Entrepreneurship. Branding. Marketing. And of course luxury real estate auctions. Those were the themes of The Key 2013 this year in Scottsdale.
The Key is our annual luxury real estate forum. High-end agents and real estate pros from across the United States and the world come to network, learn, and have fun. And this year at The Four Seasons in Scottsdale was no exception. I for one met lots of important people in the luxury real estate sphere, learned a lot through networking and through the speakers, and enjoyed every minute of it.
The Key is a chance to look back at all our great partnerships, but more so it is a chance to look forward. Look forward to new deals with new partners. Look forward to updating business plans. Look forward to new year marketing initiatives. Look forward to branding ourselves and our companies in new ways. Every person I met, every speaker at the conference, and every minute of fun gave me ideas as to how we can improve next year. These are my ‘key’ takeaways.
We at Concierge Auctions foresee a day when we are the first choice for sellers and brokers in selling unique luxury properties. Based on what I heard from our preferred agents, that day is coming sooner than some may think. One agent said that his group presents the auction option when interviewing for new listings. Another agent said that he had a couple properties he would like to present to our team for auction before they hit the market. In the minds of those agents, auction is a first option. Now its time to show the rest of the world.
We have worked with agents that are licensed in multiple states many times. And it is becoming more and more common. One of our preferred agents works mainly in Jackson Hole, but also is representing a seller in Fiji. Another Hawaii-based agent was leaving the conference to go visit clients in Utah, before going on to Canada for vacation.
Matt Rollins and Scott Haws of NARR8 Media presented on videos in selling luxury real estate. As Scott said, “every house has a story, and it is your job to sell that story to buyers.” Long story short…videos are easy to make nowadays, and they should be part of every luxury real estate salesperson’s repertoire.
Pictures are not enough in the current luxury real estate world, even if they are great pictures. Today’s high-end client want to see videos, but also wants to be wowed in other ways. A specially scented candle, a branded cocktail, company playlists, and business cards that feel good were all ideas touted by Marc Davison of 1000 Watt Consulting during his presentation.
Excuse the grammar snafu, but this is a direct quote from keynote speaker Barbara Corcoran of Shark Tank fame. Many successful entrepreneurs share this same sentiment. In fact, Marc Davison said it last year at The Key. As a marketing team, and as a company we take this mission to heart, and NEVER sit on our laurels.
I think we always knew this, but Barbara Corcoran assured us of this. Instead of sales meetings she had costume parties or took her team on a double decker bus around New York City. At Concierge Auctions we know how to have fun. We have mid-day birthday parties in the marketing office. Our sales teams meet almost nightly when on assignment for dinner, and maybe a few adult beverages. We agree with Barbara and think fun builds camaraderie and leads to good business.
I am looking forward to more fun in the coming year. And success is fun!
Photo Credit: Alisha Brook Photographers
We will be posting more in-depth coverage, videos and slides from the event on our YouTube, Slideshare, and blog pages. Stay tuned! And leave us a comment, just so we know you are out there. What was your favorite part of The Key 2013?