From the desk of 2021 RRC President Alex Milshteyn, CRS
Based on the tremendous experience at the virtual Sell-a-bration held this past February, I am especially excited about the upcoming Sell-a-bration Re-connect event in Lake Tahoe in August. At that event there will be an emphasis on networking, returning to our roots of building businesses and figuring out what post-COVID-19 business looks like for the real estate industry.
I was so inspired by the very successful virtual Sell-a-bration in February, which was a way for me to recharge, especially in this pandemic year. It reminded me of my first Sell-a-bration several years ago, and how I left that event feeling enthusiastic about the industry, being a member of RRC and my CRS designation. Looking at my personal production and sales at that time and how I grew my team, you can see something very positive happened that year—and it was definitely Sell-a-bration.
The CRSs I met at my first Sell-a-bration have continued to be close friends who I can call on today. I ask them questions about my business and get their professional perspective. Looking back, I couldn’t have asked for anything better, and the reason I’m serving in a leadership role within the organization is because of my experience attending that first Sell-a-bration, meeting the people who were also leaders and thinking, “I want to be just like them one day.”
By the end of our virtual 2021 Sell-a-bration, I had accumulated seven pages of notes based on the dynamic exchange of ideas shared by CRSs. I reviewed my notes and set my priorities. My first priority is to reconnect with colleagues, customers and friends. I reached out to a client that I haven’t spoken to in years. I was embarrassed that it had been so long since we spoke, but I built up the confidence to make the call. The conversation was positive and uplifting, and I realized I should have called months or years earlier. We spoke about their real estate plans to move out West and we’ve scheduled a follow-up for early next year.
My second priority is to better educate buyers on how to approach today’s competitive market. After seeing a home, I often hear my buyers say, “Well, we’re going to sleep on it and get back to you when it’s a competitive situation.” But based on what I heard a CRS suggest at Sell-a-bration, I recently responded: “You can sleep on it, but the other people are probably going to sleep in it because they are going to make a decision now, and they’re going to be the first ones there.” And my buyer said, “That’s hilarious, but it makes total sense. Let’s move forward.” It’s those small things you pick up at a conference that can seem insignificant, but it helped me get a sale.
My third priority is to make more extensive use of virtual reality technology. There was much discussion about virtual reality at Sell-a-bration because due to the pandemic, many buyers don’t want to visit properties, or they want more information before they see a property. Soon a buyer will be able to place a device over their eyes and do a complete walk-through of a property without actually setting foot in it.
Sell-a-bration also offered a valuable reminder about old-school marketing techniques, like mailing postcards. COVID-19 did not kill old-school approaches. They still work, and I found it helpful to be reminded of that reality.
It was also wonderful to visit with other CRSs at the virtual happy hour held at the end of the conference, and the experience at the August event will be even richer and more rewarding. I look forward to seeing you there for Sell-a-bration 2021 Re-connect on August 17–18 in Lake Tahoe!
