Takeaways from AREAA Vancouver 2014 Luxury Real Estate Conference
Written By: Raj Qsar
Leaving the comforts of Orange County have never really been to easy for me. I am a creature of habit. Not sure when that started or why it started but it just did. Personally, I would rather vacation at The Montage in Laguna Beach than fly to some 5 star resort in the Caribbean. But, this trip for me to Vancouver was just full of memories that I will keep with me for a long time.
The Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) is a nonprofit professional trade organization dedicated to promoting sustainable homeownership opportunities in Asian American communities by creating a powerful national voice for housing and real estate professionals that serve this dynamic market.
I had the opportunity to be invited to speak at AREAA Vancouver this past week and this conference had a heavy luxury presence and a heavy international presence. And I had the opportunity to take away a few gems and here they are:
1. “The market goes up & down but SERVICE lives forever.” This quote was by my friend Nobu Hata, Director of Digital Engagement for The National Association of Realtors. And this is so very true! More than ever we are living “in the moment.” We, as Realtors are expected to reply at a moments notice at all times of the day. And we do. Its just in our DNA to provide this level of exceptional care & attention and when it is executed our clients will continue to look to us for support.
2. “Give your clients something they can NOT google.” Once again Nobu is on a roll here. This really resonated with me because saying “just google it” is totally acceptable in our culture now. But if you are able to give your heart & soul to your clients and provide amazing knowledge & service (not found on Google) you will earn the trust of your clients.
3. Think Globally Locally. Love love love this from my friend Teri Conrad! You really need to understand not only worldwide economies but also worldwide customs. For example, the way you accept a card from a potential client, what you do with the card and where you put it after you have read it. This was truly eye opening for me. Having your website in multiple languages, having a country code on your cell number or office number and incorporating this into all the things yo do. This matters!
4. Destination Marketing. As agents we are required to do so much. Know so much. And execute so much. What we as agents have to do is beyond the upper limits of what is possible in this day & age. So…..what if you had a team of creatives that could take care of all the creative work for you on your luxury listing? What if this group of creatives could fly anywhere in the world to do all the super-smart thinking for you and then assist on the digital push out to all channels and add your smiley happy face on the marketing content? I…LOVE…IT! Please check this out —> HaleAlii
5. Competitive Immunity. This little nugget of inspiration hit me while I was on MobileAgentTV with my friends Michael Thorne, Teri Conrad & Tony Joe. By doing the little things each & every day and doing them at a level that exceeds 99.9% of other agents in your Global Hyperlocal Market you will be successful and your clients will love you.
