Times may be tough in the real estate business, but REALTORS® who have the right training, expertise and attitude can thrive in today’s marketplace. That was one of the central themes of the Council’s annual Sell-a-bration® educational conference, held in San Francisco Feb. 5 – 7.
More than 500 attendees, including CRS Designees, candidates and a contingent of more than 60 real estate professionals affiliated with the Spain-based mortgage banking institution UCI, headed to the City by the Bay to take part in the 21st annual event.
Throughout Sell-a-bration®, keynote speakers and panelists focused on delivering real-world strategies to help agents win more clients and serve them better amid challenging market conditions. And attendees reveled in a unique opportunity to network, share ideas and swap referrals with fellow top real estate professionals.
A preconference presentation of Exclusively By Referral … The 10 Step PROgram, a one-day course taught by Ed Hatch, CRS, attracted 140 attendees.
The Council worked with Howard Brinton, founder and CEO of Star Power Systems and a former CRS president, to create a compelling lineup of educational sessions. Sell-a-bration® was sponsored by ProStep Marketing, WebsTarget by Computer Camp and Number 1 Expert.
Brinton also served as the event’s host and master of ceremonies. In his opening session, he outlined three key attributes a person needs to succeed in any endeavor: the right skill set, a positive attitude and the ability to take decisive action. A great example of this, Brinton said, is US Airways Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who landed flight 1549 on the Hudson River — and saved the lives of all 155 people aboard — in January. Brinton said Sullenberger’s skills, meticulous preparation, positive outlook and decisiveness led to a successful conclusion.
Keynote speaker Oscar Gonzales said one of the keys to agents’ future success will be their ability to serve emerging demographic groups. “The economic lifeboat for REALTORS® is the multicultural consumer,” said Gonzales, founder and managing partner of the Houston-based Gonzales Group, a consulting and research firm specializing in the multicultural real estate market.
Gonzales estimates that the Asian and Hispanic populations in the United States will grow by more than 12 percent by 2013. That signals a major opportunity for agents who have seen their traditional client base shrink in a down market.
In his keynote presentation, Bob Wolff, CRS, encouraged attendees to write down their goals for the future and strive to achieve them. It certainly worked for Wolff, who has been a featured speaker at dozens of real estate industry gatherings throughout the United States. His real estate business in southern Orange County, Calif., manages an annual sales volume of approximately $100 million. But he stressed that attendees who aim high must also take care to focus their efforts. “You need to be a manager or a salesperson,” he said. “I’m not sure you can serve both masters.”
Chris Bird used his ever-popular keynote speech to share insight about how recent changes to the tax code and the recently enacted economic stimulus package will affect REALTORS®. Bird, a CRS Senior Instructor and tax guru, encouraged agents to look into real estate investment, either for themselves or their clients, especially in markets where home prices have fallen. “There are deals that make sense today, from a cash-flow standpoint, that didn’t make sense three or four years ago,” he said.
Breakout sessions focused on topics including: lead generation; branding; listing mastery in a challenging market; earning buyer loyalty; prospecting with technology; converting leads; foreclosures and short sales; right-sizing a real estate team; low-cost marketing ideas; and working with multicultural clients.
Claudia Hudgens, CRS, with Rose and Womble Realty in Virginia Beach, Va., said the event was a real shot in the arm for her. “We picked up so many new ideas to implement in our business. It is very motivational to start the year out with a convention like this,” she says. “We are ready to go back home and get to work!” Attendees affiliated with UCI agreed. “These are truly educational courses and events,” says Jordi B. Mallafr, an agent based in Barcelona. “It was well worth the trip around the world to be here.”
The popular Fun Night drew hundreds of attendees who exchanged ideas over dinner and drinks. “It was almost intimate,” says Richard Waystack, CRS, with Team Waystack Realty in Harwich Port, Mass. “With approximately 500 attendees, I felt that I was able to network very effectively.”
Attendees have already been notified about how they can obtain digital audio recordings of the Sell-a-bration® 2009 sessions for free. Everyone else can purchase recordings of the sessions at www.crs.com/ Events/287?cid=SABAUD09.
Here are just a few more examples of the words of wisdom the panelists and speakers at Sell-a-bration® 2009 shared.
“Customer segmentation is about economics and profitability.” — Oscar Gonzales
“We are experts in negotiations, and that’s what the sellers in this [REO] market are looking for.” — Lee Barrett, CRS
In short sales, “There is no such thing as an as-is sale.” — Don Ash, CRS
“Branding is not marketing. Branding is creating an identity.” — Frank Serio, CRS
“Get out of judgment and into curiosity.” — Howard Brinton
Sell-a-bration® 2009 audio recordings are available for download
here.
