Session Descriptions

 

CE Credits
CE is determined by the number of sessions attended. You must attend a minimum of 3 hours of CE approved sessions, or no CE will be earned. There are eight 1.5-hour CE-eligible sessions. An attendee could earn as few as 3 CE credits or as many as 12 CE credits. However, the schedule is preliminary, so the total number of possible CE credits could increase or decrease.

Monday, August 29

8:30 am – 4:30 pm
CRS Class: Transforming Difficult Situations into Profitable Deals
Instructor: Monica Neubauer; 8 hours CE
Additional fee required
Click here to register

This one-day course will explore strategies and best practices for transforming challenging situations into win-win outcomes. You will learn how to leverage tools, systems, and scripts to effectively manage your professional relationships with difficult buyers, sellers, appraisers, agents, and others. Attendees will leave the class with the skills to assess different personality types and effectively use appropriate communication strategies for each type. In this hands-on, highly engaging course, attendees collaborate on real-world case studies such as low offers, unresponsive agents, combative clients, ego-centric sellers, and your garden variety “problem child” to develop their own styles and techniques for transforming those difficult situations into profitable deals. Click here to read more information about this course. 

11:00 am – 3:45 pm
Catalyst 2023
Catalyst is a leadership training program that is free to attend, but you must register for the Annual Conference & Expo before you can sign up for it. Click here to learn more about Catalyst 2023.

Tuesday, August 30

10:15 AM – 11:45 AM
The Economy in 2022: Growing but Slowing
Instructor: Elliot Eisenberg
Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. (aka, “The Bowtie Economist”) promises to entertain and educate as he discusses the short-term and longer-term growth trajectory of the US economy. To that end, Dr. Eisenberg will discuss the most recent statistics on key topics such as the GDP, COVID stats, consumer sentiment, household spending, supply-chain shortages, the health of the labor market, inflation, future Federal Reserve policy, and, of course, housing. In particular, Elliot will focus on housing starts, new housing sales, mortgage applications, pending and existing sales, mortgage rates, the durability of the current housing recovery, and much more! Eisenberg will close by looking at conditions across the nation and will focus on some key trends. Be ready to take plenty of notes.

1:15 PM – 2:45 PM
Turbulent Markets, Calm Minds: The Quest for Funded Contentment
Instructor: Brian Portnoy
There are enormous obstacles to achieving true wealth. Some are timely, relating to our world of information overload and noisy markets. Others are timeless, tied to the human brain’s limited ability to make great financial decisions. In this talk, we will set a path that transcends these challenges, illuminating several ways money can fit into a meaningful life.

3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Negotiate with Confidence and Creativity
Instructor: Monica Neubauer
Negotiation happens throughout a real estate transaction, from the first contact to the closing. Successful negotiation takes perspective, attention to detail, and a sensitivity to situational nuances. If you want great results, you need to know how to objectively set the stage for open communication. Attend this session to discover how to better understand motivations, identify the client’s key points, and employ wide-open thinking with creativity for outstanding results.

 

Wednesday, AUGUST 31

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Discover Your Technology Psychology
Instructor: Beth Ziesenis
When you discover a new tech tool, do you sign right up? sit back and wait? shake your head? More than 130,000 new apps hit mobile platforms every month, and thousands of new startups target us with ads… all promising to be the best tech you’ve ever used. And the subconscious way you approach new tech can greatly impact the way you can leverage today’s biggest advancements. Join Beth Z, Your Nerdy Best Friend, to discover your Technology Psychology. You’ll take a self assessment to find out your Technology Psychology Persona to help you understand the benefits and limitations of your approach to new technology. You’ll also see the new tech world from other perspectives so you can understand why it’s so tough to get everyone on the same digital page when it comes to tech solutions.

Join Beth Z’s brand-new program to…
• Identify how you subconsciously approach new technology
• Gain insight into other views of technology to find common ground to be more productive
• Discover techniques that make new technology work better for you, no matter your Technology Psychology
• Leave with new tech tool ideas that you can use right away!

10:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Equal Dignity at Work – The Impact of Systemic Racism on Leadership Pathways
Instructors: Jenna Ortiz and Tim’m West
This session brought to you by the National Center for Civil & Human Rights will provide a brief insight into our country’s history of systemic racism. Explore how systemic racism cemented biases within our society that have prevented leadership development opportunities for Black, Indigenous, and low-income communities. This facilitated interactive discussion will include Q&A.

10:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Workshop: Lights, Smartphone, Action!
Instructor: Beth Ziesenis
The most popular posts on social media are pictures and videos, and with a few easy (and free!) tech tools, you can transform your messages into share-worthy graphics that will put your organization out in front. This action-packed session will give you dozens of sites and apps that will help you elevate the quality of your social media posts and other material.

takeaways
• Make professional-level multimedia pieces in less than two minutes
• Add depth and interest to your boring social media posts
• Transform ordinary photos into works of art
• Create infographics for little or no cost!

 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Data Security in a Virtual Environment
Instructor: Trista Curzydlo
“Agile, flexible, adaptable” – 2020 proved to be a year in which these words were used to describe real estate professionals. As the nation reacted to a worldwide pandemic, real estate agents responded to state and local orders that changed how real estate transactions are handled – including the use of technologies and tools that enable agents to work remotely and limit contact with others. Unfortunately, not all these tools and technologies protect the data entrusted to real estate professionals. This session reviews best practices for data security and assesses the safety features of some of today’s most popular apps and platforms. After attending this session you’ll be able to:

  • Describe at least three techniques to reduce risk involving the use of a personal computer or laptop
  • Explain how phishing, spear phishing and social engineering schemes obtain sensitive information and how you can avoid these schemes
  • Describe systems to reduce risks associated with using video and electronic communications.
  • List at least three ways to work more securely on-line.
  • Explain the importance of proper disposal of electronic devices to protect the personally identifiable information.

Workshop: REALTOR® Resources and Benefits Program
Join in on a conversation with experts within our industry to learn about your available resources and benefits programs. We will cover GAR Affinity Partners & Discounts, GAR Health Care Program, Legal Helpline, C2EX, Designations & Certifications, NAR’s Financial Wellness Program. The program will end with Q & A. Attend this session for a chance to win one of six gift cards provided by the Georgia Real Estate Benefits Center. Gift cards range from $50 – $150!

 

Thursday, September 1

8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Deep Dive into GAR Forms
Instructor: Seth Weissman, GAR General Counsel
In this session, Seth Weissman will present a closer look into GAR Contract Forms. Attend this session to hear about the latest changes to the forms, and to hear some of the most frequently asked questions that Seth receives regarding the Forms.

10:15 AM – 11:45 AM
Strictly Business Body Language
Instructor Jan Hargrave
Take advantage of the secrets of nonverbal communication for that extra edge of confidence to overcome buyer resistance, increase sales, and boost profits. This seminar gives you the answers and the rules of nonverbal selling power. Learn to discover the “hidden messages” used during business meetings and negotiations.

  • Master the art of making a positive first impression.
  • Learn to accurately read the nonverbal signals of counterparts to increase success in negotiations.
  • Detect the ‘micro-expressions’ of deception.
  • Differentiate the 8 basic categories of engagement in nonverbal communication.
  • Understand quick ways to sharpen rapport and build inclusion.