2023’s Top 5 Most Requested Real Estate Convention Topics
What Topics are Trending for Real Estate Conventions in 2023?
See our results based on client requests along with a curated list of topic matching sessions.
1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
No surprise Artificial Intelligence tops the list with the tremendous buzz it’s generated throughout the real estate industry. Is it a fad? Yes, just like the internet was. Rapid evolution, ethical and legal questions, projected use … This time next year AI may not be a stand alone topic but an integrated piece of most topics.
IFOMA PIERRE Power up the potential of AI technology with innovative tools to enhance your content creation and lead generation. Target more qualified buyers and sellers and free up as much as 30 hours a week by automating lead follow-up and listing workflows with AI. Key Takeaways:
- Use AI to craft impactful real estate listing marketing content
- Generate leads with AI-based techniques
- Streamline tasks with AI automation to efficiently manage listings 1-2 hours
CRAIG GRANT WATCH A TRAILER Artificial Intelligence or AI has been around for a long time, but with the emergence of ChatGPT, Jasper, Bard, and others, this area has exploded in options and tools that are being incorporated into their offerings. In this session, we will explore what AI is, the many ways it can be used in your real estate business and everyday life, the legal and ethical implications, and much more. By the end of this session, you will be more intelligent about this fast-emerging technology to ensure you stay ahead of the curve! 1-3 hours
Separate Modules 1-2 hours: Best Uses for Generative AI & ChatGPT for Real Estate; Create Awesome Marketing Content & Materials with AI & ChatGPT; The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly of AI & ChatGPT; AI & ChatGPT and the Laws & the Code of Ethics
ABHI GOLHAR The arrival of artificial intelligence technology may have you feeling overwhelmed or unsure of how to adapt. Learn about AI’s impact on the real estate industry, and how you can connect the dots between your existing tech and AI’s incredible power. From lead generation to marketing and beyond, you’ll discover how this powerful tool can help you work smarter. You’ll get 5 essential steps for using AI that will help you create customized workflows to streamline your processes and build better relationships with your clients. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, this is your opportunity to take your business to the next level. 1-2 hours
MONICA NEUBAUER Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is being adapted for practical uses in every industry. It has affordable and quick options to help real estate professionals communicate better with their clients and the public. AI is an amazing tool to help real estate agents do the myriad of varied tasks needed in the business better and faster. Learn how to use the 2 most popular applications, ChatGPT and Canva, to save time and create interesting descriptions, email templates and marketing tools.
Takeaways:
• Understand what AI is, how it works, and its applications in the real estate industry.
• Get a basic understanding how to use CHAT GPT and Canva as tools to improve communication.
• Know how to write prompts that will produce better outcomes from AI.
• Get a guideline tool to help you write better prompts. 1-1.5 hours
2. Dealing with a Changing Market / Pricing
From “agents need to get back to the basics” and “inventory is still low” to “sellers are unrealistic” and “how to read the economic signs,” it’s all about shifting to adapt. Training is top of mind for those hoping to slow projected membership drops.
MAURA NEILL BEST SELLER A changing real estate market means a skill set shift. You need a back-to-basics approach to generating inventory and marketing yourself to get more listings, but you may still be juggling multiple offers for your sellers AND buyers for well-priced homes. In this session taken right from the trenches of today’s market, Maura will even address the psychology of managing expectations – both for yourself AND your clients – in challenging market conditions. 1-3 hours
Your ‘Running Your Business’ course is always full of valuable information but never has been timelier or more relevant. We wish all our members could attend but were thrilled to have 696 join and stay engaged the entire two hours. We’ve gotten nothing but fantastic comments about your session.” – Maureen Murphy, CMP, CSEP, Vice President of Pro Development, New Jersey REALTORS®
PAM ERMEN Changing skillsets to meet a shifting market builds the foundation for consistently successful career! Millions of real estate professionals spent years mastering survival in a mega-strong seller’s market, but now even successful, veteran agents are being challenged by the magnitude of this market retraction. In this session, discover the 5 simple steps to aligning your business with a transitioning market and, more importantly, delivering successful sales regardless of market adjustments. 1-2 hours
PAM ERMEN Changes in rates, inventory and demand have created significant market shifts requiring both the seller and agent to a mindset reset. A successful listing agent must capture a seller’s buy-in on re-defining their expectations involving market time, initial list price and changes necessary to sell their property. We’ll discuss strategies such as clearing pent-up demand, normalizing extended market time, the resurgence of property showcasing for top dollar and defining LOCAL market conditions vs national market generalizations. Takeaways Include:
- Control the selling process when representing sellers using tangible strategies
- Describe the difference between pent up demand and normal market activity in terms of absorption
- Identify top dollar strategies to contribute to the successful sale of any property Time Flexible; 1-4 hours
JOSH CADILLAC VIEW TRAILER Your ability to speak about current market conditions is critical to building credibility and developing long-term, loyal customers. In this session, we address the market as it stands today. We’ll discuss inflation’s effect on the market and what that means for home buyers and investors. We’ll examine how real estate’s tremendous strength as a hedge against inflation and wealth builder works in today’s market. You’ll walk away being able to explain to your clients in dollars and cents terms how real estate can protect them and their hard earned money. 1-3 hours
Just wanted you to know that was the Best CE Class that I have ever taken.” – Dan Henderson Jr., Charleston Trident Association of REALTORS® 2023 President.
MELANIE MCLANE BEST SELLER This fast-paced session is designed to assist both appraisers and agents in the challenge of a rapidly changing market, from extremely low inventory and multiple offers above listing price, to rising rates with cash strapped buyers. This market has created friction between appraisers, who must follow USPAP and lender guidelines, and can only use the comparable sales that exist–and agents. Agents are also using escalation clauses, as well as an appraisal contingency. Both groups need to learn what the other side’s role is, as well as consider the inevitable market changes affecting both buyers and sellers who bought or sold at a different point in the market.
• When the comps aren’t there—what happens?
• When the market is moving quickly, what can an appraiser do?
• How should buyers be advised if going over listed price may mean the property will not appraise?
• What will happen when this cycle ends (and it will)? 1-4 hours
MONICA NEUBAUER As a real estate professional, the consumer considers you to be a subject matter expert when it comes to pricing a property for sale. A successful transaction requires a correlation between the list price, the contract price, and the appraisal value. You must be able to show the clients and appraisers real data to back up what they see in the marketplace. Find out how “Show, Don’t Tell” can help you explain why certain properties sell for more money than others. And what do appraisers need to help them with the appraisal? DATA! Get the data tools you need to prepare qualified property valuations, no matter what market you are experiencing. 1-3 hours
IFOMA PIERRE WATCH A SAMPLE Agents are facing a challenge unlike anything else in real estate history. Times are changing, technology is taking over and buyers and sellers are going online for everything. It’s time for agents to reestablish a professional presence that embraces technology. In this presentation, you’ll learn skills and gain insights to build your business in unparalleled ways. Don’t just survive, discover how to THRIVE by leveraging tech strategies you can put into action immediately. Key Takeaways:
- Describe the Three Pillars on which all sustainable businesses are built
- Generate listing leads by using Big Data efficiently
- Discover how using the “Missing Piece” can keep you consistent and staying successful 1-3 hours
3. Mental Health & Well Being
While topics 1 & 2 may have contributed to the demand for these sessions, this isn’t an entirely new topic. It’s taken different different forms and approaches over the years, but this incarnation is upfront and specific, not cloaked in euphemisms … Recall the popularity of ‘work-life balance’? Or more recently, ’emotional IQ.’ Not the same as what’s trending here but they all share the approach of focusing on knowing and helping the human inside the occupation try to live a more happy and productive mental life. Talking about mental health has become more mainstream; letting us see – and help – one another. I hope this makes the list again next year.
PAM ERMEN A demanding world and the stresses of the real estate industry can leave you mentally, emotionally, and physically depleted. How much of your emotional wellbeing is affected by people who abuse or misuse the time you give them? Buy back your life by managing your time, investing in self-care, and determining the access level people and situations have earned with you. A top producing agent and broker since age 18, Pam Ermen has dealt with the disruption of major trauma and the stressors of a complex, busy life. She’ll share strategies to cope, shift paradigms, recover, and move you – or someone you love – through life’s challenges. 1-2 hours
BOBBI HOWE KEYNOTE Real estate can eat you up and spit you out if you let it…don’t let it! Find out what you can do to safeguard your mental health. It’s a conversation we don’t have often enough in our industry (and society) yet it’s one of the most vital dialogs for our happiness and survival. Bobbi draws on the journey she shared with her mother to illuminate advice and insights from the world’s top experts in well-being. Recognizing negative patterns in yourself and others has the power to change outcomes! 45 minutes-1 hour
BOBBI HOWE BEST SELLER Without a little guidance, real estate can seem overwhelming. So overwhelming that over 80% of all new real estate licensees exit the industry within their first two years. This session will help you with three specific things that tend to overwhelm real estate agents the most – goal setting, time blocking and mindset management. You’ll learn how to discover the big why, set goals, time block to achieve those goals and fortify your mindset while achieving the goals. 2-3 hours
Bobbi was one of the best presenters I have ever heard…her class, ‘Goals, Time Blocking and Self Care’ should be a requirement for every new agent … her experience and the recommendations she offered were priceless for anyone in the business, and particularly for new agents.” – Bozeman, Montana Attendee
MAURA NEILL KEYNOTE Emotional intelligence has become a buzzword not only in psychology circles and the self-help aisle but also in business and leadership. A heightened level of emotional intelligence can be the key to success for many reasons: better communication skills, enhanced interpersonal skills, stronger relationships and improved negotiation tactics. All of these together can make a happier you. In this session, Maura discusses the importance of not only emotional intelligence, but also body intelligence and moral intelligence. Learn how they are interlinked and how you can work to improve and strengthen all three to combat burnout and to work toward stronger relationships, a greater sense of contentment and even greater financial intelligence and security. 1 hour
4. Diversity & Fair Housing
The National Association of REALTORS®’ increased emphasis on fair housing and diversity has added more than just available sessions. For one, there’s a new acronym, “DEI.” More significantly programs Fair Haven: A Fair Housing Simulation and “Bias Override: Overcoming Barriers to Fair Housing” are now available alongside long time certification At Home with Diversity. Convention and meeting planners are asking for diversity in the presenters hired to speak as well.
Full List of Fair Housing & Diversity Sessions
MAURA NEILL / MONICA NEUBAUER Expanding on the 2020 implicit-bias training video, the National Association of REALTORS® has launched “Bias Override.” The program helps real estate professionals learn tactics to interrupt stereotypical thinking so they can provide equal professional service to every prospect or client. Participants will examine their ideas about people from various identity groups, explore the assumptions they may not know they’re making, and learn how to be more comfortable working across lines of difference. “Bias Override” engages participants in building new habits of equitable behavior, helps REALTORS® overcome barriers to working with clients of diverse backgrounds and avoid fair housing pitfalls. 3-4 hours
TRISTA CURZYDLO, ESQ. VIEW ARTICLE Not all websites are the same and some lack the tools to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. Discover how your website stacks up against the ADA and what recommendations from the Worldwide Web Consortium you should implement. 1 hour
TRISTA CURZYDLO, ESQ. VIEW ARTICLE More than half of all Fair Housing Act complaints are filed on the basis of disability; many of these alleging a housing provider failed to provide a reasonable accommodation. This session examines Fair Housing Act protections for individuals with disabilities and how housing providers should navigate a reasonable accommodation request. You’ll get guidance on differentiating between service and support animals, determining when an accommodation is necessary and what makes a request unreasonable. 1 hour
MELANIE MCLANE Can you recognize when and how bias can appear in appraisals? Can you recognize your own bias? In this session, we’ll discuss the requirements under Fannie Mae and USPAP prohibiting bias from being a part of any appraisal. You’ll come away from this session being able to:
- List the words and phrases that should never be used in an appraisal
- Understand how a property should be evaluated based on facts
- Identify shifts in the markets
5. Communication & Negotiation
This list begins with artificial communication but ends with the very human kind. More than relaying information, education directors and meeting planners are seeking the communication skills such as on and off line etiquette, empathy, applied psychology, intelligent listening, leadership and cooperation.
Full List of Negotiation Sessions
MICHAEL WALKER KEYNOTE What changes do brokerages and agents need to prepare for in negotiation and in real estate nationwide? We examine how variable markets (i.e., Buyer v. Seller v. Transitioning) all demand a different negotiation approach. We look at Global Negotiation Theory, fitting the technique to the current market, conflicts with clients, conflicts with other real estate professionals, and how technology has eroded the application of Institutional Negotiation Methods (i.e., Harvard, Northwestern, Wharton). 30-60 minutes
JACKIE LEAVENWORTH Only Available Virtually 93% of our negotiating power is lost in e-communication. Negotiation begins with communication. True connection is lacking greatly lacking in our world. This lively, pointed and relevant session creates self-awareness about our communication choices and how those choices impact results for us and our clients. Seasoned vets to Millennials describe this session as funny, real, inspiring, motivating and an eye-opener. 45 minutes-1.5 hours
MONICA NEUBAUER Negotiation happens throughout a real estate transaction: from the first contact to the closing. Successful negotiation takes perspective, attention to detail, and a sensitivity to situational nuances. If you want great results, you need to know how to objectively set the stage for open communication. In this program, you’ll discover how to better understand motivations, identify the client’s key points, and employ wide-open thinking with creativity for outstanding results. 1-3 hours
MAURA NEILL VIEW SAMPLE As real estate licensees, we work for our clients, but we work with other agents, and the interactions we have with our colleagues can impact our clients’ experience, for better or for worse. In this session, we will explore building better relationships with other agents with the intent to leverage associations to our clients’ advantage … and to our own professional benefit and for the betterment of our industry as a whole
MAURA NEILL Understanding our clients’ needs and motivations improves our ability to negotiate and serve them. Asking the right questions the right way and being comfortable with difficult conversations makes you a better business professional and calmer in your relationships. Discover the questions you should be asking–with buyers, with sellers and with investors in multiple offer scenarios and more! Find out how reflective listening, humble inquiry, body language and social cues can direct conversations. 1-2 hours
Honorable Mentions
Intro to luxury, intro to commercial (for residential agents), cyber security, and cannabis in real estate.
What will be the most sought after training in 2024?
My best guesses include pricing/appraisal, financing, new construction, business planning, and agent retention.
Have a happy, productive conventon season!
President, RealEstateSpeakers.com / BettsWorks, Inc.
SHORT CUTS!
Commonly requested sessions grouped together:
