NYC has always been my happy place, so I jumped at the chance to go for the Inman Connect 2020 conference.

But, truthfully, after years of attending media business conferences, I’m a bit jaded.

Wow, was I surprised by this one! The conference was inspirational, well organized and covered interesting topics. Inman is the industry’s leading source of real estate information in the US and around the world. I was surprised to see how many people came from Europe and beyond to attend the conference. I left the conference with three main takeaways:

Video and Value

Video is king. The resounding message was that your video content must educate or entertain your clients. Make it valuable, not promotional. Loved this! I am committed to bringing you more useful content in 2020. Although you won’t be seeing me on TikTok anytime soon, I am working on a youtube channel (which is sure to mortify my teenagers) where you will find all of my favourite things along with my tips and advice…and maybe a bit of entertainment. In order to do this well and make it relevant, I want to hear from you! Look out for questions in my stories in the weeks to come. Please Vote, Vote, Vote!

iBuying

Another trend that left an impression on me is the concept of iBuying. iBuying, simply put, is the concept of automating the purchase or sale of your home. It is making strides in some US states, and starting in Canada. I have been saying for years that the Real Estate industry is behind the times when it comes to tech and data. But the more I listened, the more I took a step back. Real Estate will always be a people business. Trust and transparency top the list of qualities that buyers and sellers want from their agents. How do you get that from an algorithm? If this is indeed a trend that grows, it’s a very interesting time for the industry. The question is, do we want automation or do we just want efficiency in the people we work with?

“One-Stop Shop” Brokerage

The last trend that I want to share with you is the idea of a one-stop shop brokerage. In the process of buying or selling a house, the client will encounter 8-10 people: lawyer, mortgage broker, insurance broker etc etc. The list really does go on. People are busy and don’t want to source all the different people they need in a real estate transaction, so new brokerages in the US are offering these services in-house by having lawyers and insurance brokers as part of their teams.

As a working mom of two teenagers, that thrives in chaos and LOVES being crazy busy, the concept of a one-stop shop speaks to me. The challenge I see in this model is that not everyone is the same. How does a brokerage offer the same lawyer for all their clients? I work with lawyers who have different “bedside manners” and refer them based on personality. Don’t even get me started on mortgage brokers! There is so much competition in this business how could one broker be the answer?

Again, I see this as a demand for efficiency in an agent.

I leave you with this tip: follow Ryan Seahart on IG and all his social channels. Star of New York Million Dollar Listing….he is over the top but so fun!

~Rachel Levy