Networking Archives - Page 4 of 8

The Best CMLS Ever!

October 3rd, 2009

“Do we know how to throw a party or what?” Shelley Specchio told the audience on Friday afternoon.

Well, the reviews are in and everyone agrees this was one of the best, if not THE BEST, CMLS ever. Early reports were that this CMLS was going to be something special and Shelley, CEO of Northern Nevada Regional MLS (NNRMLS) and her team didn’t disappoint. With the support of Merri Jo Cowen CMLS 2009 set a new bar that is going to be hard to beat.

Here are some of the highlights….

Brad Inman gave the keynote. He had just launched his latest enterprise, Vook.com, in New York the day before. He spoke about innovation. Despite his busy schedule he gave a memorable presentation that many speakers referenced later. Brad chided the industry for supporting legacy “people”/systems/thinking and not being more innovative and to push to “create a vibrant marketplace”, and how innovation is “young person’s sport” and encouraged MLS providers to recruit as many young people to board positions. Some comments were a bit controversial but resonated for the rest of the conference.

Each presentation was given a TV Show theme. This added a bit of fun for both the presenters/panelists and the audience.

The content. There was furious note taking during all the sessions.

The voting keypads. Very cool interative tech for this kind of conference.

The Fannie Mae ~~girls~~ ladies. Interesting perspective.

Two words. Bud Fogel. Hilarious!

Jeopardy and Family Feud. (You knew I was going to say that!)

Opal- If you don’t know, then don’t ask.

Sports Center with Brian Larson and Kevin McQueen. This was scheduled as a two hour open forum on topics selected by CMLS attendees earlier in the conference. To me this was a high-risk program that could really have really gone bad. But CMLS attendees made the 2 hours fly by. Brian Larson did his normal fantastic job as he and Kevin kept things going giving great insight and audience participation.

CMLS Crossfire-Marilyn Wilson from The WAV Group, as classy and elegant as ever, played a perfect “straight man” to Larry Lomito as the CMLS crowd howled with laughter!

Speaking of The WAV Group, Victor Lund on Friday night dancing with his daughter was too precious and brought a smile to everyone’s face.

Speaking of Friday night, one word. Jam Sandwich!

Ice cream at the end of the last session on Friday. Nice touch!

I’m sure I’m leaving many things out so fill the comments with your favorites moments of CMLS 2009!

Real Estate Technology All-Stars!

August 10th, 2009

I’m not quite recovered from Inman Connect but wanted to post a few things while they are fresh in my mind.

Once again, Brad Inman and his team put on an incredible conference. I’m not sure if you caught this but Brad was in Vegas, at a family event, the day before the conference got started. Imagine that, your in Vegas partying your butt off while one of your company’s biggest events is about to start. Brad’s obviously got a talented group of dedicated people working with him to have that kind of confidence and success (It was announced that attendance at the event was bigger than expected!) Show the love to your all-star team Brad; One word – “BONU$”

: )

I have to say that my favorite part of the event was the “Connect Create” reveal at the end of the conference. Glenn Kelman and Kevin Levent “Duet” were hilarious but you got to give it up to Diverse Solutions and Real Estate Webmasters.

Connect Create was an open challenge to see what a group of developers/designers could build in a 48 hour period. Diverse and REW were the two teams. I can’t imagine why more teams didn’t show up, but I’m sure after all the great feedback and publicity this will be a highlight of future Inman Connect conferences.

But let me be more specific about the teams that did show up, because to me this was about the effort of some great individuals:

Jonathan Mabe, Jennifer Orser, and Andrew Mattie from Diverse Solutions.

The Real Estate Webmasters (Wednesday night, North Beach, around midnight)

Morgan Carey, Philip Pond, and Mike Griffiths from Real Estate Webmasters.

From the time these group of people got on the stage to the time to the time they left I had a huge smile on my face. Both apps were incredible and the fact that they were built in less than 48 hours is even more amazing.

I have to give it up to Justin LaJoie from Diverse for a great idea and possible glimpse in to the future. I was even more amazed at Philip, Mike and Morgan from Real Estate Webmasters. These guys lived the “work hard/play hard” ethos at the event. Without even knowing it Dan Woolley and I shared a cab with them to the Beer for Bloggers event. Then they started popping up all over the place!

We caught them later Wednesday night at the “Secret After Party” at Tony Niks in North Beach, then the next night at The Black Magic Voodoo Lounge! When did they get a chance to program anything!

Glenn Roberts did a great write up about both teams and the challenge you can read it here.

Well done to both teams and remember you heard about these real estate all-stars here first on Vendor Alley!

UPDATE: Dan Woolley has written a few posts on his experiences at Inman Connect:

Inman Connect Wrap Up
Inman ConnectTech Wrap Up

Connection 2009 is next week! -Vendors are STILL welcome!

April 8th, 2009

Looking forward to attending Connection 2009 next week in one of my favorite cities, Portland, OR.

As you may have heard or read, Connection is allowing Vendors this year. RMLS decided to allow Vendors because, that’s how they roll!

The agenda has been posted. They will not have an exhibit area for Vendors. Which I don’t think is such a bad thing. We can all hang out in the bar, or maybe even sit in on a few sessions. : )

Attendance is looking good, but I’m sure they are always looking for more. Here’s the details:

When:
April 15-17

Where:
Hilton Portland
921 SW Sixth Avenue
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 226-1611

Cost:
Conference Registration: $325
Attorneys Only Day Registration: $125
Attorneys Only Day and Conference: $400

For full details visit Connection 2009

See you there!

Looking for a new gig? (VP Sales, Instanet)

April 2nd, 2009

Marilyn, from our friends at the WAV Group, asked me to post this job listing. (Looks like Instanet is adding new staff. Good for them! I like writing about companies adding people instead of laying them off!)

POSITION TITLE: VP Sales

REPORTS TO: Chief Executive Officer CLASSIFICATION: Exempt

Opportunity

Instanet Solutions, Inc, a leading provider of transaction management technologies provider is seekng to hire a senior sales executive for the position of VP Sales. The position will be responsible for building revenues by securing new MLS, Association and broker customers to participate in the company’s suite of automated forms, document management and transaction management products. The position reports directly to the CEO.

In today’s challenging economy MLSs, boards and associations are looking for opportunities to increase their value to their members while lowering member costs for technology services. The company delivers a program that helps REALTORS® save time and money while increasing their level of perceived professionalism with their clients.

ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION:

Instanet is a leader in automated forms, document management and management serving over 300,000 customers annually. In just the past 12 months, the company has facilitated the processing of nearly 3 million faxes.
The company is very entrepreneurial demonstrating flexibility and leadership in the forms and document management area. This new position has been created to continue to increase the company’s growth and success.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Responsible for expanding the MLS, Association and Broker Sales Channels

Responsible for all facets of sales including:

v Lead development
v Presentation of products and business opportunities
v Proposal development
v Interfacing with fellow sales executives as needed
v Product promotion in new accounts
v Account maintenance activities

Position requires travel to trade shows, conferences and account sales presentations.

REQUIREMENTS/JOB SKILLS:

College degree as well as proven senior sales experience. The successful candidate has proven skills in selling technology products and services in the real estate sector. He/she will have multiple years of sales experience and will be adept at presenting and securing business deals working with senior management.

The ideal candidate will have a strong network of relationships with MLS/Association executives and large brokers. He/She will possess superior business and presentation skills this individual has a clear knowledge of the decision making process in MLSs and associations. Ideally he/she will have the reputation and knowledge needed to contact and secure appointments, present technology products, close deals and provide excellent on-going support throughout the implementation and adoption cycle.

The successful candidate will also be a strong “large audience” presenter to promote product adoption after signing when needed. They will also be able to work with individual agents as part of a broker rollout program.

In addition the ideal candidate will be able to negotiate profitable deals and will be able to recommend new business models and approaches to meet the individual needs of each account.

The position requires extensive travel throughout the United States.

COMPENSATON:

Instanet Solutions, Inc. offers a very competitive compensation plan commensurate with experience with a base salary, commissions and full benefits.

For more information or to express interest, please contact:
WAV Group Inc.

Marilyn Wilson
Office: 805 473-9119
Mobile: 805 748-9118
Email: marilyn at wavgroup dot com

Dan Woolley, the brain behind Dwellicious, speaking tomorrow at REtechSouth!

March 19th, 2009

dan-woolleyheadshot4

My partner in crime Dan Woolley will be on the 2:30PM panel tomorrow at REtechSouth on the Main Stage. The topic is…

Building the Better Mousetrap: Next Generation of Search
Other panelists include, Corey Kozlowski, Rudy Bachraty, Andrew Tillman, Greg Tracy, David Carroll, and Rob Hahn.

~~I hope someone will be live streaming the session~~, or at least doing a Twitter feed. Let me know!

UPDATE! LIVE VIDEO STREAMING HAPPENING NOW.
http://www.dakno.tv/live/

REtechSouth 2009 -What a line up!!

March 9th, 2009

I was just checking out the website for REtechSouth today and they have lined up a great list of speakers. Looks like Matt Fagioli and Brad Nix are putting on a great event!

I’m bummed I won’t make it!

But W&R Studios will be represented by Dan Woolley!!. Dan is going to leave his keyboard (hopfully not for too long) and speak on one of the panels. So somebody do me a favor and take lots of pictures of Dan while he’s on stage!

One of the schedule talks I wish I could see is the “Real Estate Mano y Mano” with Joseph Ferrara (Sellsius Real Estate blog) and Rob Hahn (The Notorious R.O.B).

They are going to debate the need of “lifestyle real estate search”. I personally think the whole lifestyle search is a dud but can appreciate the fact that OnBoard is not standing still. Sellsius is one of my favorite blogs. Joe does a great job of mixing the informative with the absurd of real estate. Although I think Joe should change the name of the event to “Mano a Mano”, unless he and Rob plan on holding hands during the debate.

Details

REtechSouth 2009 will take place on Friday, March 20, 2009 at the Gwinnett Center in Atlanta, GA. Attendees will learn and network more in one day than many conferences fail to accomplish in three days – at a fraction of the cost.

Friday, March 20, 2009
Gwinnett Center
Atlanta, Georgia

Connection 2009 – VENDORS WELCOME!!

February 26th, 2009

I had to break out of my DayQuil blur and write a post about the upcoming Connection 2009 conference, hosted by RMLS.

Since Portland, OR is the city of bridges RMLS has decided to bridge the gap between banning Vendors from participating in the event and now welcoming Vendors with open arms. RMLS has always been a class act and I was glad to hear they had put a halt to such shenanigans.

I’ve also heard that Beth Murphy will be there! As many of you know she fell very ill and was only recently released from the hospital.

But meanwhile Kurt von Wasmuth has been doing a good job of holding things together at RMLS. I’ve asked him to send me 9 reasons why everyone should attend, here they are:

Nine Reasons to Attend Connection in ‘09
1. Get educated! Hear the latest legal update regarding the VOW/NAR settlement.
2. Go green. Learn more about common green feature fields being incorporated into MLS systems.
3. Save some dough. It costs almost $200 less to register this year versus last! Sign up before March 17 and pay only $145/night in lodging.
4. Keep up with the Jones’s. Check out the progress of your peer MLS!
5. Talk more. Breakout sessions are back by popular demand!
6. Stay current! Hear the latest snapshot of how our industry is handling the economy.
7. Enjoy the scenery. When else will you get to visit the Pacific Northwest this year?
8. Have fun! Plan an extra day to enjoy golf, a tour of wine country or catch a fish on one of our great rivers.
9. Get an edge. Our up-to-the-minute economist will offer the latest and greatest trends for you to share.

$325 is a fantastic deal for this event! Portland is a great town, hopefully I’ll see many of you there and you can join me for some Spanish Coffee (if you don’t know, then don’t ask!)

For full details check out www.connection2009.com

2nd Annual REtechSouth

January 29th, 2009

My buddy Matt is starting a new conference, its REtechSouth.

So I thought I would give him a plug.

They are already racking up an impressive list of sponsors. The conference hopes to…

“REtechSouth was born out of the desire to host a conversation about the technological changes impacting the real estate industry. A place where agents, brokers, lenders, builders and many other real estate industry practitioners could join together to collaborate on how technology can improve business. What tools work best? What websites are best for networking? Which vendor has the best product? What are the best practices for growing my online presence? These are the types of questions REtechSouth hopes to answer every year. The goal is to get some of the best minds in the industry together in one room to share the knowledge. ”

Sounds great to me!

Kind of an Inman Connect of the South? Might get a whole new batch of attendees.

Atlanta is a good choice when San Francisco and New York may be out of your budget.

Download the flyer here.
retechsouth flyer

New York City!!! Just like I pictured it!

January 5th, 2009

Dan and I are heading to NYC first flight out of Ft. Lauderdale. Looking forward to seeing everyone!

And can you believe it, Dan Woolley has never been to New York City?!!

Seems very odd to me. I told him that we should do something special in honor of this occasion, so I offered to buy him a blo* jo* from a tranny. He declined.

Anyway, switching gears…I’ve still got some Vendor Alley schwag to give away. So I’m going to have another contest.

Just visit the Backstage Pass area of VendorAlley.com (upper right hand corner of the site, genius). The password has been changed. It’s now: bigapple. From there you will receive contest rules on receiving your free Vendor Alley Schwag.

Wednesday only Dan and I have a “Demo Pod” (that what you get when you can’t afford a full booth) going on at the Inman Exhibit Hall (Westside rooms 1&2) from 12PM to 6PM. So stop by and come make fun of us.

I’ll be participating on a panel at the General Session, Thursday at 10:30AM. The panel will be entitled “New Kids (and Ideas) on the Block: Innovators from Around the World“. I’ll be talking about our new web apps being launched Dwellicious and Dwellicious Pro……and I will be making a very special surprise announcement!!

Of course I will have all the latest information about any and all after-parties going on at the show. So get your Twitter on and follow me @gregrobertson as we descend upon Manhattan and see what trouble we can find!

And take a cue from El Jobso, no matter what anybody says, Real Estate ain’t dead yet, so lets keep on keeping on. See you there!!!

Experimenting with Vimeo

December 18th, 2008

Pardon the shameless Dwellicious plug. Just testing….