3 Takeaways from the LeadingRE Conference
Friends,
As you probably know, most of my trips begin with turbulence and death defying flights. And my trip this past week to Vegas did not deviate from the norm. Naturally, my flight was postponed because of a severe wind advisory, and when I eventually boarded, a crew member informed us, and I quote, "it’s going to be a gnarly flight," which was comforting (not).
However, any landing is a good landing in my book. Vegas was, well, Vegas, but it was great to spend time with friends and colleagues. I spoke at the marketing and technology track and delivered a presentation on Demand Generation, which is a fancy marketing strategy that aims to increase interest in your product or service. I predict it will be a popular buzzword this year.
Here are some photos from the week.
The week was jam-packed with great content and speakers. I could list dozens of takeaways. However, here are 3 quick takeaways from the conference that stood out to me.
1: AI is Everywhere (but I like how it’s being used in real estate)
Artificial Intelligence is everywhere. Seriously. And I'm not just referring to Google's bleeding-edge robotics program. Whether we’re aware of it or not, AI is used in our daily lives. We carry it in our pockets and purses. It's integrated into our smart home devices and even kitchen appliances. However, I like how it’s being used in real estate. It’s a great fit for things like home reports. Business intelligence empowers both real estate professionals and consumers. I like that.
2: The Riches are in the Niches
I mentioned that “the riches are in the niches” in my Demand Generation presentation. Podcasts and YouTube have enabled people to produce highly specialized content for audiences who desire it. It’s impossible to imagine a show like "Anatomy of a Jam" being on NBC in prime time before the Internet. There’s never been a better time to turn your passion or hobby into a legitimate business.
3: Technology is Omniscient, Right?
A friend of mine gave a fantastic presentation on AI. He set the stage by looking at how technology has disrupted industries throughout history. He included things like the printing press, the power loom, and the tractor, then gave an update on where AI stands today. He included a video that I had never seen before.
An artist named Simon Weckert tricked Google Maps into thinking there was a traffic jam by using 99 smartphones he pulled down the street in a small wagon. It was a fantastic and amusing experiment. It appears that technology is not as smart as we thought. Check out the video.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!