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The New York City-based Corcoran Group is gathering brokers and agents together this week for the brokerage’s second annual BeCorcoran conference, April 24-26, at the Four Seasons Hotel Nashville.
The purpose of the event is to network, exchange ideas and sharpen skills against the backdrop of the Music City.
The company gathers this year as it celebrates its 50th anniversary as a brokerage. Founded in 1973 by Barbara Corcoran, the company became a pioneer for female-owned businesses, starting out with just seven agents on the Upper East Side.
Driven to succeed by her ex who didn’t think she stood a chance in Manhattan’s cut-throat market, Corcoran built her business from the ground up, leading Corcoran Group to achieve a number of industry firsts throughout the years, helping it ultimately grow into a business reaping in over $30 billion per year with another strong female leader, Pam Liebman, at the helm.
Corcoran Group was the first New York City brokerage to launch its own real estate market report, The Corcoran Report, in 1981. In 1990, the brokerage launched Corcoran.com, which was also Manhattan’s first real estate brokerage website. Liebman became president and CEO in 2000, and the following year, Corcoran sold the brokerage to NRT for $66 million.
When Corcoran Group launched its “Live Who You Are” marketing campaign in 2004, Chief Marketing Officer Christina Panos also managed to enlist iconic photographers Tina Barney and Annie Leibovitz in creating art for the campaign, bringing fashion and real estate together through photography.
By 2017, Corcoran launched Agent Studio, a center for educational and other resources for agents, which ultimately went fully virtual in 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, the brokerage also launched the Corcoran Affiliate Network, which has grown extensively since then, including into international markets. As of March 2023, the network added its inaugural European affiliate Corcoran Magri Properties in Italy.
As the brokerage celebrates all it has accomplished during those 50 years, here’s what attendees can expect at BeCorcoran.
Compelling keynotes
Liebman will welcome attendees to the conference on Tuesday at 9 a.m. CDT with highlights of the company’s growth and success over the last year, as well as a review of the brokerage’s 50 years in business.
Later that morning Matthew Ferrara, a philosopher and management consultant, will discuss “Creating a Growth Strategy.” He’ll show attendees how discipline, influence and attitude can help agents grow their businesses and will tune in to other panels to help agents learn how to incorporate takeaways from those panels into his growth philosophy.
Persuasion expert Phil M. Jones is another featured speaker who will share insights with agents on Monday afternoon at 4 p.m. CDT about how to reopen conversations with past clients and succeed through challenging negotiations in his talk “Exactly What to Say.”
Later in the conference, Jones will also lead an interactive session in which agents can pose real-life scenarios that they want Jones to advise them on.
Monday, April 24
4 p.m. CDT: Exactly What to Say
- Phil M. Jones, persuasion expert
Tuesday, April 25
9 a.m. CDT: 50 Years of Corcoran
- Pam Liebman, Corcoran Group President and CEO
10:15 a.m. CDT: Creating a Growth Strategy
- Matthew Ferrara, philosopher, management consultant
Navigating the market
BeCorcoran will kick off on Monday with an exclusive “Leadership Summit” at which invited leaders within the brand will gather to hear Anywhere Executive Vice President of Growth Peter J. Sobeck and Ferrara discuss how to increase market share, agent recruiting and retention strategies, and how to differentiate oneself in today’s shifting market.
The conversation will then extend outward to the brand at large on Tuesday with a panel moderated by Liebman “Thriving in Any Market,” following her opening address. Top Corcoran agents Asaf Bar-Lev, Susan Breitenbach, Hannah Sirois and Lesly Simon will share ideas on how to future-proof one’s business, stay competitive in any market and how to seek out and find new opportunities in their network.
A breakout session on Tuesday led by Corcoran Sunshine’s chief planning and design officer, Elisa Orlanski Ours, will also dive into national design trends. Agents will get an insider’s perspective into the cutting-edge trends in new residential development from the design expert at Corcoran’s development arm.
Monday, April 24
12-3 p.m. CDT: Leadership Summit
- Peter J. Sobeck, Anywhere executive vice president of growth
- Matthew Ferrara, philosopher, management consultant
Tuesday, April 25
9:15 a.m. CDT: Thriving in Any Market
- Susan Breitenbach, Corcoran
- Asaf Bar-Lev, Corcoran
- Hannah Sirois, Corcoran Pacific Properties
- Lesly Simon, Corcoran Reverie
- Pam Liebman, Corcoran
11 a.m. CDT: National Design Trends
- Elisa Orlanski Ours, Corcoran Sunshine chief planning and design officer
Marketing and branding insights
Agents who want to up their marketing know-how will find plenty of opportunities to do so at BeCorcoran.
A “Marketing Mastery” panel on Tuesday moderated by Panos and featuring agents Randy Baruh, Debbi Di Maggio, Nick Hovsepian, Mala Sander and Gentry Todd Radwanski will discuss different marketing strategies and perspectives, taking a look at each agent’s methods for expanding their marketing reach.
Breakout sessions on Tuesday afternoon on “Being a Connector & Community Builder” and “Differentiating Yourself in any Marketplace” will also explore different approaches to standing out with personalized marketing and how to market oneself through community connections and relationships.
Panos and Corcoran Affiliate Network President Stephanie Anton will also give a marketing and brand update entitled “Inspiring Moments Across the Network” on Tuesday morning, highlighting the brokerage’s brand development and ways in which agents can capitalize on Corcoran’s branding.
Tuesday, April 25
9:35 a.m. CDT: Inspiring Moments Across the Network
- Christina Panos, Corcoran chief marketing officer
- Stephanie Anton, Corcoran Affiliate Network president
9:55 a.m. CDT: Marketing Mastery Panel
- Randy Baruh, Corcoran
- Nick Hovsepian, Corcoran
- Mala Sander, Corcoran
- Gentry Todd Radwanski, Corcoran HM Properties
- Debbi DiMaggio, Corcoran Icon
- Christina Panos, Corcoran
11 a.m. CDT: Being a Connector and Community Builder
- Gino Caropreso, Corcoran director of affiliate learning
- Jos Simpson, Corcoran Reverie
- Beth Ferester, Corcoran Ferester
- Mary Slattery, Corcoran
- Brian Daley, Corcoran relocation director
11 a.m. CDT: Differentiating Yourself in any Marketplace
- Katie LoGatto, Corcoran SoBro West vice president of marketing and advertising
- Meris Blumstein, Corcoran
- Sydney Blumstein, Corcoran
- Heather McMaster, Corcoran
- Julie Moon, Corcoran Classic Living
- Tyler Stallings, Corcoran Urban Real Estate
Prime networking opportunities
It wouldn’t be a proper conference without opportunities for agents and brokers to network with one another, and BeCorcoran will offer several chances to do just that.
Monday evening, attendees can mix and mingle during a welcome event at the Four Seasons’ pool deck.
Tuesday morning, a networking breakfast in the hotel will give attendees another opportunity to connect with one another, with Ferrara hosting. The day’s activities on Tuesday will conclude with networking sessions beginning at 3:45 p.m. CDT, and continue during that evening’s “Southern Soirée” event at Luke’s 32 Bridge rooftop.
As the conference concludes on Wednesday, attendees will also have the opportunity to attend Nashville property tours hosted by the brokerage’s Nashville affiliate Corcoran Reverie.
Monday, April 24
7:30 p.m. CDT: Welcome Reception at Four Seasons Pool Deck
Tuesday, April 25
8 a.m. CDT: Networking Breakfast
- Matthew Ferrara
3:45 p.m. CDT: Networking Mastermind Roundtable
- Ida Fields, vice president of agent development
7 p.m. CDT: Southern Soirée at Luke’s 32 Bridge
Wednesday, April 26
11:30 a.m. CDT: Nashville Property Tours
