It wasn’t just the beautiful people and white sand beaches turning up the heat in Miami this week. The Coldwell Banker Previews International® program debuted its revamped certification course to about 100 top luxury real estate agents ahead of the annual Gen Blue conference hosted by the Coldwell Banker® brand. The agents, who hailed from as far away as Turkey and as close as Bal Harbour, represent the brand’s top 8% of agents worldwide, and were welcomed to South Beach with the full VIP treatment.
According to Craig Hogan, vice president of luxury for Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, the program was revamped to “better highlight the Coldwell Banker influence in global luxury real estate and prepare our Previews® property specialists to serve today’s evolving affluent clientele through a standardized education model.”
Craig Hogan offers an overview of the global luxury marketing tools available to Previews property specialists.
”The program truly distinguishes exceptional real estate professionals who represent exceptional properties,” he added.
Sean Blankenship, chief marketing officer of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, also noted that the upgraded program pays homage to Coldwell Banker’s leadership in the luxury real estate space for over 80 years. Coldwell Banker sold over 25,000 homes priced at $1 million last year.
“That’s not by luck,” he said. “Rather, it’s by continually improving our program to ensure it serves the next generation of luxury customers all over the world. Each enhancement we make ensures that agents are prepared to succeed in the luxury real estate market and can effectively collaborate with their peers in our global network.”
On Monday, the multi-day, immersive conference kicked off with a champagne toast and overview of the robust Previews platform, followed by an invitation to “travel around the world” via a 360-degree video mapping show, and cocktail networking reception on the patio, serenaded by Latin guitar music.
On Tuesday, it was time to learn how to better serve today’s affluent clientele from the best of the best — mentors and top agents Jade Mills from Beverly Hills, Jennifer Ames from Chicago and Wendy Walker from Phoenix. Many of the agents felt privileged to listen to these seasoned agents’ experiences and gain firsthand knowledge about all of the luxury real estate marketing resources at their fingertips.
Jennifer Ames, a 20-year veteran with more than $1.5 billion in career sales, discusses luxury marketing strategies.
“I was blown away by the organization and content presented to us,” said Jon Crocilla of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Chicago. “Not only was it extremely well-planned and executed by Jade, Jenny and Wendy, along with our VP of Luxury, Craig Hogan, the course has given me all of the tools and information I need to be successful in today’s luxury real estate market. I found the interaction via the group activities was very helpful in identifying all of the tools at our disposal to make sure we are successful. It was also clear how gifted our fellow associates are. There is no substitute for dedication and passion, which was what was delivered to us agents and comes from the top of our company, down.”
During the course, Hogan offered a sneak peek of the redesigned Previews website, which will be launching later this year. He also covered Coldwell Banker’s comprehensive portfolio of high-end marketing tools and resources, including Homes & Estates magazine, which recently increased its global distribution and will be available on newsstands and at Barnes & Noble locations around the world. The social media team expanded on Coldwell Banker’s print presence with a thorough overview of the brand’s wide-reaching digital footprint, which encompasses a blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Jeff Greenway, director of the Previews Luxury International Division for Coldwell Banker Schmidt Family Companies in Michigan, Ohio and Florida — one of the brand’s first in the country — says he was “mesmerized” and “blown away by the depth and the quality of the presentations.”
“I’ve been involved in luxury real estate since 1986 and I thought I knew it all,” said the industry veteran who helps manage and train about 1,260 real estate agents across three states. “I walked out of the course with 25 pages of notes. From the new global listing distribution and superior new website to the depth of the Coldwell Banker social media presence, all of these resources are invaluable to clients who want to sell a luxury property in today’s world. I’m totally revamping our Previews program.”
Following the events, Previews property specialists toured several gorgeous estates currently for sale in Miami Beach marketed by superstars Jill Eber and Jill Hertzberg of The Jills® and attended an elite event at the legendary Villa Vizcaya, which Christophe Choo of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Beverly Hills called “the most magical evening” he’s ever experienced at Gen Blue (now in its sixth year). Other agents hit the beach in between meeting sessions to catch a little Florida sun. Yet no matter what they did or where they were, they remained focused on the Previews standard of global excellence.
Villa Vizcaya
“It’s an unbelievable opportunity to network and reconnect with my international friends,” said Choo, who has 26 years of luxury real estate experience under his belt. “Quite often in the luxury world, clients own multiple homes all over the world — so it’s important to understand different markets. If I have a client who wants to buy or sell in Miami, for example, then I already have some knowledge of that marketplace and I can refer them to agents I know and trust — like The Jills. We can build relationships with other Coldwell Banker agents and top producers around the globe like never before.”
Previews property specialists admire a server in a champagne gown at Villa Vizcaya.
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