Twenty years ago when Connect began, we were known for stirring up the industry, particularly the old guard.
In that spirit, we are reviving our roots with a series of debates — sometimes-uncomfortable discussions and lively in-your-face presentations.
Grab the microphone or sit back; let’s have some fun.
Here is a sampling.
Sonja Trauss
Notorious San Francisco housing activist Sonja Trauss — a self-proclaimed YIMBY, anarchist and radical — tells tales of infiltrating the Sierra Club, suing rich towns for housing exclusion and general in-your-face rabble-rousing.
Milton Creagh
In the last year, the issue of race has been center stage across the country. Real estate has confronted this complicated issue for decades, but we have not finished the work that needs to be done.
Helping us out is speaker Milton Creagh, whose talk at Connect is titled “Smashing Nasty, Nuanced and Gnarly Prejudices.” A strategist and provocateur, Milton promises to get in your face about race.
Leslie Ebersole
This year, the role, the stature and the position of women in the industry has been loud and clear. But who is listening?
Long-time industry leader Leslie Ebersole will step us through the tough problems that the industry must face. In her talk, “Climbing Out of the Pink-Collar Ghetto,” she explains what is necessary to expose and wipe out the misogynist ways of the real estate business.
Rob Hahn
We have also planned an entire breakout series called “Provoke” where we will debate and discuss controversial industry issues, moderated by the Notorious Rob Hahn. They include:
Real Estate Revolution Or Entrepreneur Posturing? Unbundled, on-demand, no-commission real estate — flash in the pan or spark for big changes ahead?
Are We Ripping Off Consumers? Coming Soon vs. Open Market Listings: Coming soon listings are the industry’s latest marketing ploy, but is the practice merely a way to double side a deal or actually a win for the home seller?
Portals: Is It Over? Have They Won the War? Zillow and realtor.com now control the fate of the consumer online. So what?
Brokers vs. MLSs: Is There a Winner In This Mud Match? These two important industry groups are in a fight for survival, some say. But what is truly at stake? Is this a minor spat or an all-out war?
The Word “Diversity” is PC Hogwash, Unless … LGBTQIA, ethnic diversity, women’s rights and so on are all empty words and ideas — unless there is true action, some say. Really?
NAR: Should Real Estate Be Reorganized? Big and mighty, organized real estate often perplexes its members. Is it time to rethink the model?
Are Brokers Being Disrupted: Agent Teams And Power Producers Has the advent of teams and technology that enables top producers put a hole in the broker battleship that they cannot recover from?
How the Media Flunks the Truth Test: Confusing the Public for Clicks — how market news and industry news can muddle the facts.
Are you ready? We’ll see you in San Francisco.
Remember, we have 75 sessions and 200 speakers that run across the gamut of practical business takeaways, market trends, new technologies and best practices.
It is very hard not to get much smarter about real estate after attending San Francisco Connect this summer. See you there!