The luxury property market is a unique segment of the real estate industry that requires a different marketing touch by agents and brokers than is needed for the rest of the housing market. Brokers who work primarily in this sector understand that selling $1 million-plus homes means directing your real estate marketing toward a small — but most definitely qualified — group of people. One of the best ways to discover optimal ways to sell to this audience is attending the most prominent, informative luxury real estate conferences.
Here are a handful of must-attend luxury real estate events that can help you stay up on the latest happenings in the high-end market and inform your real estate marketing strategy (listed in order of when they next occur).
1) Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate’s Luxury Real Estate Conferences
Each season brings about new speakers, new sessions, and new networking opportunities for luxury brokers — particularly when they attend one of the four Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate events held annually. The next conference held by the group takes place in Boston, affording brokers from all over the opportunity to convene for four days and share some of their real estate marketing tips and tricks.
In addition to networking with some of the best and brightest brokers and learning about new and improved real estate marketing tactics from the experts, attendees of the fall version of the conference are also welcome to attend an awards ceremony on the final night of the event, where awards will be doled out to brokers and brokerages from across the country. Trophies will be awarded to those with the best real estate websites, apps, digital marketing, and video marketing.
2) Inman Luxury Connect
Okay, so this mini broker conference happens to be invite-only. But there’s still tons of real estate marketing tips and industry knowledge to glean from those speaking at and attending the event (and there’s potential you might just receive an invite in the future).
Sessions expected to take place at this year’s event include “Meet the Luxury Agent of the Future” and “The New Tech Powering Global, Luxury Buyers and Sellers.” On top of those interesting topics, the speaker list includes the likes of Arianna Huffington, Josh Altman (of “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles” fame), and The Agency’s Mauricio Umansky.
Given Inman News’ propensity for relaying lots of great information and advice for agents and brokers, including insights and tips from its own conferences, we’d wager you’ll be able to find out all about Luxury Connect right after it takes place.
3) Leaders in Luxury
From learning how to create short films as part of your real estate broker marketing to gaining a better understanding of the international buyer’s mindset, brokers who go to the Leaders in Luxury event always come away more business-savvy than when they arrived.
There’s no shortage of sessions, meet-ups, and meals where you can find someone to learn from or something intriguing to discuss. The fact that this year’s iteration will take place at the Ritz-Carlton is just a bonus.
As with the Who’s Who in Luxury real estate conference, an awards ceremony for personal achievement and marketing will conclude the festivities.
4) RISMedia Annual Power Broker Forum
Improving productivity and profitability are the core themes of RISMedia’s mini conference, which takes place within the National Association of Realtors’ Annual Conference and Expo.
The event typically features a handful of the most revered brokers and real estate minds in the industry, and this year’s event is no different. Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate President and CEO Sherry Chris is just one of several panelists taking the stage this year to impart their wisdom to fellow real estate pros.
Though the event itself lasts a mere 90 minutes, the networking opportunity at NAR’s bigger real estate event serves as the perfect locale to swap ideas with other luxury brokers (and perhaps scope out some talent for your brokerage).
5) LeadingRE Global Real Estate Conference
The 2014 event brought together 2,500 people from more than 20 countries, according to LeadingRE, leading the group to believe next year’s rendition will be even bigger.
More than 100 luxury brokers and specialists, relocation professionals, real estate marketing experts, and other industry members make their way to the Global Real Estate Conference annually to learn new, innovative ways to market and brand their businesses. It’s not just real estate alums that speak at the real estate conference, however: This year’s conference featured renowned business mind Guy Kawasaki and business author Daniel Pink.
What’s in store for the 2015 event isn’t known. Suffice to say, though, it will enlighten luxury brokers from all corners of the world.
UPDATED (10/14): 6) Worthshop 4: December 1, 2014, Wailea, Hawaii
Declared “an endeavor to clarify our individual talents and direction,” the fourth iteration of the growing Worthshop series will assist hundreds of the luxury real estate industry’s most renowned professionals gather. Attendees learn how to grow their companies and careers even further: from getting more production out of themselves and their agents, to gaining new skills that can bolster their businesses (and bottom lines).
Those heading to Hawaii for this year’s iteration will hear from the likes of business coach Matthew Ferrara and Bob Hoffman of consulting firm Type A Group.
There are plenty more industry events you should attend — 12 of which you can learn about in this Academy post.
Did we leave off any other essential luxury real estate conferences or events? Let us know in the comments below!