“What’s one thing you can do now, next week, and in six months?”
That’s how Vice President for Global Luxury Michael Altneu closed out last Tuesday’s General Session at Engage 2022, a Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Summit and the first of its kind event exclusive for Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Property Specialists. The question was meant to empower those who attended Engage to leverage all the insights they learned and set future goals for themselves.
The exclusive three-day summit was a raging success, welcoming nearly 400 Luxury Property Specialists, executives and leaders from ten countries and 30 U.S. states to the Fairmont Century Plaza for three days of power networking, learning and knowledge-sharing from the industry’s best and brightest stars.
Michael’s message was the perfect endnote after keynote speaker Julie Rice, co-founder of SoulCycle and Peoplehood, shared her mantra: “High road, long view.” The theme of staying in your own lane and being true to yourself threaded through much of Julie’s talk with Liz Gehringer, president of Coldwell Banker Affiliate Business and Chief Operating Officer, as she shared the lessons she learned while starting SoulCycle. She also emphasized the importance of relationships, active listening, and creating a culture of “yes.” This was her way of leaving her mark. What’s yours?
Other highlights during Tuesday’s General Session included: Chief Marketing Officer David Marine’s rousing speech about the infinite growth on the horizon for the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury program and an inspiring panel discussion between Michael and four icons of the industry – Jade Mills, Carrie Wells, Jill Hertzberg, and Tim Allen – who shared their best practices, tips for measuring success and advice for thriving in a shifting market. Darius Cincys, a rising star agent with Coldwell Banker Bain in Seattle, was particularly moved by this panel. “I was surprised to learn that many of these top producers came from humble beginnings,” said Cincys who continues to look for ways to grow his three-year-old real estate business. “They started from nothing and built up their business with Coldwell Banker’s longstanding support. Now their hard work has come full circle.”
Monday’s 15 breakout sessions covered the content today’s luxury agents most need to know if they want an edge in the marketplace – from blockchain deals to digital branding and social media, as well as how to strengthen referrals and hearing from top agents who offered powerful real-time market insights beyond the data.
“The information that came out of the sessions was unbelievable,” added Michael. “We often celebrate the strength in our numbers – over 100,000 agents in 41 countries and territories and selling $267 million in luxury sales every day – but Engage really celebrated the brilliance of our agents worldwide. Not only are we the leaders of luxury, but we are also the most knowledgeable and forward-thinking brands in the business today.”
Indeed, the depth of topics and the expertise of the guest speakers left many attendees buzzing with excitement and inspiration. “You really got a sense of the amount of resources we have on a global scale as Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Specialists and what it felt like to have access to the best of the best representation from every corner of the world,” said Darius. “To hear agents at the highest level share their knowledge is really powerful. The atmosphere was also refreshingly collaborative and not competitive. Everyone was there to help everyone.”
Even Luxury Property Specialists at the top of their game gained new perspectives. Carrie Wells, an Aspen-based Global Luxury ambassador who was the No. 1 top-performing sales associate in the Coldwell Banker network in 2020, was one of them. “I was so impressed with the high caliber guest speakers and the curated topics that were offered to us,” she said. “The fact that the topics were so relevant to what today’s luxury agents are facing, while also looking into the future of real estate, really stood out to me. It’s just too bad I couldn’t attend every session because I learned so much from every broker who spoke!”
Monday’s events culminated at the brand-new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on L.A.’s world-famous Miracle Mile, where the Global Luxury team rolled out the red carpet for their all-stars with cocktails, Wolfgang Puck hors d’oeuvres, and stunning open-air views of the Hollywood sign and city lights.
Attendees raved about the epic setting – saying the event was “one for the ages” and wondering aloud how Global Luxury executives are going to top it next year. “Every moment at Engage incredible!” praised Jade Mills, a Beverly Hills-based Global Luxury ambassador and the company’s No. 1 top-performing sales associate in 2021. “It was the most exciting event I have been to in a long time.”
Last but not least… the networking. Powerful new connections and referrals were made during International Matchmaking sessions. Transactions happened at cocktail hours and lunch tables. It was amazing how all of the agents were with each other and how everyone ‘engaged’ with each other – ‘matches made in heaven’!” added Jade. “I was able to refer one of my top clients to a broker in Connecticut, where he lives, and they have already connected,” said Wells. Emphasized during Engage was the importance of developing a referral database across multiple markets, as well as trusted professionals across the financial, law, tax, architecture, design and remodeling service industries. “It’s really important to be able to say to a client that I personally know a top broker in a particular market or I have someone who I think will connect with their personality. It’s not enough to say, ‘I’ll get back to you with a name.’ It really instills trust if you have someone top of mind.”
This is how the best of the best do business.
The first Engage was such a success that attendees are already asking when the next event is going to be scheduled. Clearly, the masterminds behind the summit have set the bar high for themselves. That’s ok – at least everyone knows they have the long view in mind.
