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Illinois REALTORS® shared their experiences at the annual MIPIM real estate conference during a panel discussion in Chicago on Monday, June 4, 2018. From left, Mikus Kins, David P. Ellermann, Sanina Ellison and moderator Vicky Silvano.
Illinois REALTORS® interested in building their global business got chance to learn from those who attended one of the world’s largest international real estate conferences this year.
The state association has participated in the annual MIPIM conference in Cannes, France for five years. The conference brings real estate developers from throughout the world to southern France for four days of sessions and a massive trade show.
Illinois REALTORS® President Matt Difanis (left) moderates a panel on MIPIM in Chicago. Also pictured are REALTOR® panelists Alex Ruggieri and Bill Caton.
The panels were moderated by Illinois REALTORS® President Matt Difanis and by Vicky Silvano, ABR, CRS, with Century 21 SGR. Silvano is also 2018 NAR Global Business Alliances Liaison.
The session on Monday in Chicago at the National Association of REALTORS® headquarters was hosted by Illinois REALTORS® Global Business Council which works with members to build awareness of cross-border real estate opportunities.
Panelists who had been to the event in March, 2018, said they found MIPIM to be a meaningful way to build business. They told of making connections in the U.S. and abroad that more than paid for the costs of attending.
“It’s interesting how you travel 3,000 miles to meet someone from New York, said Sanina Ellison with Chicago Homes Realty Group.
The experience can be overwhelming. MIPIM brings more than 12,000 real estate professionals together at Cannes. “It’s sort of like visiting Disney World for the first time, only without a map,” said Marsha Collins-Mroz, GRI, CIPS, with Homesmart Connect in Arlington Heights.
Participants talked about strategies for making the most of MIPIM, whether it was taking in the trade show at the six story Palais des Festival or making connections at the many real estate-related sessions.
Among tips that participants shared:
- Come to the conference with projects to pitch and discuss, said Mikus Kins, CIPS, senior vice president and managing director at Centered RCG. “Everybody there is there to make connections,” he said.
- “You need something to hand them (attendees) something besides your business card,” Ellison said. “They will leave you and talk to a 1,000 other people. There has to be something that makes you stand out.”
- MIPIM attendees have access to a database of all registered attendees. “Fill it out. Do it early,” said Bill Caton, CIPS, owner of Caton Commercial Real Estate Group in Naperville. Caton said his online MIPIM profile yielded a connection that resulted into what has developed as an ongoing series of multi-million deals.
- Remember, the return on investment can be years down the road, Kins said. “The payback may be one, two or three years,” Kins said. “Each time you go you recognize some more faces.”
- Find ways to spend as much time as you can on a trade show floor, suggested David P. Ellermann, CCIM, CIPS, with Sperry Commercial in Chicago. He pointed out just how diverse the firms and governments represented at the show were.
Many of the participants talked about the costs involved in attending MIPIM. Illinois REALTORS® provided stipends for some attendees, but the price tag can range from $3,600 to as much as $10,000.
Cannes is not a large city, so many attendees stay in Nice, which is about an hour away. But, staying in Nice carries with it the logistical and financial hurdle of paying for transportation to and from the conference site. Suggestions to help curb costs include shopping for airfare and hotels early, and some attendees used Airbnb or similar services to find affordable lodging.
For Alex Ruggieri, CCIM, CIPS, with SVN-Ramshaw Real Estate, the payoff came within two years. He made connections that have more than paid for the costs he’s incurred over the three years he has attended MIPIM.
“Going to MIPIM does work,” Ruggieri said. You aren’t going to get business connections by sitting on the couch. “You have to be there.”
