The first day of Christie’s International Real Estate’s annual Owners’ Conference featured a roster of speakers and panelists including broker-owners from the Americas and Europe, specialists in marketing and M & A, and Christie’s International Real Estate executives.

GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands (February 28, 2023) – “When the market turns, take out your checkbook.” Karen Hubble Bisbee, the third-generation owner of Hubble Bisbee Christie’s International Real Estate, was quoting the sage advice of her grandfather, who founded the firm in Baltimore 105 years ago. Her point: the best real estate brokerages look to make hay in a down cycle.

That contrarian view was prevalent throughout the first day of Christie’s International Real Estate’s annual Owners’ Conference, held this year in the Cayman Islands. From marketing to recruiting to expansion, the idea of hitting the gas while your competition hits the brakes was echoed in one way or another by a roster of speakers and panelists including broker-owners from the Americas and Europe, specialists in marketing and M & A, and Christie’s International Real Estate executives.

The two-day conference opened with Christie’s International Real Estate president Chris Lim recapping the network’s growth and accomplishments in 2022, including the signing of more than 20 new affiliate firms in America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia; and the rollout of Christie’s International Real Estate’s pl@tform technology suite within the U.S. Lim logged more than 400,000 airline miles last year in the process.

In addition to Hubble Bisbee, contrarians included Reed Jackson, owner of several brokerage firms throughout the Carolinas under the Ivester Jackson Christie’s International Real Estate brand.

“We’re not afraid to spend significant dollars on things that will impact retention and growth,” said Jackson, referring to a regional conference last fall that brought together agents from Charlotte, Asheville, Greenville and Hilton Head/Bluffton. “But we’re also going to exercise extreme fiscal discipline in this market. We’re going scrutinize the $150 purchase. We’ve looked at every line on the P and L.”

Aaron Kirman, who launched Beverly Hills-based AKG Christie’s International Real Estate last year, has made a career of going against the grain. The mega producer, who sells over $2 billion per year, said he will spend more money on marketing in a downturn to gain market share.

“There is such a herd mentality in real estate; it is easy to stand out if you are willing to be different. Everyone is fighting for listings now, so we are spending money to acquire buyers, particularly in Asia, where Covid restrictions have only recently been lifted. In addition to a heavy digital marketing budget, we are also putting a bigger focus on editorial and print,” he said.

When it comes to creative, Kirman said he does not look at real estate trends. “For inspiration, we look at fashion, art and architecture. I don’t ever need to see another ‘Just Listed, Just Sold’ postcard.”

Leslie de Ruiter, managing partner of Christie’s International Real Estate r365 in the Netherlands said his firm has ramped up marketing this year despite his company’s #1 market share. But while he is making a large investment in national TV advertising and video, he also maintains the analog practice of writing handwritten notes.

“It is an incredibly powerful marketing tactic,” de Ruiter said. “A digital ad is gone in a second. A handwritten note sits in someone’s drawer for three years until they are ready to list their home. Then they take it out and call you.”

Other presenters and panelists on day one included Danielle Garofalo, founder of the Metaverse Institute, who talked about the future of the blockchain in real estate; Nicolai Kolding, managing director of August Hill, who discussed strategies for small-firm mergers and acquisitions; and Slater Anderson, managing director at Boston-based Christie’s International Real Estate affiliate LandVest Inc., who talked about the evolving responsibilities of agents who advise clients in markets prone to major climate events.

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Christie’s International Real Estate has successfully marketed high-value real estate around the world for more than 30 years. Through its invitation-only Affiliate network spanning nearly 50 countries and territories, Christie’s International Real Estate offers incomparable services to a global clientele at the luxury end of the residential property market. For more information, please visit christiesrealestate.com.