Couldn't make it to Inman Connect New York? Not to worry: We rounded up more than 50 of the most enlightening and eye-opening insights from those who spoke at the renowned real estate conference: everyone from marketing and tech minds like Seth Godin and Kara Swisher to real estate execs like Keller Williams' Chris Heller and Better Homes and Garden Real Estate's Sherry Chris.
So dive in and learn how to improve your business in the year ahead with these astute observations, predictions, and thoughts from the business world's best and brightest who spoke at the 2016 Inman conference. (Oh! And don't forget to tweet out each insight to your audience by clicking on each slide!)
2. Each year, countless
agents, brokers, and other
real estate industry pros
gather in the Big Apple to
network and learn the
latest marketing, sales,
tech, and business trends
at Inman Connect New
York — one of the year’s
premier real estate events.
In 2016, there were
innumerable interesting
takeaways on a wide
range of topics: everything
from info on emerging
startups and new apps to
details on the latest
brokerage models and
inbound marketing
tactics and techniques.
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
3. Here are more than 50 of the
most intriguing, thought-
provoking, and eye-opening
insights from the top business
minds (featured in alphabetical
order) who spoke at Inman
Connect New York 2016 …
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
4. SUE ADLER
REALTOR AND CEO
SUE ADLER TEAM
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
It's all about creating
engagement through
creative content. Push
your content through
social media, email
newsletters, and blogs.
5. LISA ARCHER
CEO
LIVE LOVE INTERNATIONAL
The best CRM out
there is the one that
you use. None of
them matter if you
don’t use them.
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
6. ZVI BAND
CEO AND COFOUNDER
CONTACTUALLY
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Regardless of whether
you use Zillow or buy
ads or go on social
media, it still comes
back to the basics of
being a great real
estate agent and
managing relationships.
7. WENDY BANNER
ASSOCIATE BROKER
THE WENDY BANNER TEAM AT
LONG AND FOSTER REAL ESTATE
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
It’s all about managing
expectations upfront.
Tell your clients you
will work hard to sell
their home by doing
things like networking
with fellow agents and
showing their house
often.
8. NICK BALDWIN
CEO, NORTH AMERICA
BALDWIN DREAM TEAM AT KELLER
WILLIAMS NJ METRO GROUP
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Facebook ads are
more about giving
something of value
to the consumer and
not so much making
it about yourself.
9. MATT BARBA
CEO AND COFOUNDER
PLACESTER
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Every agent needs a
common operating
system. Technology is
taking over the real
estate world, and
everything needs to be
integrated for agents
to work efficiently and
become successful.
10. LEIGH BROWN
CEO
LEIGH BROWN & ASSOCIATES
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
We can't count on
the industry to educate
Realtors. If you want
your broker to do
more training, then
get your ass in that
chair with them.
11. SEAN CARPENTER
DIRECTOR OF TRAINING
CB WEST SHELL/KING THOMPSON
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Standing out from
the noise used to mean
‘the loudest person
wins.’ Now, agents who
capture someone’s
attention by being ‘in
their space and in their
face’ have better
chances to succeed.
12. JARED COHEN
MARKETING MANAGER
TOWN RESIDENTIAL
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
When I create content,
I ask myself three
questions: Is it
informative? Is it
entertaining? Is it a
utility? If the answer to
any of them is no, I
don’t create the content.
13. SETH DAILEY
COFOUNDER
THE DAILEY GROUP OF
KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
You can only improve
what you measure. At
the end of the day, it’s
all about getting
homes sold, and that
means you need to
track your work in real-
time.
14. SAMANTHA DEBIANCHI
FOUNDER AND REALTOR
DEBIANCHI REAL ESTATE
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
It’s great to be aware
of all the social
channels that are out
there, but stick with
the ones that work. If
Facebook works, stick
with Facebook. If
Instagram works, stick
with Instagram.
15. GWEN DAUBENMEYER
CEO AND ASSOCIATE BROKER
THE INTEGRITY TEAM AT RE/MAX
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Buyers and sellers
research online, but
when it comes to buying
and selling, they want
human connection.
While production and
experience are
important, the human
connection wins the ink.
17. MATT FETICK
AGENT
KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
People will leave your
agency if they feel you
are a ceiling to their
success. If they see you
as an enabler of their
success, though, why
would they ever want
to leave?
18. LOUISE PHILLIPS FORBES
BROKER
HALSTEAD PROPERTY
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
If you have a
philosophy that there’s
enough money and
abundance and if you
can be generous with
your knowledge and
time, the money will
come back tenfold.
19. MARGUERITE GIGUERE
AGENT
WINDERMERE REAL ESTATE
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Stop talking about
real estate on your
blog and start talking
about the community
and things that are
actually important to
your audience.
20. SETH GODIN
AUTHOR, KEYNOTE SPEAKER,
AND MARKETING EXPERT
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
This is the connection
revolution, and we
win with two things:
trust and attention.
You don't get attention
by yelling at people,
but rather by getting
people to talk about
you.
21. DR. SVENJA GUDELL
CHIEF ECONOMIST
ZILLOW
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
We’ll actually see an
uptick of Chinese
buyers, especially at
the higher end of the
market. I don’t think
we’ll see a dropoff of
activity from them in
2016.
22. CORAL GUNDLACH
REALTOR
REDWOOD REALTY
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Even if you’re not
getting direct deals
from your reviews, if
you have a great set of
client reviews online,
you have a great
chance of at least
getting some referral
business.
23. ASHTON GUSTAFSON
OWNER AND BROKER
BISHOP REALTOR GROUP
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Your human
thumbprint is greater
than your digital
footprint. After all,
we’d rather be told
we’re loved than
tweeted we’re loved.
24. CHRIS HELLER
CEO
KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
When the agents are
sharing in the success
of an agency, they feel
like partners. There’s a
different dynamic
when everyone on a
team works toward
the same goals.
25. MADISON HILDEBRAND
PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER
THE MALIBU LIFE
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Your personal
presentation and
personal branding are
extremely important.
No matter what
price point you’re at,
you need to present
yourself professionally
to the world.
26. BRAD INMAN
PUBLISHER AND OWNER
INMAN NEWS
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Consolidation is
proof that disruption
is going on. Brokers
are paying attention
— and organizations
are merging to
weather the disruption.
27. MARCI JAMES
SOCIAL MEDIA AND INDUSTRY
OUTREACH MANAGER
MOVE
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
As a brand, it’s our
job to have a
consistent brand
message across all
channels — print,
online, and offline —
and all devices:
desktop and mobile.
28. NOAH JAROSH
MEDIA PLANNER
LIKEABLE MEDIA
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Facebook is so unique
because its ad targeting
is so specific. You can
really find that audience
very specifically on
Facebook and use it to
bolster your advertising
strategy as a whole.
29. ANNE JONES
REALTOR
WINDERMERE REAL ESTATE
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Technology, at its
best, will work for
you around the clock,
and one of the best
examples of this is
the real estate video.
30. GLENN KELMAN
CEO
REDFIN
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
We live in a push-
button economy now.
When we push the
button on our phone,
we expect food to
arrive at our door. That
kind of thinking is now
coming to real estate.
31. MAGGIE KENT
BROKER
CORE
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
If you’re new to the
business, ask for help.
Be resourceful. Ask
questions. Make a list of
things you want to learn
early on in your career
to set it in motion.
32. BEN KINNEY
OPERATING PRINCIPAL
KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
I want to have a high-
quality life and have
good relationships.
If you focus on the
who rather than the
what, you can have
an amazing life and an
amazing business.
33. DOLLY LENZ
OWNER
DOLLY LENZ REAL ESTATE
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Wherever you are
located, know your
housing market cold.
You need to be able to
walk the walk and talk
the talk to win over
your leads.
34. DAVE LINIGER
CHAIRMAN OF THE
BOARD AND COFOUNDER
RE/MAX
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
I always tell people
not to put down
that they've done
$10 million in sales.
I tell them to say,
‘I’ve helped over
250 families buy
and sell their homes.’
35. JENNIFER MARCHETTI
CMO
BETTER HOMES &
GARDENS REAL ESTATE
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Take a really, really
hard look in the mirror
and be honest about
what you’re good at
and what you’re not
good at. That’s the
biggest route to failure:
if you follow what
everyone else is doing.
36. JIM MARKS
HEAD GEEK
VIRTUAL RESULTS
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Understand when
people are on mobile
they have different
things they want to
do than desktop. You
need to pare your web
presence down to fit
perfectly on mobile.
37. RACHANA MATHEW
TECHNICAL PROJECT MANAGER
RE/MAX INTEGRA
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Take the time to
understand the
analytics and data
you have to make
informed business
decisions, including
with your hiring.
38. RICHARD MENDENHALL
BROKER AND OWNER
RE/MAX BOONE REALTY
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Over 90 percent of
innovation fails, so
you've got to be very
careful about where
you're going. But
don't ridicule it. I
think that's a big deal
going into the future.
39. LAURA MONROE
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
REALSATISFIED
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
You need to be
clear not just about
the consumer
experience on social
media, but also how
the brand is being
affected by your
social content.
40. NICOLE OGE
CMO
DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Unlike generations
prior, Generation Z is
much more skeptical
to the information
available to them.
These next generations
are the guardrails that
are going to keep us a
bit more honest.
41. SETH PRICE
VP OF INDUSTRY RELATIONS
PLACESTER
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
If you want to build
your brand bank
account, focus on
providing value to
your audience even
when there’s no sale
to be made. This is
what ‘trust marketing’
is all about.
42. RAJ QSAR
PRINCIPAL AND OWNER
THE BOUTIQUE
REAL ESTATE GROUP
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
I see 2016 as a time for
agents to use available
tech to connect deeper
on a personal level
within our networks.
Use tech to create real-
life relationships and
develop and nurture
your sphere.
43. KYLE RANK
MANAGING BROKER
BHHS YORK SIMPSON
UNDERWOOD REALTY
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
It’s 2016. Video is no
longer an option — it’s
mandatory. It’s going
to help your SEO when
you post videos and
show your knowledge
of your market.
45. RICH ROSA
COFOUNDER
BUYERS BROKERS ONLY, LLC
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
The content is the
message. What are
you trying to convey
to your audience with
your content? Start
with the target
audience and buyer
persona you’re trying
to attract.
46. ZACH SCHABOT
FOUNDER
GOCONNECT AND GO REALTY
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Look for consumers to
hang on to their cash
instead of investing in
housing. If your
business plan and
marketing efforts don't
acknowledge this
temporary behavioral
shift, you’re in trouble.
47. SETH SEMILOF
PUBLISHER
HAUTE LIVING AND
HAUTE TIME MAGAZINE
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Create great content
with calls to action
and post those to
social media to grow
your following. Don’t
fall through the trap
of buying followers
on social media.
48. GLENN SHIMKUS
VP OF PRODUCT
DOCUSIGN
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
In 2016, I expect to see
an integration of the
tools used by
brokerages to manage
the data and docs that
drive the transaction
with those used by
mortgage and title to
close the transaction.
50. MARK TEPPER
VP OF SALES AND DEVELOPMENT
MATTERPORT
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Realtors shouldn’t
fear technology. They
should embrace it, as
it can open up doors
for them — like
reaching a global
audience — that
otherwise would
remain closed.
51. JOHN THORNTON
PARTNER LEAD OF REAL ESTATE
GOOGLE
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Google has always
prioritized landing
pages on desktop
that offer great user
experiences. We’re
just applying the
same prioritization
to mobile sites now.
52. AMANDA TODD
AGENT
REALTY ONE GROUP
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Be very intentional
with what you want in
life: for your family, for
your business.
Remember those
important themes so
you don’t end up
wasting time on things
that don’t matter.
53. FRED TOWNES
COO AND COFOUNDER
PLACESTER
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Technology is finally
on its way to enabling
the real estate
professional to create
customer experiences
that demonstrate the
unique value of the
agent in the home
buying process.
54. JOSH TUCKER
MANAGING PRINCIPAL AND BROKER
ANCHOR REAL ESTATE
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
It’s important to figure
out who you need to
network with. Some
agents think going out
to a bar is networking.
Plan out your
networking and figure
out who you need to
go after.
55. MAURICIO UMANSKY
CEO
THE AGENCY
I think what stops most
real estate agents is
the fear of failure. If
agents can get past
this fear and be
aggressive and be
eloquent, they are
going to succeed a lot
more than they fail.
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
56. ALLEN WEISS
FOUNDER AND CEO
WEISS RESIDENTIAL RESEARCH
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
Pay attention to the
local market you’re
in and assume each
house has an individual
personality to
understand what’s
happening to prices
in your area.
58. MARILYN WILSON
PARTNER
WAV GROUP
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
You can’t have an
effective marketing
campaign if your real
estate leads are all
over the place. Getting
your leads in one
database is the basis of
strong marketing for
2016.
59. LIMING ZHAO
CTO
COMPASS
#ICNY
INSIGHTS
I would tell brokers
to build a team
together with their
agents, because
different perspectives
bring about different
insights and
opportunities.