MARKETING, BUSINESS, TECH INSIGHTS FROM

#ICNY 2016

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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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

CHRISTINA ETHRIDGE

FOUNDER LEADSANDLEVERAGE.COM

#ICNY INSIGHTS

There’s a big difference between using Facebook Ads Manager and Power Editor to create targeted ads and Boosting posts to just anyone using the social network.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.’

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

NELA RICHARDSON

CHIEF ECONOMIST REDFIN

#ICNY INSIGHTS

A lot of people are touring homes lately, but fewer and fewer are making offers, so sellers and their agents need to be careful about their listing price.

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.

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.

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.

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.

KARA SWISHER

EXECUTIVE EDITOR RE/CODE

#ICNY INSIGHTS

You don’t have to see the houses to buy them anymore. Virtual reality is really changing the home search. What’s happening in VR is really transformative.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

DAVID WIGGS

CEO ACTIVERAIN

#ICNY INSIGHTS

Work the process and make sure you have the discipline built into your time recruiting to find the right people to join your firms.

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.

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.