Top 8 Tips for ICLV 2019

Inman Connect Las Vegas.

Bigger. Better. Bolder.

Author: Raj Qsar, The Boutique Real Estate Group

1. Make a list of the people you want to meet “in real life.” 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 lifelong friends of mine. They are the ones I call when I need advice, encouragement or just a plain old kick in the tush! Remember this quote from Brene Brown “What we know matters, but who we know matters more.”  Some of my favorite folks include who can show you the ropes at Inman include: Vanessa Jones Bergmark, Sara Sutachan, Seth Price, Andrew Flachner, Alyssa Hellman, Lynn Johnson, Rob Hahn, Laura BradyChris Smith, Jimmy Mackin, Leigh Brown, Bill Lublin, Celeste Starchild, Katie Lance, Debra Trappen, Valerie Garcia, Joe Schutt, Jay Thompson, Heather Elias, Laura Monroe, Teri Conrad, Audie Chamberlain, Joe Rand, Wendy Forsythe, Sam DeBord, Seth O’Bryne, Jason Cassity, Caroline Pinal, Troy Palmquist & Veronica Figueroa, and so many others….

2.  Attend & be present in as many sessions as you can possibly attend! DO NOT MISS ANYTHING. Specifically, 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 catch Molly Bloom on the main stage sharing the story of “the most exclusive high stakes underground poker game in the world.” 😮

Bonus: Please do not miss CAR’s #womanup on Tuesday at 2pm with Sara Sutachan, Leslie Appleton Young & Debra Trappen. See the full lineup here.

3. Have you joined the Inman Coast to Coast Facebook Group? If not join here for all the latest posts, connections and updates. Hashtag is #ICLV

4.  The Party after the Party! Do I need to say anymore? This is VEGAS! Text “PARTY” to 415-818-1555 (thanks Jessie) to find out about all the parties, after-parties and events at #ICLV. We all know the real fun starts after midnight! So just ask around, jump in an Uber (download app here) or Lyft (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 DM Joe Schutt or Laurie Weston Davis (they will steer you in the right direction, I promise). If you are looking for the top-secret karaoke party then there is only one name you should know 👉🏼  Notorious.

5. Lobbycon! You have heard all the rumors and it is true! You will find everyone in The Aria’s Lobby Bar (open until 2am) and this is the spot where you will meet the CEO’s, Founders, Presidents, movers & shakers all just “hanging out.” Bring your selfie stick & business cards and make sure to say hi. BTW, when is the next time you will be in the same hotel with folks like Brad Inman, Sherry Chris, Sharran Shrivatsaa, Rich Barton, Glenn Kellman, Robert Refkin, Glenn Sanford, Ryan Gorman, Eric Wu, James Dwiggins, Joel Singer, Leslie Appleton Young & Josh Team.

6.  Get out of the hotel! VEAGS is an amazing city with sights, sounds, history and killer food! Check out this list of The Best Restaurants in Las Vegas via Thrillist. Then catch a show! Or check out some of the worlds best clubs or pool parties. Jump in a helicopter over the grand canyon or do the superman zipline over vegas. Also, everyone loves a good speakeasy and they are all the rage now in Vegas. Here is a great list to tackle.

7. Stay fit and drink a ton of water. It will be over 100 degrees the whole week we are in Vegas and you will be eating, drinking & sitting in a lot of sessions.  Please make sure to stay mentally & physically fit at the hotel gym, or find the local SoulCycle, OrangeTheory, CrossFit Gym, TopGolf or 24 hour fitness. If you are still alive midweek there is a group hitting SoulCycle at The Wynn on Wednesday morning at 7am.

8. Ambassadors. These are the ones who will lead us through the first ICLV. Joe Schutt & Laure Weston Davis have been “in charge” of this program for years now and if you have a question about anything ICLV these are the folks to ask. Have you met them? If not connect with them here.

🔥If you made it this far and are headed to #ICLV please find me in one of the sessions, lobbycon or at one of the after-parties. I would love to connect with you and hear your story.

Raj Qsar, The Boutique Real Estate Group, www.TheBoutiqueRE.com

@rajqsar

@TheBoutiqueRE

@SeriouslyOC

@CounterclockwiseSwirl

The Real Estate Unlist: People, places and things I’m thankful for

 

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An inspired ode to the industry by Brad Inman September 6th, 2017.

A new grandchild and the tragic events unfolding in Houston have me feeling overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude.

Meanwhile I have been re-reading novels by Eve Babitz, one of my favorite writers who in the 1960s and ’70s wrote about the cultural milieu of Los Angeles and touched on the topics of social unrest, wildfires and earthquakes. An entertaining and poetic acknowledgments section precedes her classic 1974 novel Eve’s Hollywood.

Babitz’s lyrical structure and this collision of thoughts and events inspired me to write about a few of my favorite things (and characters) gracing our wacky industry.

Let’s call this my 2017 Acknowledgements Unlist.

To Mary & Peter homebuyer

But also to the bank that made them a loan and to the escrow company that recorded their sale

And to the agent and the search portal that helped them find a house

And to Richard Smith and the American flag pin on his lapel

And to the single-family house

And to Glenn Kelman and Robert Reffkin for spilling a tray of Big Gulp sodas all over the industry

And to role models Marsha RandEbby Halliday and Helen Hanna Caseywhen the ceiling was fierce

And to the mighty — Bill FoleyAdi TatarkoPat StoneHoward LorberRich BartonWarren BuffettLloyd Frink and Rupert Murdoch

And to the Toto toilet

And to Opendoor’s Eric Wu for the wit to use a sledgehammer

And to a life-in-full Dave Liniger with his pony-sized dog Max and ankle pistol

And to central air conditioning and to Wi-Fi

And to be Sherry Chris

And to FEMA and to flood insurance

And to the reassuring voices of Duane LeGate and Jim Walberg

And to industry writers Teresa Boardman and Sam DeBord

And to real estate’s Oprah Katie Lance

And to the front porch and the gas range

And to Hale Bob and vice versa

And to tussling with NAR

And to America’s first housing leaders Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt

And to Gary Keller and the entire state of Texas

And to raucous debates about the fate of the MLS, the plight of brokers, instant offers, commission compression, FSBOs and disintermediation

And to the 30-year mortgage

And to great expectations for Elizabeth Mendenhall

And to the condominium

And to the zillions of pillows that became Zillow

And to the final episode of Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing

And to grinning at Andrew Flachner

And to the townhouse and the wading pool

And to the startup boosters Constance FreedmanBrendan WallaceAaron Block and Mark Birschbach

And to prophet Hank Miller, whose jeremiad against the industry put a fire under our readers

And to a 1000watt when you need it

And to bunkbeds

And to warrior priest Jay Thompson, the man with a strong heart despite sword blows to the chest

And to everyone named Victor & Sparkles

And to housing activists everywhere

And to the moment Mark McLaughlin put the Cobra GT500 into drive

And to the 4th and 5th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution

And to the inheritors Ben KinneyKymber Lovett-MenkitiSue AdlerThad WongEddie BerenbaumVanessa BergmarkShaun OsherChris LimMauricio UmanskyMark SpainMark ChoeyKendyl Young, Peter LorimerLaurie Weston Davis, Tiffany KjellanderPam LiebmanRaj Qsar, and Matt Beall

And to all of the disrupters, the new business models, the tinkerers and the entrepreneurs

And to the Pinecrest Diner, the Big Four, the Lambs Club, the French Roast, the KGB Bar, the Redwoods, the Box and the Beverly Hills Hotel

And to the reformers Team DivaRob HahnDebra TrappenTommy SowersSunny LakeBill WendellSara SutachanAnne JonesBrian CopelandMarguerite GiguereRyan BokrosCaroline Pinal and Carl Carter

And to Section 8 housing and the mortgage interest deduction

And to missing Peter Flint

And to tiny homes

And to the definition of loyalty Laura Monroe

And to notorious wing (wo)men Nyda Jones-Church (to Steve Games), Greg Schwartz (to Spencer Rascoff), Lisa Fettner (to Scott Olsen), Joan Dailey (to Avi Gupta) and Paul Boomsma (to Pam O’Connor)

And to those whose first name is enough — BillySethSamiVijaYaz, BlairErrol, Peter and Celeste

And to the turnaround crackerjack Amy Bohutinsky who should be running Uber

And to those who didn’t turn a big fortune into a small one Lennox ScottStephen BairdHoby Hanna and Obi Jacobi

And to the 1950s

And to the unsung: Stephanie AntonDeidre WoollardCary SylvesterMike RyanRyan GormanLeslie Appleton-YoungKatelyn CastellanoAmy GorceDiane RamirezSusan Yannaccone and Art Carter

And to housing the homeless

And to the everyday Realtor who saved lives in Harvey’s wake

And to Oakland, WEHO, Sausalito, UES, WPB, Palm Springs, 9th St., Carlinville and all of Illinois and most of Australia

And to Steve MurrayJeff LobbKen Jenny and a few other consultants

And to the garden apartment

And to Dottie and Dolly, if I have another daughter it will be a tough choice

And to the flacks we hate to hate Amanda WoolleyAudie Chamberlain, Kevin Hawkins and Sara Wiskerchen

And to Ryan O’Hara who keeps smiling through it all

And to Nest thermostats and Google Home

And to battle-scarred disruptor Joshua Hunt, who does not go down easily

And to your inner Ferry-self and to Tim & Julie’s clever rants

And to running water, light switches, warm floors and Mr. Coffee

And to Alex Lange for swimming with the salmon

And to the kidney-shaped swimming pool with a diving board

And to industry muckraker Greg Robertson

And to Joe SchuttNicole BeauchampSarita Lahoti Dua, Bob Watson, and Sean Carpenter for being everywhere for all of us

And to immigrants and their families

And to the software musketeers Jed CarlsonGrier AllenMorgan Carey and Matt Barba

And to the loud and the proud Leigh Brown

And to the steady hands Ron Peltier, Chris Heller, Joel Singer, Marilyn Wilson,David Charron, Suzanne Mueller, Rick Sharga, Billy Jack Carter, Charlie Young and John Aaroe

And to the Weber Grill and Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser & Polish

And to the thinkers Bill LublinJeff TurnerBernice RossLeslie Ebersole and J. Philip Faranda

And to sidewalks, bike lanes and street lights

And to trusting Lela Richardson and Joe Rand

And to missing Alex Perriello already

And to an industry that always puts up a good fight and feeds on community generosity when its neighbors are most in need

And to you Nate Ellis, who I know would approve

And to my last list…maybe.

 

Link to original article.

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 5 Things To Do at Real Estate Connect #icsf

By:  Raj Qsar

This will be my 4th Real Estate Connect hosted by Inman News in San Francisco 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 5 list for you before you head to #icsf:

1.  Make a list of the people you want to meet “in real life (IRL).”   Connect is an amazing time for me personally to connect with people who I admire and respect and make that true IRL 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:  @chris_smth @katielance @lauramonroe @tericonrad @debra11 @kellymitchell @nobuhata @topbrokeroc @kendyl @jefflobb @tkjellander @lisaarcher @lauriewdavis @jimmymackin @sethstuff

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 professional level.  See the full schedule here.  For me I always get something new from “The New Kids On The Block” session which this year is on Wednesday July 16th at 10:10am and these “KIDS” are the startups that are changing the real estate game.  Also of note this year is “The Uberification of Real Estate” session which is on Wednesday at 10:30am (sounds killer)!  Did someone say Luxury?  The session called Luxury Power Players will be off the kilt!  Connect Here.

3.  Meet the 2014 Inman Connect Ambassadors.  Talk about a fab list of people!  If you could create a memory with each of these rockstars at Connect it would truly be epic!  Meet them here –> Real Estate Connect Ambassadors.  Secret hint….They are having a mixer and you can meet them all there —>  Click Here.  Also, connect with everyone in the Real Estate Connect facebook group.

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 do not know where the party is just ask my friend @JeremyLehman!!  Check out the video we made from ICSF2012.

5.  Get out into the city!  San Francisco is truly a gorgeous city with sights, sounds and killer food!!!  Check out this drone fly over the city just in case you needed a visual!  Click Here.  And since our team at The Boutique Real Estate Group are total foodies check out this list of  The 38 Essential San Francisco Restaurants.

If you made it this far here is my Top Secret List of must meets.  Shhhhh, do not tell anyone.  I am really shy and do not want anyone to know!  =)

@valeriegarcia1

@katiemmax

@vboakland

@zachschabot

@thatpeterbrewer

@laurahbrady

@avhellman

San Francisco skyline and Bay Bridge at sunset, California