Inman Connect Las Vegas 2021 Recap
The Inman Brand Ambassadors of 2021 on stage at Inman Connect Las Vegas - Photo: MoxieWorks
It’s been a few days since I flew out of Las Vegas, following a week of new introductions, fist bumps, and even some hugs (IRL!!!). My notepad is full and my brain is still spinning from all of the great speakers, topics, and new tech tools. Inman Connect Las Vegas was held at the Aria Hotel and Convention Center from October 25th to the 28th, which was paired alongside Luxury Connect (the premier event for elite agents and brokers in the luxury real estate market.)
Matt Richling and a few of the Selling Sunset cast at Inman Connect Las Vegas
If I had to sum up the week in three words it would be Experiences, Culture, Relationships, It’s almost not fair to have to do that…
Let’s start with the flashy experiences with the TV personalities; Ryan Serhant (everyone was treated to a meet and greet), Aaron Kirman (from Listing Impossible), the Oppenheim brothers and Mary Fitzgerald (from Selling Sunset), Tyler Whitman (from Million Dollar Listing New York), and we spotted Roh Habibi (Million Dollar Listing San Francisco) attending too. They all were walking around, chatting, taking photos - keep in mind they are all agents too, selling properties and running teams.
Having been in real estate for a ridiculous number of years, I find myself fanboying over certain individuals in the industry, real estate personalities… THE Sherry Chris (Realogy Expansion Brands), Robert Reffkin (CEO and Founder of Compass), Brad Inman, Nick Bailey (President of RE/MAX LLC), Guy Gal (CEO of Side), Mauricio Umansky (Founder and CEO of The Agency), Ryan Gorman (President and CEO of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC), Marc King (President of Keller Williams), and …. Again, all walking around. Available to chat, take a photo, you name it.
While the CEOs provided a new depth to the market that we all know, the real meat and potatoes came from the “boots on the ground”. The panels, workshops, the breakouts in the smaller rooms, all seemed to provide the best takeaways for me personally when it comes to where I am with my business. Don’t get me wrong, listening to Ryan Serhant explain the luxury market from his level, or Nick Bailey discussing low inventory across North America, is helpful but not the same as agents and team lead’s currently in the market struggling with similar issues. I found I really needed to ask around, look at the schedule, and have since gone back to a bunch of the replays.
The WomanUP! content deserves to be shouted out for the high level of quality paired with great panelists. Any chance I get, the WomanUp! sessions are going to be starred and planned not to miss.
Many of the speakers and panels spoke or mentioned culture… Barb Betts jokingly apologized on stage, calling it the C-word as she felt it was being overused. Individual culture shared with clients, cultivating culture within the team/brokerage environment, yet it was still a major theme (I felt) throughout the week.
All that being said, the one thing that I left Vegas glad for was the relationships that were built and developed over the course of the week. There were dozens of introductions to agents, business owners, vendors, and I can easily say that there are people I have called since leaving to lean on and ask a question. Over the course of the week, I even planned trips with people I met at the conference! These new relationships would not have happened without the conference or if I decided to stay home.
Some of my favourite takeaways from the week:
“Don’t hire for where you are, but where you want to go.” - Barb Betts
“Create content to attract.” - Katie Day
“You should have diversified revenue streams” & “Stop debating which seat you want at the table, go create your destiny” - Sherry O'Neil Chris
“Move fast, make mistakes, learn and adjust” - Kristofor Lindahl
“If you have a great brand, it’s easy to recruit. The brand matters, the culture matters.” - Nina Dosanjh
“Be intentional about adding to the well, not drawing from it.” -Molly McKinley
‘When you don’t make it about the money and when you care about the people, your business will double or triple.” -Anne Jones
“Agents are not selling homes, they are selling their time.” -Guy Gal
"You have to provide service. You have to be valuable. You have to create amazing moments for your clients. Predict service.” - Mauricio Umansky
Interested in joining - https://www.inman.com/events/