Why you need to attend the REALiTY conference

New real estate brands and game changing technologies. Companies and business models that have been successful elsewhere, now looking to expand into the Canadian market. New Canadian companies that you may not have heard much about yet… but you will.

And all of it backed by big investment dollars.

Will we recognize the face of Canadian real estate in a year or two? That’s the big question we’ll answer at the REALiTY Conference hosted by the Ontario Real Estate Association on February 25 – 27 in Niagara Falls, Ont.

You should be there.

Several companies that have already made huge waves south of the border are planning to shake things up in Canada in 2020 and beyond, including Redfin, eXp, Opendoor, Zillow and Compass. Real estate giant HomeServices of America – a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate – will be expanding north. Canadian company Peerage Capital Group, which recently purchased Sotheby’s International, is looking to grow its brands while made-in-Canada technologies like Properly are planning to beat American disruptors at their own game. And Purplebricks may have retreated in other markets, but in Canada, they’ve decided to double down.

You’ll find all these companies on the REALiTY stage, as they join leaders of established and successful Canadian companies including Re/Max Integra, Coldwell Banker and Royal LePage, who will share their considerable experience and insight.

Over the next 10 years, 700,000 millennials – the most tech-savvy generation yet – are predicted to enter the real estate market as they pursue the Canadian dream of home ownership. From websites to smart phone apps to virtual brokerages, there’s no shortage of buying and selling options for Ontario’s families to choose from.

Technology has been an extraordinary benefit to consumers. And it can help Realtors in so many ways: it allows quicker response times and keeps them accessible to clients, even when on-the-go. It offers new ways to showcase homes, search listings and analyze and communicate data.

But others will invest in technology to replace, NOT empower, the Realtor.

My bet is on the Realtor friendly technologies. There is no doubt in my mind that the role of a Realtor remains essential. Technology can’t replace the human touch, lived experiences and local knowledge a Realtor brings to the table. But new technologies are poised to change the way we buy and sell homes, and they may very well change the shape and scope of real estate businesses.

REALiTY serves as a meeting place for new technologies skills, competitors, Realtors and fans of real estate. Conference guests will judge for themselves whether a new technology or new brand is a grave threat, a best friend or a total bust.

Some of the REALiTY 2020 program includes:

An iBuyer Panel, featuring Properly, Opendoor and Zillow, where you’ll hear how and where the iBuyer model will evolve in Canada
Our “Next Wave” panel, where Redfin, Compass and eXp Realty will talk about their plans for Canada
Purplebricks: Myths & Realities with Purplebricks Canada national director Randall Weese
HomeServices of America (Berkshire Hathaway) CEO Gino Blefari will preview plans for the second largest real estate company in the USA to become a player north of the border
A fireside chat with Miles Nadal, founder and executive chairman of Peerage Capital Group, which has over $7B in assets across Real Estate Services, Real Estate Groups and Financial Services
Raising the Bar – Professionalism in the Industry with Chris Alexander, EVP Re/Max Integra

There will be 70 speakers across two days.

An interactive trade show floor.

A sneak preview into the future of Canadian real estate.

My advice: show up or get left behind.

Note: REM is the official media sponsor of the REALiTY Conference.