One of the greatest innovations that Brad Inman added to Inman Connect in recent years is a hidden treasure that not everyone may be aware of: the Learning Labs. These are held on Wednesday
and Thursday afternoons, August 9 and 10, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Learning Labs have become, in my experience, one of the best places where agents and brokers can learn tangible business practices that can be implemented immediately.
A company that perfected the Learning Lab concept out of the gate is Imprev, a pioneering sponsor of the Inman Labs. Imprev, America’s largest real estate marketing technology firm,1 was once known as a tool for building flyers and postcards, and for powering the RE/MAX Design Center. Today the company is rocking the real estate brokerage world with many of the biggest and best brands for its Automated Marketing Services.
Imprev Learning Lab Lineup
Wed. Aug. 9 – 2:00 pm: “Back to the Future: 4 Secrets to Building a Brand That Stays Relevant” (Parlor 9)
James Dwiggins, CEO of NextHome, Inc., kicks off the first Imprev Learning Lab by sharing four ways NextHome’s innovative approach to technology, marketing, and recruiting has driven success—and what other real estate brokers can do to “future-proof” their business.
Wed. Aug. 9 – 3:00 pm: “Don’t End Up Like a Cassette Tape: How to Build a Business Strategy That Endures” (Parlor 9)
Our own WAV Group co-founder, Victor Lund, will moderate a panel that includes two top industry experts: Joseph Rand, Managing Partner and General Counsel, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, and Tom Tognoli, Founder, President, & CEO, Intero Real Estate. Their session will uncover how large brokerage firms can stay relevant to their agents –communicating a clear vision and hitting measurable goals for the business that agents can identify with. They will share how their brokerage is keeping clients for life, and turning your brokerage brands into a memorable experience (instead of just a transaction), as well as drive effectiveness and efficiency by taking charge of the marketing strategy for agents.
Wed. Aug. 9 – 4:00 pm: “Where Will Your Tech Be in 2022? 6 Steps to Future-Proof Your Marketing Technology Strategy” (Parlor 9)
This all-star line up includes Dave Garland, Partner, Second Century Ventures, moderating a panel that includes Realogy’s Jake Lyman, Chief Product Operations Officer, ZapLabs LLC and the always-interesting David Friedman, President and Founder, Boston Logic. This group will explore how in the world do you build a marketing technology strategy that will stand the test of time and still provide room for innovation in your business? They will cover specific steps one can take to prepare a strategy for the future.
Thurs. Aug. 10 – 2:00 pm: “How Brokers can Stay Social-Media Relevant (& Why They Should)” (Parlor 9)
Real estate’s top social media guru Katie Lance knows better than anyone that social media is constantly changing. So how can broker-owners stay on top of the trends and train their agents to represent the brand in a relevant way? Katie will teach brokers how to build a social media strategy brokers can actually execute; how to train agents to stay up-to-date with social media best practices (and why it matters), and understand what consumers are looking for in a real estate firm to help firms build trust on social media. Social Media is among the most important digital marketing strategies for brokers.
Thurs. Aug. 10 – 3:00 pm: “Real Estate Leaders Predict the Future of Real Estate Marketing: 3 Steps to Prepare Your Long-Term Marketing Strategy” (Parlor 9)
If you want to know what’s going to happen in real estate marketing over the next five years, this is the place to be. Self disclosure: I am moderating this exceptional panel with two of the industry’s brightest marketing minds — Pete Crowe, SVP Communications and Marketing, RE/MAX and David Marine, SVP of Marketing, Coldwell Banker Real Estate — which means I will be asking questions and listening. Imprev just finished conducting its massive Thought Leader Survey on the “Future of Real Estate Marketing” and the results will be announced at Connect SF. This is where to come to learn what real estate leaders say about what’s going to be hot and what not: you’ll be surprised. The goal is to provide a marketing blueprint into at least the year 2022.
Thurs. Aug. 10 – 4:00 pm: “Discover Your Digital Brand Power Using Google Analytics: Important Metrics Defined from A – Z” (Parlor 9)
Preston Parshall, who is CEO & Founder of Fujisan Marketing, will help demystify Google Analytics and show brokers how to measure their digital marketing campaigns. This session will help understand how you can gain insight into the impact agent marketing is having on one’s brand: Is it helping or hurting it? Here’s where to go to learn how to set up a Google Analytics dashboard to efficiently measure online marketing effectiveness.
A final thought
As you can see, Imprev has assembled an impressive track of content, with a line up of speakers that are clearly main-stage worthy. And while these Learning Labs are sponsored, I know from first hand experience that there is no pay-to-play content allowed and violators, Inman maintains, will be prosecuted. Do not expect an Imprev sales pitch, it will not happen. Meet with them separately if you want to look at their product.
Speakers, topics and the planned content are pre-approved by Inman organizers, and sponsors must agree to avoid any sales pitch. Besides, let’s be honest: the audience is coming to learn at Connect, not to hear anyone’s sales pitch and if a firm tries to pull a trick like this, the audience will just get up and leave.
Imprev is known for providing great content – not self-serving fluff – to the real estate industry – just read any of their Thought Leader Surveys over the last five years. Okay, I will admit it, I am totally prejudiced, as I worked for Imprev, they have been a client of mine since day one, and so I am completely biased. But this is also 100% true.
1”Largest firm” qualifier is based on the total number of U.S. real estate agents and brokers who are Imprev users.
