2020 RE/MAX R4 Kicks Off in Las Vegas

It’s on! The 2020 RE/MAX R4 Convention has officially begun, welcoming a global network of agents to join one another for five days of building business and celebration. More than 6,500 RE/MAX affiliates have trekked from 67 countries to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for the exclusive opportunity to network, learn from industry leaders and work on professional growth.

With nearly 100 sessions and meet-ups focused on a variety of topics, attendees have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and come away with applicable skills and tools to help grow their businesses.

That’s what Leah Baxter, an agent with RE/MAX Properties of the Summit in Frisco, Colorado, says she’s most looking forward to.

“I’ve been a RE/MAX agent for 15 years, and I finally decided to come to R4 because everyone in my office always tells me how great it is,” says Baxter, a first-time R4 attendee. “I’m here to learn and grow and take classes and see what’s it’s all about.”

The energy is high as agents speaking a variety of languages shake hands, pass around business cards and take selfies together.

Laura D’Ardenne, an agent with RE/MAX of Cherry Creek in Denver, and Craig Finnman, an agent with RE/MAX Elite in Edmonton, Alberta, met for the first time on Monday morning. Within 20 minutes, they were filming a video together to post to social media.

“That’s the best part of R4,” D’Ardenne says. “I’m able to meet agents in places I know my clients will be moving. I can tell them, ‘I know people there and here’s a great agent you can use.'”

Finnman, who’s attending his third R4, has been a RE/MAX agent for 13 years. He’s walking away already, he says, with more than what he came with.

“R4 always has some good takeaways,” Finnman says. “I took the social media course yesterday [Digital Marketing: Social Media Strategies; a professional training course that counts toward CRS hours] and it was good. I just hired somebody for social media, so I came away with tools that I could share with her to make her job easier.”

Alicia Crowley, a new agent with RE/MAX Agility in Aldie, Virginia, earned her license in November 2019. This is her first RE/MAX R4 convention.

“This is my time,” Crowley says. “I just closed my first rental, so I’m brand new. I really wanted to have a foundation for when the prospecting all comes together, and I really want to learn from a bunch of minds that are experienced and professional.”

For Gustavo De Simone, a real estate agent with RE/MAX Buro in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the 16-hour travel day has been worth it already. On Tuesday, he’ll wave his country’s flag during the Opening General Session, an event he says makes him “happy.”

“This is my ninth time here in Vegas,” De Simone says. “I am here every year and I look forward to earning my awards.”

Adds Roberto Ceron, a technology professional with RE/MAX Caribbean and Central America who has attended the convention once before: “It’s the best experience in my life, being here at R4. I’m looking forward to learning more about technology, about how I can help the agents learn more about technology.”

R4 continues through Thursday, with RE/MAX CEO Adam Contos and RE/MAX Co-Founder Dave Liniger speaking during the Opening General Session on Tuesday and RE/MAX CCO Nick Bailey speaking on Wednesday. Attendees will also hear from renowned speaker Les Brown, Grammy-nominated Sekou Andrews and Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Journey.