Voices of Real Estate

I was in San Francisco last week, attending the Inman Real Estate Connect, along with 1,600 of the best minds in technology and, more specifically, real estate technology. On Thursday, I had lunch with Jeremy Conaway, who consults with a number of brokerages and associations across North America, and we discussed our impression of what was being discussed at the conference. Jeremy reminded me that Brad Inman began Connect in 1997 to facilitate innovation and the sharing of dynamic ideas. And, boy, has he certainly succeeded!

The sheer number of dynamic and university-type individuals taking part in the conference was powerful and insightful. That’s no surprise considering that Brad maintains a table on the stage with wine and beet jam to “reward” those who ask the best and worst questions during the sessions.

Here are the nuts and bolts of what Jeremy and I heard throughout the week:

1. Consumers, in the eyes of attendees, are king. Every presentation evolved into a discussion about
what consumers expect and are demanding from us.

2. The opening session included an intense discussion about various aspects of America’s economy.
There wasn’t a lot of agreement – each side seemed to cancel out the other.

3. It was clear that over the next 24 months, our nation, industry and Realtors will be on a journey
learning new things, working more closely together, and reinventing many aspects of the industry and
the transaction. Fortunately, several panels also reminded everyone that all real estate is local.

4. Real estate searches are considered an art form for the folks at Inman. One segment was given to a
discussion of all the different aspects of even the most simple real estate search. Another discussed
and examined the relative importance of complete information and search-related tools. It was
unanimous that the most comprehensive data is more important than the tools.

Realtors represented our industry very well at the Inman Conference.

It was especially fun to watch Mark Lesswing, NAR’s Chief Technology Officer, present and interact with his contemporaries from the brokerage and Internet sectors. You all would have been proud of MOVE President Lorna Bornstein, whose presentation and comments clearly captured the imagination and attention of the attendees.

I had an opportunity to sit with Dorothy (Dottie) Herman, President and CEO of Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate. She heads one of our country’s largest and most successful firms. I am hopeful that she will be with us for our November Conference & Expo in Orlando. She is a dynamo!

Congratulations are in order for Bob Hale, President and CEO of the Houston Association of Realtors, who received the “Innovator of the Year” award.

Alex Periello, President and CEO of Realogy Franchise Group, who serves as NAR’s liaison for Large Firm Relations; Errol Samuelson, President of Realtor.com; and Joel Singer, EVP of the California Association of Realtors, who is chair of NAR’s Strategic Planning Committee, each served on a panel.

They each had great insights, and I was proud of their association with us. All in all, it was a great week for Inman and another great opportunity to show how Realtors are leading our industry toward another century of success. – Dick Gaylord, 2008 NAR President