Top Takeaways from Inman Connect SF 2017

By Mark Spain Real Estate

Here are our top 3 takeaways from Inman Connect SF 2017! The real estate industry is shifting and tensions are growing as many brokerages are scrambling to see where they will fit. The client has remained the star of the show as processes continue to grow easier and cater even more towards the customer. From marketing to automation, the industry is being disrupted.

Inman Connect-

1. ‘iBuyers’ are Here to Stay

The automated value model was an early idea at Inman Connect last year, but now is a mainstay technology that is disrupting the industry. Everyone is scrambling to figure out what iBuyer means for real estate and what their place is within it. Opendoor, Offerpad, Knock and Zillow Instant Offers are the main front runners in the industry. These disrupters were the first in the space and all showcase very similar models and marketing with Inman Connect.

It is an exciting time in real estate because there is an intense push on reducing friction in the process, creating faster liquidity for homeowners and eventually, reducing the fees associated with transacting real estate. The iBuyers will do to the real estate industry what Uber did to the taxicab industry. Pay attention and dive in because it is going to change the way real estate is transacted and is here to stay.

 

2. Venture Capitalists are Circling Like Sharks

The opportunity is here. Real estate technology is a ripe field for investment from VCs. Last year at Inman there was talk and ramblings of investing. This year Inman had panels, round tables and heavy representation of VC firms across the San Francisco area and beyond.

Venture Capitalists are looking for teams that have a product-market fit and can execute. They are looking for companies they can back and get behind that have business and revenue models which show big growth trajectories. Real estate is continuing to shift deeper into the hands of the customer thus creating a bigger push for VCs and companies to act quickly to get behind these new models.

 

3. Real Estate is Finally Waking Up to Marketing

Conversations around the customer experience are getting louder, and real estate marketing is finally consisting of more than “Call Now! Buy Now!” This year’s marketing intensive track at Inman was more robust than ever. Value-based marketing and adding real value to clients and potential clients are taking a front seat.

From implementing email marketing to talking Facebook strategies, Inman Connect marketing track consisted of both comprehensive online and offline marketing strategies. Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook are growing in the real estate space. From our perspective, the jury is still out on how to best use Snapchat. Brands are beginning to focus more on true brand building and differentiating themselves. The client is the star of the show, not the agent, the company or the brand.

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Mark Spain Real Estate is grateful to serve all of Metro Atlanta and Athens in Georgia, Charlotte and Raleigh in North Carolina, Orlando and Tampa in Florida, and Nashville in Tennessee!

Mark Spain Real Estate strives to keep our clients as our top priority and deliver an unparalleled client experience. We are grateful to serve our clients in reaching their real estate goals!Mark Spain Real Estate is actively searching for new and dedicated individuals who are yearning to learn and grow daily and sell real estate in this ever-growing industry in Charlotte! If you lead with a servant’s heart and want to be apart of this Mark Spain family, contact us today!