how you say yes – and how people feel when you say yes. The outcome of saying yes is irrelevant. It's the way you say yes. Brainstorming about innovation and capturing all ideas with enthusiasm will not only build your team and make everyone feel valued, but you are bound to come up with some great ideas that will allow your company to push forward toward innovative greatness. Now bring your team together. You have created intentional culture. You have put the team in a mindset. Have the team create a tropical island. Everyone contributes an idea and everyone enthusiastically says yes. Now, create a new sport. Give it a name, create rules, players, tactics, and so on. You will have fun. Best of all, everyone's ideas are valued. But most importantly, you have changed your culture and created a culture of innovation. These are the types of exercises that facilitate teamwork. It creates an environment that is right for your team. If you need WAV Group to facilitate team building or strategic planning in your business, give us a call or shoot us an email. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Online Conferences Suck; Let's Meet at LeadingRE in Vegas
Take it from me, someone who has spent up to as many as 130 days on the road each year for decades. Conferences are the most fundamental learning opportunities for business leaders. WAV Group was built on conferences, relationships, conversations, and sorting out the direction of each business throughout the year. There are probably thousands of people reading this blog who run companies and built friendships with us through a conference. Online Conferences Suck! I attend conferences online now. Honestly, I think that they should just stop. They are all pre-recorded anyway. Call the sessions what they are – either webinars or podcasts. Paying a fee to go to your virtual conference is BS. I am not going to call out any conference in particular – if you attend them, then you agree that they all suck – only some suck less. #whatever Let's Meet My friend Mark McLaughlin called me in the early days of COVID. That's what Mark does. He reaches out to his people in good times and bad. Amazing human. He told me that we are all going to make more careful choices in who we meet with physically – he was right. In the earliest days of COVID when we were all having our "holy crap" moment, we all went on lockdown. I was sick early on in March 2020. Most of the people I knew had not experienced COVID and they were very concerned and quite curious. I believe that many other people had similar experiences. We all created small bubbles – some reachable by Zoom or whatever – and others where person-to-person meeting was possible. P2P Remember when Napster taught us about P2P networks and invented cloud computing? For me, conferences are about P2P – peer-to-peer. Lobby Con. I spend the day meeting with people. P2P is the ability to connect physically with a lot of people – all day long, all night long – and is the greatest benefit of my chosen profession. I will be attending the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World Convention in Las Vegas at the end of this month. Send me a note if you are attending and would like to get together. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

One Surprising Takeaway from Inman Connect NY
Inman Connect NY in January for me was one of the best Connects I have experienced in quite some time. I am admittedly jaded. I have missed but a handful of Connects. I also have an insider's point of view. I am a proud Connect alumnus. I was fortunate enough to be recruited by Brad Inman in 1997 to take charge of marketing, sales, and PR for the first full-blown Real Estate Connect held at the San Francisco Hilton. Connect NY 2020 felt like the glory days.

10 Things to Do in San Francisco during NAR Annual
The 2019 Realtors Conference & Expo is just around the corner! Running from November 8th-11th, this expo is going to be packed with great vendors and educational seminars. While we fully encourage you to take in everything the expo has to offer, we also want you to see a bit of the city. Here are ten things you should do in San Francisco while you're at the NAR expo!

Fall and Winter REALTOR Conferences and Expos for 2019
The best way to further your education and develop new real estate knowledge and skills is by attending local and national conferences. Ranging from $10 to few hundred dollars, chances are a real estate convention is happening near you in the latter half of 2019. Here is a list of upcoming events happening this fall and winter.

Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity are on the road again!
Each year, thousands of real estate agents and brokers who use Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity have the opportunity to meet some of the folks who make the magic happen for these two Florida Realtors owned products at local conventions and conferences. This year's schedule includes visits as far north and east as Nova Scotia, Canada, as far south as Hollywood, Florida, and as far west as Los Angeles, California. As real estate's number one tech support firm, Tech Helpline serves more than 600,000 real estate professionals in North America. Available through MLSs or local associations, as well as real estate brokerages, connecting with Tech Helpline is typically accomplished via a phone call, online chat or email inquiry. Our annual direct outreach gives agents and brokers, as well as MLS and association executives and staff members, an additional opportunity with face-to-face communications. Opportunities to connect This year, we kicked off our spring and summer schedule for Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity with an appearance at the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo in mid-May. Tech Helpline was just represented at the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) Association Executives Seminar in early June, held in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Next up, Form Simplicity will be at "Rock the Market" at the Hard Rock Event Center in Hollywood, FL on June 25. The next two days on June 26 and 27, both Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity will be heading to the Florida Realtors Association Executives Education Workshops in Cocoa Beach, FL. August marks two major conventions for Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity. Association leadership from all business disciplines will convene at the ASAE Annual Meeting & Expo in Columbus, OH on August 10-13, followed by our own Florida Realtors Convention & Trade Expo (August 21 and 22) and Governance Meetings (August 23-25) in Orlando, FL. Tech Helpline will head to another big convention as the Colorado Association of REALTORS® hosts its "REfresh Expo" in Denver, CO on September 5. The summer tour schedule ends with two back-to-back events. The first one is in North Carolina, the NC REALTORS® 2019 Convention & Expo "Xchange'19" at the Pinehurst Resort during the Expo dates of September 14-16. That's followed by the Arkansas REALTOR® Annual Convention & Tradeshow being held in Memphis, TN at the Guesthouse at Graceland, during the Expo dates of September 16 and 17. More to come As the fall begins, Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline will be back at it, with appearances by Tech Helpline at the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Expo "REImagine!" held in Los Angeles on September 24-26, followed by opportunities to ask your questions about Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline at CMLS2019 in Salt Lake City on October 16-18. The last two conventions for Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline currently are scheduled for both the 2019 REALTORS® Conference & Expo in San Francisco this year (booth #1234), November 6-11, and finally December 9-12 at the 2019 Triple Play REALTOR® Convention & Trade Expo in Atlantic City, NJ, which brings together members from New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania Realtor associations. If you happen to be attending one of these events, please stop by and bring your questions about Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline. We hope to meet you face-to-face! Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns and operates Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.  

Realtors Discuss Benefits, Advancements in New Real Estate Technology
Automation is very much a part of the real estate industry and should be embraced by Realtors and other industry leaders, panelists said at Thursday's Emerging Business Issues and Technology Forum during the 2019 REALTORS Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo. The session, "Automation and Sharing Economy: How it will Affect the Way We Work and Live," discussed artificial intelligence or AI components, including Alexa, bots and OJO labs, and explained how each tool could be used by Realtors in various home sale transactions.

NAR Midyear Trade Show: Top Tech to Check Out
While you could get overwhelmed trying to wade through a now remarkably massive trade expo at the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS (NAR) Annual Convention, NAR Midyear in DC is a much different story. Navigating next week's Midyear Trade Expo in Washington, DC at the Marriott Wardman is downright manageable, and much more intimate than its big sister. It's not only smaller – about 140 exhibitors – but it lasts just two days: Wednesday, May 15 and Thursday, May 16, from 10am - 6pm. Best of all, there are several tech firms with exhibits worth visiting, whether you want to see what's new or what may be new to you. Here's a quick preview:

2019 Real Estate Events and Conferences
From national conferences to regional and local association events, each real estate event can give an agent or broker new ideas on marketing initiatives, lead capture opportunities, and the latest real estate trends for the year. The following are ten conferences and events to not miss in 2019:

What Not to Miss and Put on Your List for Boston NAR
Each year, I try to find some of the things you won't want to miss at the annual National Association of REALTORS Conference and Expo. This week, some 20,000 real estate pros are expected to take over Boston, one of America's great historic cities packed with extraordinary tourist attractions. One thing you'd like to miss but may not be able to are the union workers striking outside several Westin Hotels in the city. It started in Boston and has hit seven other major metro areas. My wife and I just traveled through Waikiki for a day last week and were stunned by the amount of noise these folks picketing in front of several hotels made. They are in national negotiations as of Monday night, but it might be a good idea to bring earplugs if you have to stay at one of the impacted hotels (see this).

7 Ways to Get the Most out of Networking Events
That time of year is upon is once again--conference season. Some of you may have already attended one or more of the many conferences that have already taken place, such as T3, Real Trends Gathering of Eagles or NAR Midyear. Maybe you will be attending one of the upcoming events, like Inman Connect in San Francisco, NAR Annual in the fall or a brand conference. All are great events to attend and if you can attend more than one, you should try. The various events have slightly different formats and, in many cases, the content for the audiences will be different, but each can provide great value.

NAR Midyear: Looking for the Tech Enablers
Tech enablers. That's what I will be looking for at the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo in Washington DC this week, best known as NAR Midyear. I'll head down to the trade show floor and spend the rest of my time shuttling between the Marriott and the Omni lobbies talking to influencers and tech leaders. My goal is to get a handle on what new tech firms – and tech tools – are likely to dominate real estate pros' lives in the next few years. The NAR REach new program participants are high on my list. Booth 1731 – including zavvie (Hyperlocal marketing), Active Pipe (email marketing automation), Quigler (compliance checklist app), BoxBrownie.com (magic-like photo editing, virtual staging, CGI – Booth 1836), RealKey (browser-based transaction management), CurbCall (mobile lead routing), Hurdlr (like a Fitbit for agent financial performance), and Glide (transaction coordination).

What's on your NAR Chicago Checklist? A Pre-NAR must read
My theory about conventions is this: if you plan your schedule well, your convention will go well. If you don't, it won't. It's as simple as that. With Second City, our next destination, good planning could make or break how you measure the success of your NAR experience in the Windy City. Each year before I head out to the largest annual gathering of real estate agents and brokers, an estimated 20,000+ from across our nation, I like to look for some of the golden nuggets tucked away in the schedule and on the Expo floor. I cull through the info that NAR and others send out, as well as share some of the information WAV Group has. Full disclosure: this often includes insider stuff we get from our very own clients. The goal of all this stuff is simply to make your NAR ventures more interesting, and, well, easier to plan.

Imprev Hosts Stellar Learning Labs at Inman Connect SF
One of the greatest innovations that Brad Inman added to Inman Connect in recent years is a hidden treasure that not everyone may be aware of: the Learning Labs. These are held on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, Aug. 9 and 10, from 2pm to 5pm. Learning Labs have become, in my experience, one of the best places where agents and brokers can learn tangible business practices that can be implemented immediately. A company that perfected the Learning Lab concept out of the gate is Imprev, a pioneering sponsor of the Inman Lab concept. Imprev, America's largest real estate marketing technology firm (based on the total number of U.S. real estate agents and brokers who are Imprev users), was once known as a tool for building flyers and postcards, and for powering the RE/MAX Design Center. Today, the company is rocking the real estate brokerage world with many of the biggest and best brands for its Automated Marketing Services. Imprev Learning Lab Lineup

Independent Brokers Find Their Secret Sauce
Real estate is among the most competitive industries in America. On Main Street, only clothing stores and restaurants have as many offerings. Although Leading Real Estate Companies of the World is the clear leader in the independent broker category, they focus primarily on the largest independent brokerage in a given community. Franchise organizations have set their eyes on the independent broker for many years, offering their brand, technology services, and business guidance as reasons to give up independence and join their flock. For too many years now, the independent broker has been isolated, alone, without a family to call their own. Inman News and 1000Watt Consulting Team Up on the Indie Broker Summit On Monday, August 7th from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the San Francisco Hilton (the day before Inman Connect begins), Inman News will be preparing a special one-day seminar restricted to indie brokers. If you have been a long time fan of Inman Connect, you may have nostalgia for the years when 1000Watt Consulting's Brian Boero, Marc Davison, Joel Burslem, and Jessica Swesey ran the company and its conferences. For this special event, Brad Inman has put the team back together.

Deducting Travel to Conferences and Seminars
Travel to business-related conventions, seminars, or similar meetings can be tax deductible. This can include deductions for your transportation, lodging, and 50 percent of your meal expenses while on business. Learn about how to do this, as well as some of the IRS restrictions. It is much easier to deduct trips to destinations that are within North America. Such trips need only be an "ordinary and necessary" expense to be deductible. That is, these trips must benefit your business in some way. Trips outside North America are deductible only if it was reasonable to hold the event in such a distant location. For example, it would be hard to deduct a convention for New York plumbing contractors held in Tahiti. For this reason, you should generally avoid attended business conventions outside North America. Fortunately, the IRS has recently expanded the definition of what constitutes "North America."

Your Last Minute Guide to NAR Annual
In just a few days, thousands of Realtors will descend upon Orlando, Florida for NAR's annual REALTORS® Conference and Expo. While NAR Annual is a great place to hear industry leaders speak and participate in educational sessions, don't forget about the educational opportunities available in the expo hall itself. That's right, within that maze of booths, agents and brokers can learn about new products--and also about the solutions you already use. While you're at NAR annual, take a moment to visit the booths of the tech vendors your brokerage works with. There, you can learn about important new developments, watch demonstrations, and even listen in on short talks about topics like impressing clients and closing deals. Here's a short list of tech company booths you can visit at NAR Annual (see the full list here). Each vendor also appears in our 2016-17 Technology Guide. Use the Guide as a resource to research vendors before approaching them at the conference. (And don't forget to use the Guide's handy lists of questions to ask when evaluating a solution--it can help you make better technology decisions!) Cloud CMA - Booth 1185 CoreLogic - Booth 1065 CRS Data - Booth 1747 DocuSign - Booth 419 Form Simplicity - Booth 753 Lone Wolf - Booth 465 Real Estate Standards Organization (RESO) - Booth 609 Realtors Property Resource (RPR) - Booth 327 Sentrilock - Booth 765 Tech Helpline - Booth 753 WolfNet - Booth 792

Learn About RPR at the 2016 REALTORS Conference & Expo
It's hard to believe November is just about the corner, and that means one thing—it's time for the 2016 REALTORS® Conference & Expo in Orlando, Florida. For those of you attending the conference this year, as you plan your schedule of events and prioritize your meetings, we want to make sure you are aware of a few RPR sessions and learning opportunities. Visit the RPR Booth / #327 Be sure to stop by the RPR booth (#327) in the NAR pavilion during convention hours. RPR staff will be around to answer questions and demo the RPR platform, the RPR app, and your questions. For REALTORS® RPR is always looking for ways to help REALTORS® become more efficient and profitable. Come and see Impressing Clients and Closing Deals with RPR ... Anytime, Anywhere on Friday, Nov. 4, 2PM, room W315 A, Orange County Convention Center West.

LeadingRE, Miami Beach and Marketing Automation
The Fontainebleau in Miami Beach this week is home to LeadingRE. It’s happening during what I like to think of as the real estate brokerage convention season. Keller Williams had its Family Reunion last week and RE/MAX R4 follows in Las Vegas, Feb. 29-March 3. If you really want to get a feel for the real estate market in America, these conferences are a great place to gauge what is really happening on the ground because the preponderance of attendees are broker-owners. Conferences that target industry leaders or tech companies or the intelligentsia of real estate are great for forward thinking, but there’s nothing like visiting the exhibit areas and listening to agents engage face-to-face with vendors that are trying to convince them that they have a solution to their pain points. It’s refreshing and it’s real. A LeadingRE conference, if you have not been to one, is packed with practical information and vendors that speak about brokerage. LeadingRE has become a juggernaut for luxury real estate with growing global reach, comprising a group of brokerages that really are a cut above the competition: 500 firms, 120,000 associates, 3,500 offices in 50 countries. In fact, 14 of the 25 top brokerage firms in the U.S. are part of LeadingRE.

5 Hot Trends in 2016 to Look for at NAR
This year's REALTORS® Convention & Expo in San Diego traces its origins to the first Chicago meeting of the National Association of Real Estate Exchanges held May 12-14, 1908. One hundred and seven years later, some 20,000 real estate professionals will visit the San Diego Convention center where more than 400 organizations will display their offerings and pitch their products. 2016 promises to be a pivotal year of rapid adoption of sweeping innovations and the emergence of new powerhouses in the residential real estate matrix. Here are five hot trends to look and listen for at the workshops to learn how to get the most out of NAR to help you next year. Full disclosure: All of these trends identified here come from my own personal biases and prejudices, having delved deeply into these subjects over the last several months. Trend #1: Marketing Automation It's is a no-brainer that marketing automation will dominate the minds of broker-owners in 2016. This is what solves the low adoption rates by agents of new technology offerings their firms provide. It's also a huge boost for broker ROI as it removes agents from the quagmire of self-created marketing materials. Agents waste a huge amount of time creating marketing materials to promote a listing and themselves, and marketing automation allows them to focus instead on the things they are good at—generating listings and closing sales. Take the agent out of the equation when it comes to creating, deploying and promoting listings by automating the marketing for them and you have 100% agent adoption and deliver zero wait time to promote properties for every seller. Bill Yaman, President of Imprev, a leader in this effort, has written extensively about this topic in his blog, here.

Following #ICSF: Day 3 at Inman Connect SF
Move, Inc. CEO Ryan O'Hara talking about Realtor.com's rivalry with Zillow ("Competition will make us both better") and News Corp.'s plans for the portal on day three of Inman Connect SF. The portal also won "Most Innovative Marketing Strategy" for its bus tours of open houses in New York City during Inman's annual Innovator Awards. Other winners included CRMLS for Most Innovative MLS or Association and Redfin for their "Book It Now" consumer facing appointment setting technology. See a full list of winners here. Today, we're continuing this week's coverage of the conference by compiling the best tweets of tech advice and business wisdom straight from conference attendees themselves. (See Day One and Day Two.) *** Redfin - "Empathy is the currency of trust." - Jason Aleem, Redfin District Manager | How To Be Truly Customer Focused #ICSF Paul Hagey - Block out times to make phone calls and follow up. Protect that time block, @timheyl #ICSF realtor.com® pro - Nothing has changed: follow up IMMEDIATELY if you want any chance to get the lead to the next level (think: SALE!) #ICSF Jay Thompson - Before investing in any portal, start working on your profile. Get that built up first. #icsf Paul Hagey - Focus on low-hanging fruit, responsive leads. Don't waste time - Scott Segall #ICSF

5 Ways Towards a More Perfect Panel
The old cliché "you get one chance to make a first impression" still resonates with me, particularly when I attend a real estate conference and listen to panels and presentations Each speaker, moderator and panelist has the opportunity to make a powerful impression with the audience, but to do that right; most people can't just wing it. Nearly everyone who speaks at a conference needs to take NFL Quarterback Russell Wilson's advice: "The separation is in the preparation." You need to prepare, and not on the plane on the way to the conference. The hubris of so many executives thinking they can pull it off by preparing at the last minute and winging it is incredible because so few can ever pull that off. Recently, I witnessed a textbook example of how to prepare and present a panel the right way at the recent Real Estate Standards Organization or RESO Spring Conference in Chicago. Marilyn Wilson, founding partner of the WAV Group, organized for the first time a broker panel, How and Why Standards Help Brokers, to showcase that this conference was for more than just MLS geeks. It was a bold move by RESO to showcase this group, but RESO understands how vital brokers are to the success of industry standards adoptions, like the RESO Data Dictionary. The most important thing Marilyn did was to assemble an all-star cast: Dan Troup of RE/MAX; Michael Garner of Keller Williams; David Grumpper of Michael Saunders; Alex Paine of Pacific Union and Tei Baishiki of NextHome.

Following #LeadingRE 2015
This year's LeadingRE/Martech event kicked off at a time when portals and syndication are once again hot topics. It's a topic that was touched on in Day 2 of the conference, a day that also saw talk of advertising, teams, data sharing and beyond. We've been watching all the action unfold on Twitter, as told by the attendees themselves on the hashtag #LeadingRE. Below, we've compiled some of the best tweets from event, including some that captured brief snippets of leadership wisdom from former New York Rudy Giuliani's keynote address on Wednesday. --- Avery Hess - "We don't need to remember things, we just need to remember how to find them." Matthew Shadbolt NY Times #leadingre #martech closing session Cathy Harrington - Make an emotional connection; identify and solve home buyer/seller needs #LeadingRE Avery Hess - It's not making a choice of print OR online, it's allocating the right amounts of each based on your target audiences. #leadingre #martech Katie Minkus - "I don't look a luck as a force, I see luck as a result." #matthewferrara #happydos #leadingre

Are You Ready to Become a Predictive Farmer?
The 2015 NAR Annual Meeting in New Orleans was, at many levels, a far different experience than any of its century of predecessors. There was a clear and consistent vibe that after all of the years of talking about transition and disruption that the long predicted tsunami of change had indeed arrived to create something "far different." Moreover, that this far different thing was going to be broker centric with a strong consumer flavor rather than consumer centric with a strong broker flavor. You could hear it in the presentations and programs. You could sense it in conversations and hallway huddles. You could feel it in the demeanor of the late night gatherings. Interestingly enough, one came to understand that those who were not receiving this vibe were also those who were probably never going to get it. Perhaps it was the specter of the recent News Corp related purchase of Move.com. The realization that the industry demographic had expanded to include yet another team of powerful global experts for whom the industry's traditions and legacies paled in comparison to its long denied financial potential. One could not help but feel the gaze of Rupert Murdoch looking down on the trade show floor, working a checklist of what was relevant and what was fluff. At the same time, the vast expanse of brilliant white and generally unoccupied carpet that comprised the massive Berkshire Hathaway exhibit area served as another reminder that the industry dynamic also includes a major player for whom the annual meeting might be seen as more of a cultural event than a business opportunity. The Berkshire booth reminded one of the presence of a king's massive yacht at the Cannes film festival--hauntingly beautiful yet mysteriously vacant. There was work being taken care of elsewhere.

The Keystone Cops Needed the Work
It was almost as if all the other things happening in the industry these days weren't enough to capture everyone's attention. Apparently some were searching for just one more things to fixate on. Craig Cheatham, President and CEO of the Realty Alliance, apparently provided that opportunity when, on October 4th, as a participant in a panel presentation entitled "Reducing Conflict Between Brokers and MLSs," during the Council of Multiple Listing Services meeting in Boise, he raised a number of unwelcome issues. Cheatham shared with the assembled MLS executives the fact that the members of the Realty Alliance had come to the conclusions that their often and specifically expressed concerns (this was the sixth year in a row that they had been expressed at a CMLS meeting) were falling on deaf ears, both at NAR and within the MLS community. In an attempt to ensure that his points were received this time, the 2013 message was delivered complete with a detailed list of very specific issues that the Realty Alliance was concerned about, and a very clear notice that the group would probably deliver another message during its Fall meeting in Boston later in October. Response to Cheatham's comments echoed like a fire alarm throughout the industry, and like a bomb blast through the blogosphere. Literally dozens of pages of blog posts appeared within 36 hours (when did blog posts turn into novels?). All matter of theories, acquisitions and counter acquisitions were raised. Responses ranged across three groups: those who wanted to attack the Realty Alliance, those who wanted to attack its message and those who were on their way to dinner.

Midyear Wrap-up: Portal War?
Like many of you in this industry, we typically spend the last weeks of April preparing for Midyear. This year, we estimated that our time in DC would be a lot busier given that Spring had been delivered to the Greater Chattanooga Association of REALTORS® the week before – and we were right. It seems that some key industry people had their eyes on that event and had noticed a few things that we hoped they would: Brian Boero of 1000Watt Consulting wrote, "I would be overstating things only slightly by saying that The Greater Chattanooga Association of REALTORS® just might have the best home search site in the industry." Mike Audet of WAV Group wrote, "...agents have outstanding vision into client behavior on Spring in terms of their preferences and search behavior creating a truly interactive agent/client experience." Greg Robertson of VendorAlley.com wrote, "Looks like Solid Earth is swinging for the fences here. It acts as both and public and private portal, responsive design, the works. Congrats to Solid Earth." With that kind of exposure, the week in DC went very well. Lots of meetings with clients, potential clients and the industry intelligentsia. Then something happened. The NAR political machine whirred to life.

Three Tips For Making the Most of Real Estate Trade Shows
As we mentioned a few weeks ago, we're right in the thick of trade show season. Every show, we learn something new and we think, no matter how much experience a REALTOR® may have, trade shows still provide valuable learning opportunities and are an important part of business strategy. The true benefits of attending can be difficult to measure, but three of the most important in our eyes are: Networking: Meet and get reacquainted with as many of your peers as possible and make efforts to introduce yourself to people you interact with through social media. The ultra-connected world we live in can give us access to great minds across the globe, but nothing beats a real face-to-face interaction. Take advantage of this rare opportunity to make connections with other REALTORS®.

Re-Connect with Inman
Some of the most popular national real estate conferences to attend in the country are Inman Connect conferences.  Packed with engaging speakers, technology trade shows, interesting topics and networking opportunities, Inman conferences provide distinct value for real estate agents and brokers.  For those of you who are on the fence about attending future Inman Connect conferences, or were unable to make the journey to San Francisco, but would like to hear a re-cap on the most popular topics this year, stay tuned.