Top 7 Things to do at ICNY 2016

By:  Raj Qsar

This will be my 7th Real Estate Connect hosted by Inman News and it is the one event I look forward to year in & year out.  I remember my first Connect like it was yesterday and it really helped me connect with people & solidify connections I had made online over the years. So for all you first time or repeat attendees here is a simple Top 7 list before you head to #icny for the 20th Anniversary of Real Estate Connect:

Timeline_ICNY_2016

1.  Make a list of the people you want to meet “in real life (IRL).” Connect is an amazing time to solidify some of those online relationships and connect with people who you admire and respect and make that true emotional connection. Some of the connections I have made at Connect have become life long friends on mine! Remember this quote from GaryV, “People are not addicted to social media. People are addicted to people.”  Some of my friends I met at #icsf: @katielance @sethstuff @laurahbrady @vboakland @sarasutachan @nobuhata @chris_smth @avhellman @lauramonroe @mattbeall @lisaarcher @lauriewdavis @jefflobb @jackmiller @valeriegarcia1 @zachshadbot @matthewshadbolt @seancarp @clicknfinance @thejayt @joeschutt

2.  Attend the sessions that are a must attend for you! Look for the sessions that pull you out of your comfort zone and will challenge you on a personal & professional level. See the full schedule here and meet the speakers here. This year Seth Godin will be kicking off the festivities so be sure not to miss him on main stage on Wednesday morning at 9:15am.

3. Have you joined the Inman Coast to Coast Facebook Group? If not join here for all the latest updates & play by plays.

4.  The Party after the Party!  Do I need to say anymore?  We all know the real fun starts after 10pm! So just ask around, jump in an Uber Cab (download app here) and find out where the action is!! Check your email for last minute invites to all the happening VIP parties and events. If you still can not find the party make sure to tweet @clicknfinance or @seancarp (they will steer you in the right direction or lead you to the correct karaoke party).

5. Lobbycon! Yes. Its official! Probably the one place where you meet the CEO’s, Founders, Presidents, movers & shakers all just “hanging out.” Bring your business cards and make sure to say hi. BTW, when is the next time you will be in the same hotel as Dolly Lentz, F. Ron Smith, Mauricio Umansky, Spencer Rascoff and Brad Inman?

6.  Get out into the city! New York is an amazingly gorgeous city with sights, sounds, history and killer food! And since our team at The Boutique Real Estate Group are total foodies check out this list of 100 Best Restaurants in New York City via Zagat. Or if you want to get up in the air check out FlyNYON for a helicopter tour above the city.

7. Connect with some of the local “NYC” agents for a tour of their hip office space or one of their $7m listings!  Some of my favorite local NYC agents include: @NikkiBeauchamp @patricklilly @truegotham

If you made it this far and are headed to ICNY please find me in one of the sessions, lobbycon or at one of the after parties. Would be amazing to connect with you!

@rajqsar

@theboutiquere

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TOP 10 ICSF TAKEAWAYS AS AN ICSF NOOB

By:  The Boutique Real Estate Group

It’s been two years since I started my journey in the Real Estate Industry. InMan Connect San Francisco is the first big real estate conference I have been to, the other being a workshop in Las Vegas with Mike Ferry. The conference was a full 2.5 days of speakers, workshops, and networking. It was like a wonderful smashup of those who are at the top of the Real Estate Industry, trading info on the newest apps, innovative concepts, tips and crazy ideas.

1.  On buyer experience- What is more important to a buyer: Relationship or Convenience? When Redfin CEO, Glenn Kelman took the stage on Day 1, my love/hate relationship with Redfin deepened with a new reality check. Kelman’s team found that when browsing properties online, buyers value the convenience more than the relationship of an agent- every time. The invention of the 4G mobile device allows us the instant gratification of getting what we want at the touch of a screen/button/app. Today’s savvy homebuyer will prefer the agent who can show them the property at that very instant instead of the one who they may have been communicating with on and off.

2.  Be efficient or be extinct! Don’t reinvent the wheel- simplify your workflow, and improve your system. By 12 noon each day of the conference, there would be at least 5-10 new apps downloaded on my iPad. In fact, there was a room FULL of little booths set up with the newest apps and goodies available for the world of real estate. A few that definitely stood out to me were RefreshTwilioTempoHouseCallUpdaterLenda, and Lumentus.

3.  Information asymmetry only helps the sellers with the lemons. In the used car market, people used to have no way in telling if they were going to end up with a bad car since the only person who knew was the person selling it. This resulted in low-baller buyers who factored in repair costs when haggling while sellers with the good cars end up never selling because it wouldn’t be worth it. So the only cars that ended up selling were the bad ones at average used car prices. When purchasing anything of value, people love information. With the largest purchase decision of their life, people want to know everything and anything that may alter their decision about purchasing the home. The Internet is a beautiful thing, but misinformation can be a huge problem. Sometimes things are simply just not true, and at that moment, you need to be the professional who can clarify between fact and myth. Therefore, give your clients all the information they need, give them the resources, and be a trusted filter. A consumer who is educated in the market are becomes the fastest transaction. No one wants a lemon.

4.  Uber-fying the real estate transaction. The term “uberfy” started trending at ICSF from the very start and is basically used to describe anything that is able to help bridge the gap between consumer and services. How can we leverage that in real estate? Have an awesome online presence! Be on ZTR (Zillow/Trulia/Realtor.com), have a social network, and answer your phone. Embrace the advances in our industry through technology and make it work for your business. A great agent encompasses a combination of professionalism, local expertise, and a great online presence. There is no point having a great product that no one knows about.

5.  Work your angle. There are three types of brokerages out there: Corporate firms (REMAX, Century 21, etc), boutique firms (The Boutique Real Estate Group), and discount firms. Know your advantages and disadvantages when working at each type of firm and make sure it is aligned with how you want to operate your business. As Charles Moore put it, “Safeway can be our neighbor, but my wife shops at Whole Foods.”

6.  Rich people like free stuff. Ok, so who doesn’t? There are many new things I’ve learned at ICSF and quite a few I already practice (which makes feel great about myself). Then, there are the things that other top agents do that make my practices look like child’s play. Alex Wang, for example practices vacation stalking where he finds out where his clients go on vacation and literally calls the hotel to make sure they receive an awesome care package upon their arrival. In a big transaction, the little things matter.

7.  Take it from the top! Many of us take referrals for granted. So your best friend’s sister needs to buy a home. Instead of assuming the sale, you have to win them over again and again. Start from the top and give them the top service their friend or family promised them!

8.  Bake, don’t eat! Guy Kawasaki shares with us on Enchantment: Eaters see that there’s only one cake, the more they eat, the less everyone else gets. A baker says they can make another pie, and everyone can have dessert. The best way to get what you want is to make sure the other person gets what they want first! Bakers are also innovative; they can bake cakes, cookies, or brownies and make everyone feel like they have been taken care of. So if you don’t mind my version: Bake, Serve, then Eat!

9.  Build an ecosystem. Often times as real estate professionals, we see ourselves becoming unlicensed counselors, therapists, movers, gardeners, maids, and the list goes on. Have a great list of professionals to offer your clients and focus on your own job- helping your clients buy/sell their home.

10. Put yourself in their shoes. If you were about to move to a brand new country, state, community, what would be the first thing you do? In the Global Luxury Connect session, Gary Gold talked about making a YouTube video helping buyers understand the process of buying a home. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in all of the details of a transaction that we forget to remind our clients of the big picture. Being able to really understand a client’s challenges and actually help them solve it will change everything. Helpful is the new viral!

 

If there was a #11, it would be to NETWORK! My only regret after the conference was that I didn’t network enough. I got a little too excited that I was going to be visiting NorCal and I jam-packed my after conference schedule with other dinners and social events. I highly recommend ICSF to any agent who hasn’t yet experienced it. Many thanks to Raj Qsar for always encouraging and challenging us with the industry’s best opportunities and innovations.

Find the full schedule of ICSF 2014 here.

Our Story | The Boutique Real Estate Group | www.TheBoutiqueRE.com

http://TheBoutiqueRE.com 949-612-2535 #tbregourstory
The Boutique Real Estate Group is a boutique real estate brokerage headquartered in Orange County, CA, that focuses on brilliant design, beautiful marketing & luxury services and is set to open their 2nd office in the beach city of Corona Del Mar in Newport Beach. Raj Qsar, Principal & Owner has created a culture that spurs collaboration, technology and social media with a unique marketing approach.

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Our story goes a little something like this… Beautiful design evokes emotion. Emotion stirs the soul and creates a connection between client, agent and the home buying process. The Boutique Real Estate Group has invested heavily in bringing all aspects of the real estate experience completely in-house. From design, staging, photography, cinematography and social media to technology, internet optimization & cloud based transaction management. This not only provides them complete control of the design, marketing & technology of luxury real estate but also gives them the look & feel of a true boutique marketing agency. This design & tech-forward approach has earned The Boutique Real Estate Group accolades & awards worldwide.

Most recently The Boutique Real Estate Group has been recognized as the 2014 Next Generation Real Estate Brokerage by Better Homes & Garden Real Estate and 1000 Watt Consulting. Raj Qsar & Jeremy Lehman, The Boutique’s CTO have both been recognized as Inman News Top 100 Most influential Real Estate Leaders for their work & dedication to raising the bar in the Real Estate industry. And their #GoodbyeHello video was named Top 20 Real Estate Videos in the USA in 2013.

Look for their new office in the beach city of Corona Del Mar in Newport Beach as they launch into the Coastal Orange County Real Estate Market in 2014.

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