Between listing appointments, taking buyers out to see properties, marketing, admin, and all the other responsibilities you juggle as a Realtor, it is hard to imagine carving out time for anything else.

Hard, that is, until you attend a kick ass real estate conference that leaves you feeling energized, educated, and better equipped to go home and tackle your next set of challenges.

That’s how we felt after attending Inman Connect (check out our takeaways from that week) at the start of the year here in New York City. If you haven’t made plans to attend any real estate conferences yet this year, here are our top picks for the remainder of 2020.

1. Inman Connect, Las Vegas

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Date: July 28 – July 31, 2020
Price: $899
Event Website

Why You Should Consider This Event:

Inman Connect is a week of engaging speakers on all different topics within the real estate industry. Brad Inman goes all-out to get the heavy hitters of residential real estate; the Inman Connect that took place in New York City this past January featured CEOs of major brokerages, TED Talk alumni, and tech experts from across the field. The Vegas iteration is shaping up to be even bigger and more bombastic, and with so many in the industry flocking to this event, it is a can’t-miss networking opportunity too.

Speaker We’re Most Excited About:

The speaker list for this year’s event isn’t public yet, but we’ll make sure to update this when it is. Last year our favorites were Zillow CEO Rich Barton and entrepreneur Molly Bloom. Bloom (made famous from the movie Molly’s Game) had an incredible story to tell, but Barton’s interview was bombastic, explaining Zillow’s entrance into the iBuyer space. If you attended the event last year, who was your favorite?

2. Tom Ferry’s Sales Edge

Location: Miami, Florida | Denver, Colorado | Washington, DC | Minneapolis, Minnesota | St. Louis, Missouri | Seattle, Washington | Raleigh, North Carolina
Date: March – December 2020, depending on location
Price: $199 – $349
Event Website

Why You Should Consider This Event:

Tom Ferry has been selling and coaching those who sell for almost 30 years, and his conferences are synonymous with great content. The Tom Ferry approach is great for professionals at all spots in their journey, from brand-new agents to seasoned professionals. According to Ferry, “What you say matters,” and at Sales Edge you spend three days listening, learning, and practicing to make your conversations with clients, leads, and people on the street more profitable.

Speaker We’re Most Excited About:

The one, the only, Mr. Tom Ferry. There is a reason this guy is one of the most sought after trainers in the industry. We go to these events because we want to learn, we want to practice, but, let’s be honest, we also go because Tom Ferry is such an engaging speaker with so much to teach.

3. NAR Conference and Expo

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Date: Nov. 13 – Nov. 16, 2020
Price: $450 for the full pass
Event Website (The NAR website updates about six months prior to the event, so the link here is to the 2019 event until about July 2020.)

Why You Should Consider This Event:

This is the premier event sponsored by the National Association of Realtors. There are always a TON of different educational sessions to choose from, so you won’t be lacking for programming options. Also, the expo here features close to 400 vendors, so if you are looking for a solution to a real estate problem that involves paying someone else, this is a good spot to start!

Speaker We’re Most Excited About:

Chris Linsell of The Close! I represented The Close at the NAR event last year, speaking on marketing with a shoestring budget. Our team has applied again this year, keep an eye out for an announcement at the beginning of May.

4. Luxury Connect 2020

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Date: July 26 – July 28, 2020
Price: $1,599
Event Website

Why You Should Consider This Event:

If you are looking for some exclusive luxury learning and networking, this is definitely the event of the year. The high quality that you expect from an Inman event (oh yeah, did we mention, this is another event from Inman Connect founder, Brad Inman?,) but with a focus on the highest end agents. Great for networking with this select crowd, and we’ve heard rumors that there are some spectacular off-site events planned to knock your socks off.

Speaker We’re Most Excited About:

Though the full list hasn’t been announced yet, I am pretty pumped that Aaron Kirman is on the list. According to Real Trends, he’s the fifth highest producing agent in the nation, has over $3.5 billion in lifetime sales, and has represented everyone from Rihanna to Saudi Royalty.

5. NAR Broker Summit

Location: Los Angeles, California
Date: March 31 – April 1, 2020
Price: $249
Event Website

Why You Should Consider This Event:

This is a broker-only event, but if you’re a broker, this is the best one out there just for you. Yes, lots of conferences have special sections just for brokers, but this is the only event dedicated to the needs and special interests of those running a real estate shop.

Speaker We’re Most Excited About:

Leonard Brody, president of Clarity Digital is all all-around management rock star. I know, those two words don’t sound like they belong in the same sentence, but he has helped revolutionize organizations like Visa and Pepsi, as well as governmental groups from India to Israel.

6. Xplode Conference

Location: Atlanta, Georgia | Raleigh, North Carolina | Joliet, Illinois | Jacksonville, Florida | Davie, Florida | Chicago, Illinois
Date: March – August 2020
Price: $32
Event Website

Why You Should Consider This Event:

This is a great one-day event with a fantastic price tag. The amount of content and inspiration you get for $32 makes this day well worth your time. Xplode puts on multiple conferences a year, so use the website to find out the date of the event closest to you.

Speaker We’re Most Excited About:

The speaker’s list for this year’s series of events hasn’t been released, but we will make sure to update this article as soon as it is, so check back often!

7. Real Estate Success Rocks

Location: Miami, Florida
Date: Sept. 20 – Sept. 22, 2020
Price: $775
Event Website

Why You Should Consider This Event:

Though not quite as big as a NAR event or with the flashy production value of Inman Connect, the Real Estate Success Rocks events are packed full of good content from top producers, and their Masterminds sessions that include real participation opportunities for all attendees are top notch.

Speaker We’re Most Excited About:

The speakers list hasn’t been announced yet, but we will update this when it has!

8. NAR Tech Edge

Location: Jackson, Mississippi | Tampa, Florida | Baltimore, Maryland | Louisville, Kentucky | Centennial, Colorado | Dallas, Texas | Omaha, Nebraska
Date: March – September 2020
Price: $49
Event Website

Why You Should Consider This Event:

We love the Tech Edge Events because they are short and sweet, but packed with great content for Realtors who are looking for a boost in the technological end of their business. The sessions are targeted to specific topics designed to improve your day-to-day operations, so you can leave with strategies to use the next day.

Speaker We’re Most Excited About:

The lineup for the Tech Edge events changes from event to event, but we are definitely going to seek out a day that Michael Meier of Meier Real Estate is speaking. His aggressive and successful approach to social media has made him a leader in the space and helped build the reputation of Meier Real Estate as a firm synonymous with style and innovation.

9. NAR Legislative Meetings and Expo

Location: Washington, DC
Date: May 11 – May 16, 2020
Price: Free for NAR Members
Event Website

Why You Should Consider This Event:

For Realtors who want to take an active role in the direction our organization is headed nationally and politically, this is a must-do. Come be a part of special issue forums, legislative meetings, and a visit to Capitol Hill. To be a voting member of committees, you need to be a designated representative of your association, but anybody can attend and network.

Speaker We’re Most Excited About:

Lawrence Yun, chief economist for NAR is speaking, and he always provides some fascinating insights into the market as a whole, plus what we can expect to see in the future.

Networking at Real Estate Conferences

When you walk away from your next real estate conference, you should feel inspired, educated, and better connected to colleagues and other industry pros. Here are some tips on how to build your network more efficiently at real estate events.

Don’t Forget The Business Cards: Despite all the advances in real estate technology, nothing has surpassed the trusty ol’ business card as the best way to exchange information with people in a networking environment. Bring at least 100 cards and be liberal handing them out; you’re there to meet people and create connections that will better your business.

Hang Around After The Presentations: Some of the most interesting connections you can make at a real estate conference are with the speakers themselves. If there’s a session you find particularly interesting or helpful, hang around afterward and chat with the speaker directly. Unless they’re a main stage speaker, they almost always build time into their schedule to connect one-on-one.

Chat with Every Single Vendor: I know that sounds like a lot, but trust me, you’ll want to spend some time here. How often have you been online reading about a real estate product or service and thought to yourself, “It sure would be helpful if I had a real person I could sit across a table from and talk to about this.” If you’re like most agents, this thought process happens regularly. This is your chance to literally speak face to face with reps from the companies you’re reading about. Ask your questions! Connect with them!

Don’t Skip The Parties: Even though the day sessions are packed with other industry pros who are working toward the same goals you are, most of them (you included) are engaged in learning from the stage speaker or speaking to the vendors at the expo. The parties and social events are where you really get a chance to connect with colleagues, go socialize (and don’t forget the business cards).

Brokerage-Specific Events

Are you part of a large real estate brand? Most major labels have their own convention every year that is packed with amazing speakers and lots of fun. Most of these events are more for hype and motivation, but there are some good learning opportunities, and you definitely come back feeling energized and ready to tackle some new business.

Here are some of the events we are looking forward to this year:

Keller Williams Mega Camp

Brokerage: Keller Williams
Date: Aug. 18 – Aug. 20, 2020
Location: Austin, Texas
Cost: Not Yet Announced
Event Website

Keller Williams is known throughout the industry as a leader in the training and agent development, and their annual Mega Camp doesn’t disappoint in this regard. This week is broken up into sections on leadership, company culture, interactive mastermind sessions, and of course major speakers like company leader, Gary Keller.

Coldwell Banker Gen Blue

Brokerage: Coldwell Banker
Date: March 18 – March 20, 2020
Location: New York, New York
Cost: $799
Event Website

Coldwell Banker’s annual soiree is equal parts glitz and glamour, and education and training. Agents here can expect to hear from all the Coldwell Banker heavy hitters like CEO Charlie Young. Last year’s event featured rock star trainer Tom Ferry as well as comedy from SNL’s Colin Jost and a concert with Imagine Dragons. When the speaker lineup is announced for this year’s event, we’ll make sure to update this article, so check back soon.

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services: Live It

Brokerage: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
Date: March 8 – March 10, 2020
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Cost: $569
Event Website

The BHHS Live It event is sure to provide attendees with lots to do. In the spirit of Warren Buffet’s annual meetings, there is a large report on the successes of the previous year (which have been big for the company in 2019,) as well as some prestigious awards. Lots of training opportunities as well make this a great place to recharge for BHHS agents.

Better Homes & Gardens: APEX

Brokerage: Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate
Date: Oct. 7 – Oct. 9, 2020
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Cost: $499
Event Website

Sherry Chris, President and CEO of BH&G Real Estate, always puts on a good show, and the expectations are high again as agents gather in Phoenix. You can expect the classic events to pump you up, the helpful events to educate you, and, as many agents have commented in the past, a great chance to connect with other BHGRE top producers to share tips, network, and build a better business.

Your Turn

Have you been to any of these events in the past? What events are on your wish list this year?