MIREALTOR® Online - December 2015 | Page 16

The 2015 Michigan Realtors® Convention & Expo once again brought together real estate professionals, thought leaders and service providers from across the state to connect, knowledge share, and hold frank discussions about the state of our industry and what we—as real estate professionals—can be doing to better serve our clients. Home sales are up nearly 8 percent over last year. MIREALTOR® | DECEMBER 2015 16 Kicking off the event was a keynote address from Quicken Loans Founder and Chairman Dan Gilbert. Gilbert has been highly involved in the revitalization of Detroit. He provided some strong insights into not just the state of the real estate industry in the metro Detroit area, but also on a broader basis throughout Michigan. Home sales are up nearly 8% over last year, and home prices have increased nearly 7 percent—outlining a strong picture of growth and stability across the state. In addition to Gilbert, the conference featured a number of other speakers who provided insight into the status of the industry, as well as leadership and growth strategies. Crystal Washington, owner of CWM Enterprises and co-founder of Socialtunities, a social media instructional brand aimed at training everyone from Gen Y’s to Baby Boomers in strategically using social media, delivered a wonderful address. The topic of focus was how industry professionals can better leverage social media platforms to engage current customers, grow their client base and increase their effectiveness. The event also featured a number of thoughtprovoking sessions offering impactful insights into best practices to help enhance the customer experience and improve business operations. One of the key themes was the use of technology across the industry, and how real estate professionals now can accomplish more in less time. A big part of that is identifying technology platforms and solutions that help streamline critical processes, ensure that every aspect of a deal is accounted for, and eliminate the risk of breaching regulatory standards. The Michigan Realtors® Convention offered attendees positive