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25,000 delegates put British estate agents to shame. Observations on the National Association of Realtors Convention

25,000 Delegates put British Estate Agents to Shame

I have just returned from an extraordinary four days at the National Association of Realtors national convention in Florida. The words mind-blown and gobsmacked come easily to mind, and it’s not the jet-lag talking, nor is it the rah-rah of “The American Way” of psyching things up.

What I experienced was a remarkable series of powerful, intelligent, entertaining and enlightening seminars that I found challenging, educational and inspiring, despite the fact that I thought I already knew it all! Like the typical Brit in the USA, I approached the convention with a degree of scepticism; “I damned if I’m going to let you motivate me with your Yankee propaganda and razzmatazz!,” I thought. I sat there during the opening minutes of the first seminar with my arms tightly folded wondering what to expect.

I then remembered Ghandi’s words “Live like you’ll die tomorrow, and learn like you’ll live forever”. I also remembered that education in any field is always a journey, never a destination. I have always made it my business to seek out effective and ever-innovative estate agency method and marketing techniques in order to help my clients create and sustain distinction in their business.

The sheer scale of the operation took my breath away. The vast majority of practicing estate agents in the US belong to the National Association Of Realtors. The NAR has a membership of over 1.1million estate agents. Each year the NAR holds a convention and expo for members and non-members alike. It is the biggest gathering of estate agents in the world and is planned up to ten years in advance. This year it was held at the Orange County Convention Centre, Orlando - the 2 nd largest exhibition centre in the world. The main exhibition hall that houses the trade exhibition alone covers over 22 acres, and hosted nearly 500 exhibitors. Twenty five thousand (yes, 25,000) delegates attended, each paying about £230.

There were over 200 seminars of up to 5,600 people presented over the four days in dozens of conference rooms, and with up to 16 topics simultaneously on offer it was difficult to choose which one to attend. “Platinum Service in Gold Plated World”, “Attributes of the World’s Top Performers”, “Never, Ever Lose a Listing”, “Magnetic Service” “Pre-Listing Ideas” “Seven Sure-fire Marketing Strategies”, “Getting Past No” “Increasing Referral Business”, “Managing the Buyer” were just some of those I attended, as well as my passionate subject “Avoiding the Commision-Ectomy, which I am pleased to say has added a further 9 methods to the existing 61 that I will be presenting on my forthcoming repeat UK tour from this month onwards.

I was expecting to sift through the dross and come out with a handful of key ideas that could be implemented in the UK market. In the event, I took 57 pages of notes because 90% of what I heard was wholly and thoroughly applicable to our market here. Whenever I mention the learning we can take from styles of agency as practiced overseas, people invariably say something like “Oh, that’s all very well in the Sates, or South Africa or Australia, but it wouldn’t work here.” Interestingly, however, these tend to be the rather blinkered agents who insist on doing what they have always done, and then wonder why they are losing market share.

The fact is that although the system of property transfer, and to a lesser extent, agency structure, may indeed be radically different to that of the UK, the fundamentals of estate agency practice are virtually identical. Look at it this way: we both need instructions, and those who have the most instructions tend to have the greatest market share. We both need buyers. We both have vendors who often want too much for their property and we both have vendors who say they think our commission is too high, even though most agents elsewhere in the world charge a percentage at least three or four times the pathetic level we charge here.

The fact is we both bring the same effect to the property transaction. Our actions cause people to move house. In any country you can instruct an agent to sell your house, and, as a result of that agent’s ability, expertise and activity, you will probably move house about three months later, give or take. We do the same job. And we both deal with people, their emotions and their lives.

The amazing thing is that of the 25,000 delegates who came from 53 countries, attendance by British estate agents was among the poorest of any country, with just 25 delegates. Half that of Russia, and fewer than Poland and Czechoslovakia. Of these 25, at least 6 represented bodies such as the NAEA, my fellow columnist John Pring was there (well I was told he was – I didn’t actually see him as the venue was about twice the size of Gatwick Airport), Bill Jackson and two staff were exhibiting promoting their new website for agents selling property internationally (worth taking a look at www.billjacksoninternational.com). The rest must have been made up of regular British agents wanting to further their business by seeking out the very latest techniques, and may I offer them my sincere congratulations. They were well rewarded for their vision and small investment.

I must certainly applaud my client Sean Newman of Newmans Estate Agents, who attended with two of his colleagues. Sean is a fan of our Revolutionary Estate Agency seminars as well, and is passionate about keeping way ahead of his competitors. He is always keen to learn from the wisdom and experience of other agents. No wonder Newmans is arguably the most successful and profitable agency in the Rugby/Coventry area, and achieving a fee percentage many agents would not believe possible.

Many people ask me where I get my ideas in order to keep my training and marketing services fresh and relevant. Some of them come from my relationship with my many highly successful agency clients. Others come from extensive international research such as the NAR. One thing is certain however. The most successful estate agents are those who are prepared to remove their blinkers and look afresh at the wonderful business of estate agency.

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© Richard Rawlings 2012
Richard Rawlings is the founding director of Estate Agency Insight, which specialises in helping estate agencies harness opportunity through innovative method, marketing, publicity, and training. He can be contacted at or on 0845 838 1354.

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