RE/MAX Leaders Take Virtual Stage at 2020 Inman Connect Now

RE/MAX leaders provided valuable insights on how to set oneself up for success to thousands of industry professionals during Inman Connect Now, Inman News’ three-day virtual conference. Rounding out with a talk from RE/MAX CEO Adam Contos on leadership during extraordinary times, there was plenty of sound advice to go around as agents and brokers grapple with maintaining – and building – their businesses while COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement continue to shape the nation.

Wear Your Values on Your Sleeve

Contos spoke with Clelia Warburg Peters of Warburg Realty about the four key values of RE/MAX and how leaning on those values during times of crisis has been stabilizing. The M.O.R.E values stand for:

Deliver to the Max – “In order to deliver, you Must take action,” said Contos. “Don’t allow yourself to just exist in business and becoMe coMplacent. Be intentional in your actions and that will reflect a better delivery to your custoMer, yourself, your business partners and society.”

CustOmer Obsessed – “As a cOmpany and as an industry, we need tO be Obsessed with dOing business the right way. We need tO be Obsessed with bringing humanity back intO the system first and fOremOst. Fair HOusing is sOmething we all need tO be Obsessed abOut.”

Do the Right Thing – “This is a pRinciple that seems so simple, but it needs to be in eveRy business plan and company value system. Living by this pRinciple will keep youR NoRth StaR in check.”R /> R />

TogEthEr EvErybody Wins – “Our sociEty should bE praising Equality. EvEryonE should havE thE right and opportunitiEs to bE happy, safE and Equal. WE nEEd to wEar our valuEs on our slEEvE.”

Uncertainty is a Missed Understanding

Contos also spoke about the terms VUCA and VUCA Prime, which he learned as a marine. VUCA is a concept that originated with students at the U.S. Army War College to describe the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity of the world after the Cold War, which Contos noted is reflective of the societal pressures felt today. Contos shared, “Uncertainty is a missed understanding. It’s both OK and good that we are trying to remove categorization in society. That’s a huge part of Fair Housing.”

“If we sit and we watch, we’re not taking action,” Contos said. “We can think all day long, but if we don’t take action, nothing happens.” Earlier this week, Contos – a former police officer – shared this statement on the franchisor’s stance against racism and the network’s ongoing commitment to making diversity and inclusion a priority.

How to Market Yourself in Uncertain Times

Kicking off the marketing sessions, Kendall Bonner of RE/MAX Capital Realty and Motto Mortgage Resource in Florida, joined a panel titled, “How to Pivot Your Content Strategy in Today’s Climate,” moderated by industry consultant Katie Lance.

Acknowledging that today’s climate not only includes economic challenges brought on by the pandemic but also the wave of social unrest following George Floyd’s death, Lance started the session asking each panelist how they are doing.

Bonner shared her view that we are in a collective phase of grieving.

“We are grieving from both of these world events and we need to be patient with ourselves and our frustrations. The word of the year has been empathy. It’s important to recognize that each other’s thoughts during these times are real, and we need to try to focus on what we know to be good, what we know to be right and what we know to be American.”

Go Digital Door Knocking

Pivoting to tactics listeners can use to level up their marketing tactics during times of crisis, Bonner explained the concept of digital door knocking.

“Digital door knocking is a concept I picked up from a good friend and RE/MAX agent Michael Thorne [with RE/MAX Lifestyles in Langley, British Columbia], and it means taking action online to produce educational video content to become ambassadors and authorities of our trade,” she told the Inman Connect Now audience.

That helps consumers and people much more than in-person door knocking because the convenience and receptiveness has been adjusted to fit the needs of the consumer, she added.

Content Ideas You Can Use Right Now

Bonner ended her session with recommendations on video-content starters that listeners can use to deliver value to their audiences right now. Some of her suggestions include filming a video on:

·       What are three things that have changed with the new physical distancing guidelines in real estate? What are three things that haven’t changed?

·       Resources for kids who are not in school right now

·       Sharing a testimonial on what this COVID-19 experience has been like for you

·       Interview your home inspectors, lenders, vendors and ask about what has changed in their businesses

Constant Content

The second session in the Agent Marketing track featured Sue Pinky Benson of RE/MAX Realty Team in Cape Coral, Florida. Benson’s session titled, “Video Marketing: Lights, Camera Sold!” discussed tips for creating video content that resonates.

Benson says she uses video every single day and it’s become part of the way she communicates with her various audiences.

Her advice for how to be engaging on video? “Don’t overthink it!” Using video is also a powerful tool in building trust with a consumer, Benson said.

“Instead of making a video focusing on the listing information for a property that a user can easily find for themselves, consider a deeper storytelling approach of how the neighborhood got its street names to convey your expertise and knowledge to the viewer of not only a property but the surrounding area,” she said.

On virtual open houses, Benson says the “gold is in the replay.”

What to Ask Now

Lauren Schneider of RE/MAX Real Estate Group in Colorado Springs, Colorado, participated in a panel titled “Questions You Must Be Asking Your Broker or Team Leader Right Now.” Schneider spoke about onboarding an agent on March 1, 2020, which was the beginning of social-distancing restrictions for many areas.

“When this agent onboarded during this pivotal time in the industry, my team took it on as a challenge of how we do make him so wildly successful despite these new challenges.”

Questions Schneider recommends agents ask their brokers and team leaders right now are “How can we still generate new and repeat business now as opposed to when the market rebounds?” and “How can we pivot and let clients know we’re thinking of them because this is not a blip, it’s a change in times?”