Las Vegas in July, “But it’s a dry heat!”
CRS Sellabration
Last week, close to 400 members of the Certified Residential Specialists met in Las Vegas, for three days of intense seminars, workshops and networking opportunities. You may think as I did, why Las Vegas in July? 115 degree heat daily, 100 degrees at midnight and everyone saying the same thing, “But it’s a dry heat!” To a Cape Codder, it felt like a blast furnace! The main reason for the venue, frankly, is that it’s much less expensive to go to Las Vegas in the summer; and with the economy, it was a reasonably priced alternative to more expensive gatherings.
A Realtor of 25 years, practicing in a seaside resort on Cape Cod, I have had the good fortune of being a member of Certified Residential Specialists (CRS) for many years. The CRS designation has been attained by less than 4% of Realtors nationwide and represents the most knowledgeable practitioners in the country. Education, production and experience are a few of the requirements for membership.
CRS Sellabration, as the gathering is known, showcased the talents of many prominent Realtors from around the country, all of whom had various specialties. Monday consisted of 45 minute workshops which ran back to back all day, with no lunch break, allowing a tremendous opportunity to experience a full array of topics. Dawn Thomas from Silicon Valley started the day with Online Risk and Reputation. Brian Copeland, the Nashville Daddy of real estate video followed with Building your Brand with Video. Sam Miller, an amazing practitioner from Ohio followed with Tech Gadgets and Applications. If you want to see the newest in the business and how it will assist you, Sam is the Man!
James Nellis II of Alexandria, VA did a great job with Social Fusion (are you seeing a trend here yet?); but more importantly, James held a fundraiser the night before for the Marine Corp Marathon in which he was running to raise funds for cancer research. These people are not only the best in the business, but also care deeply about their communities, which is part of what makes them so good!
Mike Parker of Kentucky, someone I look up to as one of the finest people in our industry, did a great job along with Deborah Madey of New Jersey on a Facebook and Twitter program. Dale Chumbley of Vancouver, WA (he wore a badge all week that stated NOT Canada!) was one of the highlights for me with his program on Word Press and Blogs. His whole premise is that his blog is becoming his website, and the focus is his community and not himself! Again, thinking about what he as a Realtor can do for his community!
The next two days were filled with additional programs highlighted by amazing presenters. Jackie Leavenworth, “Coach Jackie” as she is known, is one of the most sought after presenters by both CRS, and by Realtor associations across the country; and I can see why. Her program on what today’s Buyer is looking for was very powerful, and it highlighted another accomplished Realtor, Julie Beall of Dayton Ohio. Julie, who graduated this year from Ohio State with an MBA, shared her thoughts on how corporations outside of our industry can give us insight to better manage our businesses.
I know this is a long review, but frankly, with the state of our industry over the past few years, I felt so invigorated by this gathering. These people were validating how I run my business by reinforcing what I feel are the best practices in our profession. Trust and client service is what we are all about!
There were so many who contributed to this conference; the danger in highlighting a few is that so many are left out. They were all outstanding! One keynote in particular, Jeff Turner from Zeek Interactive, put all the online, social media, and social fusion into perspective. It’s all about trust. No matter what the medium we use to communicate, whether it is our websites, our blogs, our social media interactions, it all comes down to building trust with our clients, our friends, our community. I want to do business with people I trust, and our Buyers and Sellers want the same. Jeff’s presentation should be a base level course for anyone considering the use of social media in their business.
Las Vegas wasn’t all meetings and classes. The opportunities to visit with friends from all over the country and the world, (there was a large contingent of our friends from Spain in attendance!) gave me insight into what is working in other markets to assist their Buyers and Sellers. Kevin Pellatiro from Nashville, who has just entered a new brokerage, shared his concerns and plans, along with many of the presenters mentioned earlier. In addition, we were able to attend some great shows like KA by Cirque du Soleil at MGM Grand, as well as having the opportunity to see the talented James Taylor perform.
While the industry has been challenged over the last few years, a gathering like Sellabration reminds me that the real estate industry and my practice has only one constant, and that is change. As prices, interest rates, lending practices, technology and communication systems all continue to react to the economy, we as Realtors have to make the commitment to adjust to these changes, and use the practices necessary to bring the best client service we can to our businesses. CRS gave me that opportunity last week, and it made me proud to be member of the Council of Residential Specialists!