Diane Danielson, Chief Platform Officer, and Karen Hurd, National Sales Director, represented Sperry Van Ness at the annual CREW Network Convention & Marketplace October 9–12 in Dallas. Along with more than 1,000 real estate firms from across the country, attendees came together to shape the future of the industry and focused on this year’s theme–“The Power of Perspective.”
Below we’ve interviewed Karen Hurd about her experience at the conference and her top takeaways.
SVNIC: Karen, why is it important to attend The CREW Conference?
Karen: CREW Network is one of the CRE industry’s premier business networking organizations dedicated to advancing the achievements of women in commercial real estate. Personally, for me, the annual CREW Network Convention is a great opportunity to network, exchange ideas, refer deals, gain knowledge, hear from top industry professionals and collaborate with over 1000 CRE women and key decision makers from all over the country.
SVNIC: Share your best takeaway from the event for our advisor team.
Karen: My greatest takeaway from the convention is “The Power of Perspective” and how it shapes and impacts your life and your career as well as your future in commercial real estate. Always remember that perception creates reality. Take a look at my personal objectives that we post on the CREW 2013 Network Convention website.
Other great takeaways–get involved in a committee and building relationships in your local CREW Chapter. You may be surprised how easy it can be to find new business opportunities.
SVNIC: What was your favorite session?
Karen: That’s a tough one! There were so many great sessions at CREW. The Marketplace Opening Night Reception is always my favorite because of the energy and buzz that fills the room–you can see and hear about deals in the works and the strong desire to do business. The Impact Awards Dinner this year was especially outstanding as it touched home to me. I had the privilege to see fellow Boston NEWIRE members recognized for their Economic and Community Involvement for their roles in revitalizing the Dudley Square project in Roxbury, MA. It has been one of Boston Mayor Thomas Menino’s top priorities in recent years and is now well underway. Outstanding!
SVNIC: Who was your favorite presenter and why?
Karen: Barbara Corcoran for sure. She has a great story to tell. I do appreciate her candor and honesty. She is driven, shares great life lessons and her business savvy and work ethic is inspiring to me.
Diane and Karen pictured with members NEWiRE Boston, who also attended the conference
SVNIC: How did the Sperry Van Ness booth fare?
Karen: Exceptionally well. As SVN looks to grow in new markets in 2014, having a presence in the Marketplace was huge for us. With over 500 visitors to our booth alone and back-to-back appointments, the SVN Difference became known and we definitely “got the word out”. We were also searching for CREW Members to consider joining an existing SVN team or consider establishing their own franchise in a market where we do not have a presence. There were many CRE Brokers and Property Managers asking us a lot of questions! It was also great to hear about stories of collaboration with SVN Advisors in the field. One woman had recently done over a $10+ million deal with one of our advisors out of Salem, OR as a result of attending the Portland Oregon Regional Conference.
SVNIC: The theme of this year’s conference was–“The Power of Perspective?” What does this mean and how can we apply it to everyday CRE?
Karen: When you claim your power to perceive, you realize you have the ability to shape your life. Knowing how you want to be perceived is key to all your relationships and how you will communicate with others in your personal as well as professional life. When you have an intention, you can make decisions that will drive you closer to achieving that goal. What is your intention? You should always know the answer to this.
How you communicate with others and how you are perceived by others will impact business decisions. This can be a game changer for us all in all of our CRE careers. Always be mindful of what the person sitting across from is hearing from you and what their perception is. You have the power to create perception!
*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.