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ERA Real Estate is taking over Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas from March 28 to March 30 for its annual Fuel conference.
The New Jersey-based brand has an agenda packed with sessions geared at helping agents and brokers expertly navigate a changing real estate market through cutting-edge marketing, lead generation, merger and acquisition, recruiting and retention strategies.
The conference features star-studded speakers including Anywhere Brands President and CEO Sue Yannaccone, ERA President and CEO Sherry Chris, and “Bar Rescue” star Jon Taffer, who will deliver the keynote on Wednesday.
However, a majority of the sessions are led by ERA brokers and agents who provide hands-on support through listing presentation battles, live demonstrations that help agents combat objections from buyers and sellers and several mastermind sessions that encourage attendees to swap notes and exchange best practices.
“This year with the 50th anniversary behind us, it’s all about making a little bit more noise about ERA and all of the wonderful agents and brokers work here,” ERA CMO Amory Wooden of Fuel. “I am so struck by the level of community and collaboration amongst the ERA network, and I find that to be very different than other brands, right?”
“Every brand has a different ethos, but it’s really like a family at ERA,” she added while noting a majority of ERA’s current broker-owners are the second generation to be part of the company. “That sounds like lip service, but it’s not. So when we think about brand pride, it’s really about supporting and enhancing this community and sense of pride and legacy that’s already in place.”
Here’s your guide to navigating the Fuel Conference this week. All times are Pacific Standard Time.
Tuesday, March 28
The first day of the conference kicks off with a Vendor Showcase in the Octavius Foyer and the Fuel Breakfast from 8 to 9 am in the Augustus Ballroom. After chatting with vendors and grabbing a quick bite to eat, attendees can head down to the Milano and Neopolitan Ballrooms for the day’s sessions, which range from 45-minute masterminds with ERA leaders and brokers to three-hour certification courses.
Jennifer Craig
The conference has several 30-minute breaks on the agenda to give attendees a chance to unwind and do some quick networking. The day ends at 5:30 p.m. with the ERA 2022 Award Celebration which honors the brokerage’s best brokers, agents, managers and teams.
Here are the sessions you can’t miss:
- Learn the ABCs of Lead Generation from ERA King Real Estate broker Lebron Little. Little will explain how attitude, balance, and confidence are key to successful prospecting in any market (Milano Ballroom I at 9 a.m.).
- Get onboard with MoxiWorks at five sessions led by Anywhere Products and Programs Training Manager Jennifer Craig: Make the Most of MoxiWorks Throughout the Sales Cycle (Milano Ballroom III at 9 a.m.), Power Up Your Sphere of Influence with MoxiEngage (Milano Ballroom I at 10:15 am), Your Time to Shine: Winning Transactions with MoxiPresent (Milano Ballroom III at 10:15 am), Gain Market Share and Grow Your Brokerage with MoxiWorks (Milano Ballroom VII at 2:45 p.m.) and the MoxiWorks Open House (Milano Ballroom VII at 4 p.m.).
- Check out ERA’s new Luxury Essential Certification in the Neopolitan Ballroom from 9 am to noon. Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Senior Trainer Marli Kol will explain the basics of breaking into the luxury market and how to create a white-glove service that keeps you at the top of luxury buyers’ and sellers’ lists. Attendees must stay the full three hours to get the certification.
- Texas-based ERA agent Brandon Hines will teach fellow agents how to strategize with the end in mind at his 1:30 p.m. session, Building Your Business with Intention. Hines will explain how to maximize your current sphere of influence to create a referral network that yields a robust return on investment during and after your real estate career.
Wednesday, March 29
The conference goes into full gear on Wednesday with a three-hour general session featuring ERA President and CEO Sherry Chris, ERA Chief Marketing Officer Amory Wooden, ERA VP of Learning Peter McMahon, ERA VP of Strategic Growth Frank Malpica Sr. and Anywhere Brands President and CEO Sue Yannaccone.
Sherry Chris | Credit: LinkedIn
Chris will start the general session with an inspiring opening keynote that gives attendees the blueprint to navigating a challenging market. From there, Wooden, McMahon and Malpica will lead sessions that give agents and brokers the keys to improving their marketing, lead generation and sales, even as buyer and seller activity slows.
The general session will end with a fireside chat featuring Yannaccone and a keynote speech from veteran restauranteur and “Bar Rescue” star Jon Taffer.
After the general session wraps up, attendees can take a quick break at the Fuel Lunch from 12 to 1:30 p.m. in the Augustus Ballroom before heading into another afternoon choc-full of sessions that get into the nitty-gritty of mergers and acquisitions, recruiting and retention, and coaching and training. The day ends with the Fuel Party from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Octavius Ballroom.
Here are the sessions you can’t miss:
- ERA Hall of Famer Todd Beckstrom and Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Senior Trainer Marli Kol will teach attendees how to expertly combat buyer and seller objections at 1:30 p.m. in the Neopolitan Ballroom I. Beckstrom and Kol will referee several roleplay scenarios that show attendees how to handle the most pressing concerns and questions they’ll hear in today’s market.
- ERA SVP of Strategic Growth Diana Wall and Anywhere VP of Sales Strategy & Operations James Corcoran will give broker-owners the low-down on mergers and acquisitions in two hour-long sessions, M&A Part I – Valuation to Post-Close (Milano Ballroom VII at 1:30 p.m.) and M&A Part II – Advanced Topics (Milano Ballroom VII at 3:00 pm). Wall and Corcoran will explain the basics of creating a successful merger and acquisition strategy, who needs to be on your M&A team, and how to handle unforeseen snafus.
- Get your listing presentation in tip-top shape at the Fuel Listing Presentation Challenge in the Neopolitan Ballroom I from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. ERA and BHGRE leaders Peter McMahon and Marli Kol will judge several top agents’ listing presentations and provide actionable tips for sealing the deal with potential listing clients.
Thursday, March 30
Marli Kol
Although the last day of the conference ends early, there’s still plenty more for attendees to learn with a series of hour-long sessions that help agents and brokers create stronger lead generation, recruiting and training strategies.
Like the two previous days, many of the sessions are led by ERA leaders and affiliates and include hands-on demonstrations that help attendees to apply what they’ve learned.
Here are the sessions you can’t miss before heading home:
- Marli Kol will kick off the day with Fuel Your Health to Fuel Your Business, a session that helps attendees create a better work-life balance. From 9 to 10:15 a.m. in Neopolitan Ballroom I, Kol will help agents and brokers whip their physical, mental, and financial health into shape through a thought-provoking conversation about staying balanced in the midst of a world focused on consumerism.
- Expand your book of business with Anywhere Senior Trainer Bridget Woodward’s session, Breaking into the Business of New Construction. From 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. in Milano Ballroom I, Woodward and a group of panelists will explain the opportunities in new construction and how to forge relationships with homebuilders, developers and other important players in the segment.
- End the day with mastermind session, Leading in a Shifting Market: Mastermind Part II. During the 75-minute mastermind session in Milano Ballroom VII, attendees can exchange business tips, get the scoop on missed sessions and make a few more networking connections before the conference ends at 2:30 p.m.
