For 20 years, the Council’s Sell-a-bration® educational conference has provided a valuable opportunity for real estate professionals to attend top-notch educational sessions, hear renowned real estate industry speakers and network with other successful agents. This year’s event featured an added attraction: It was held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort and Spa in Honolulu on the shores of Waikiki Beach, Jan. 28 – 30.
More than 1,000 attendees, including CRS Designees, candidates and real estate professionals based outside the U.S., made the midwinter trip to Hawaii to help the Council mark the 20th annual Sell-a-bration® conference. Attendees were eligible to earn one unit of elective credit toward their CRS Designation.
Amid the idyllic Pacific island setting, conference speakers and panelists focused on strategies to help agents work with clients, compete for listings and succeed in a tough and changing market. The event also Howard Brinton kicked off the event. provided a unique environment for attendees to network, share ideas and expand their referral base.
A pre-conference presentation of Ninja Selling, one of the most popular CRS-approved one-unit courses, attracted 277 attendees. Walter J. Frey, CRS, and Larry Kendall taught the course.
Former CRS president Howard Brinton, founder and CEO of Star Power Systems, worked with the Council to develop the event’s educational programs. Sell-abration® was sponsored by Tour Factory, Pro Step Marketing, Zolve. com, Computer Camp, Corcoran Consulting and Coaching, VisiStat, Number 1 Expert and Lore magazine.
Brinton set the stage for the event during his energetic Jan. 28 opening session, Tough Times Spawn a Tougher CRS. Brinton acknowledged that, especially in local markets where property values are declining, pricing homes can be tricky. “But in this market, if you are unable to price a property properly, you are losing an awful lot of money,” Brinton said. Echoing that sentiment throughout the week, various panelists and session speakers said proper pricing is the most important thing to focus on in an unstable market.
Brinton encouraged attendees to work hard to overcome “the onslaught of negativity” surrounding the housing market. Agents who choose to improve their skills, expand their markets, offer empathy to their clients and remain lifelong “learners” can succeed in any market, he said.
The opening session’s expert panel featured Sam Miller, CRS; Roy Claytor, CRS; and Denny Grimes, CRS.
Miller advised attendees to say two things to their listing clients before agreeing to put their house on the market: “Are you aware of the changes in the real estate market and how they have affected pricing?” And, “Have you definitely decided to move at this time?” The answers will help agents determine whether to accept the listing, Miller said.
Claytor offered insights about dealing with sellers who have unrealistic expectations about what their house might be worth in an uncertain market. He says it helps to tell them, “We are in a market that is not living up to our expectations. I didn’t cause it, and I can’t cure it. But when you hire me, I become the prime defender of your equity.”
Grimes talked about how he advises his buyer clients that it can be risky to wait for prices to decline before making a purchase. “The market you are in today will not last forever,” he said. “The best time to buy real estate is when sellers fear that tomorrow will be worse than today.”
During their keynote speech, Frey and Kendall presented highlights from their course on how to achieve financial success and a balanced life. Michael Russer’s general session focused on helping agents convert online visitors to closed transactions. And CRS instructor Gee Dunsten, CRS, provided attendees with a roadmap for success when working with clients from different generations.
Breakout sessions focused on topics including: working with sellers in a soft market; team building; systems to streamline success; creating buyer urgency in a soft market; teaching clients to invest in real estate; customer-for-life service systems; fresh marketing strategies for 2008; Web lead incubation technologies; negotiating in a soft market; and technology tools that pay for themselves.
Rob Luhrs, CRS, said he was happy he made the trip to Sell-abration® from Omaha, Neb. “Of course, the venue was incredible — who wouldn’t love spending a few days in Hawaii?” says Luhrs, who is with Alliance Real Estate. “But aside from that, the classes were amazing. The level of excitement was through the roof, and the camaraderie was genuine. It was a nice change of pace to see everyone put their egos away and just work with people in good faith. The only competition there was who could share the most powerful ideas.”
Inclement weather pushed the popular Fun Night Luau indoors, but that didn’t put a damper on the festivities. Nearly 900 Sell-a-bration® attendees dined on island specialties as they enjoyed a performance of traditional Hawaiian music and dance. After dinner, Kelly Ann Wakayama, CRS, with Summit to Sea Realty in Kamuela, Hawaii, and Bruce Soli, CRS, with Chase International in Incline Village, Nev., won the hula contest. Gail Johnson, CRS, with RE/MAX Sonoran Hills in Phoenix and Scot Moran, CRS, with Flag Realty Group in Anthem, Ariz., took home the Best Hawaiian Attire award.
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Mark your calendars for Sell-a-bration® 2009, which will be held Feb. 5–7 at the San Francisco Hilton in the city by the bay.
