Creating effective business and succession plans requires a careful analysis of the market, valuation of your business, the ability to select appropriate selling strategies, and building a long-term referral stream. This course is designed around these key concepts using a process-oriented sequence, guiding you through each stage of plan development. You'll leave this course with the ability to:

• Describe the key factors of the current real estate market.
• Articulate self-needs for a comfortable retirement.
• Evaluate the gap between your current position and future financial needs.
• Describe methods for maximizing value in your database.
• Evaluate methods for leveraging your database to achieve financial needs.
• Create a succession plan for replacing your position as rainmaker.
• Create a plan for building a business team.
• Develop a business plan that accounts for each phase of your business process.

This course is approved for 6 credits of 2021-22 CE in lieu of courses 5 and 6.

This is it! We’re giving you the tools you need to comfortably step up and step out into your leadership role with confidence, clarity and conviction. Learn the value of a powerful presentation, how to perfect your stage presence and create noteworthy moments — all while incorporating your personal style. Gain tips in this Women's Council of REALTORS^® class to structure your presentations, turn anxiety into energy, encourage and motivate others to act, and close the deal.

This course provides licensees mandatory instruction on fair housing. Explore your disclosure obligations to avoid liability related to disclosure. Consider minimum competent practice requirements and to be better than just competent. This course satisfies NAR’s code of ethics requirements. Note: CE students will take an online exam at the end of this session. Students must bring an internet-enabled device, such as a laptop or phone, to the course.

Enjoy a round of 18 holes with fellow REALTORS^® at the gorgeous Wild Rock Golf Club at the Wilderness, a stunningly unique championship golf course that blends three different landscapes into a challenging and breathtaking round of golf. Ranked as one of “America’s Best New Courses” by Golf Digest Magazine and created by Hurdzan & Fry, Wild Rock offers a golfing experience unlike any other, blending three diverse terrains into one incredibly memorable golfing experience. From its woodland area to the Dells’ famous sandstone ridges combined with the rocky mounds of a former quarry, this course is so unlike any other! Golfers will enjoy the challenges that Wild Rock has to offer, including undulating greens and changes in elevation. Golfers of all skill levels are sure to love this course. All players are required to wear appropriate golf attire.

• 9:00 a.m.: Registration
• 10:00 a.m.: Shotgun start (lunch delivered to course)
• 3:30 p.m.: Door prizes, scramble awards, sponsored reception

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT.

All aboard! Spend your afternoon on a REALTOR^®-exclusive private tour of local wineries, including the Fawn Creek Winery and Broken Bottle Winery as well as lunch at Trappers Turn Golf Club. Advance registration is required. Wine trolley registration fee includes lunch, nonalcoholic beverages as well as the wine tastings. Alcohol available for purchase. Gratuity for winery sommeliers or trolley driver not included. Wine trolley pick-up and dropoff take place at the Kalahari.

Experience the excitement of a Wisconsin Dells Duck Tour! Splash into the Wisconsin River and Lake Delton, climb over sand bars, and traverse over four miles of exclusive wilderness trails. Don’t miss this afternoon of scenic views of the Dells — and even save on your tour with the WRA group rate. Advance registration is required. Register by September 19. Limited spots available! Tour pick-up and dropoff take place at the Kalahari.

All council members are welcome to attend as the state governing board conducts its business.

Course 6: Wisconsin Real Estate Transactions provides instruction on options and rights of first refusal and how these are used in a transaction. Review buyer agency and how it can be used to serve a buyer-client’s needs in a transaction. Consider various environmental matters and how they might affect your transaction. Note: CE students will take an online exam at the end of this session. Students must bring an internet-enabled device, such as a laptop or phone, to the course.

Celebrate the installation of the WRA’s 2023 leadership team: Joe Horning as the WRA chairman, Mary Jo Bowe as the WRA chairman-elect and Chris DeVincentis as the WRA treasurer. Enjoy an elegant evening of festivities, complete with dinner, wine and entertainment. This is a ticketed event.

Light up the night at the WRA’s biggest and boldest party of the year: the convention icebreaker! This ever-popular, theatrically charged costume party includes neon lights, a loaded dance floor, and live music with Wisconsin’s leading party band Road Trip plus a special guest DJ. Don’t miss the games, prizes, photo ops, and plenty of food and drinks. Glow sticks and party people required! Costume contest begins at 10:00 p.m. with prizes for best men’s, women’s and group costumes.

Looking for the latest real estate business solutions? They're all here. In the exhibit hall, you'll get to meet with vendors offering title insurance, home warranties, real estate signage and more, and don't forget your business cards! With prize opportunities and even snacks and cocktails, the exhibit hall is a networking and learning experience you won't want to miss.

How does a benched college basketball player become the first undrafted rookie to play a season-opening game in the NBA? The surprising answer will help you tame the excuses that prevent you from achieving greatness.

This powerful, honest and eye-opening motivational keynote dives headfirst into the mindset that makes or breaks organizations and helps equip teams with the mental tools they need to win against their greatest competition: themselves.

With a little bit of reflection and self-analysis, and a whole lot of hard truths, you might not recognize your team after this hard-hitting message!

You’ll leave with the ability to:

• Re-focus and recommit to your goals this year
• Identify and de-power “can’t do” thinking
• Overcome common time-wasting practices
• Make accountability an everyday practice
• Keep fear in its place
  

Keep the energy from opening session going with an hour of networking and a chance to think outside the box with other professionals. These interactive sessions are perfect spaces to share ideas and meet your peers from around the state. Not only will you leave with new business tactics, but you’ll make valuable contacts!

This is a private meeting.

We've packed so much excitement into the convention — why miss it venturing out for food? Register for the networking lunch by September 9 to enjoy a buffet lunch in the convention center so you can spend time with your colleagues and friends and find new names for your network. 

Advance registration is required to attend. Registration deadline: September 9. 

Join your distinguished peers as they receive honors and awards for their achievements in the Wisconsin real estate industry. Plus, you'll be able to network with REALTORS^® from across the state while enjoying a delicious, private lunch.

Advance registration is required to attend. Registration deadline: September 9.

This is a private meeting

Make sure you are up to date with the latest market dynamics. In this session, you’ll learn how to relay your expertise to help buyers and sellers successfully navigate the complexities of a real estate transaction. Discover easy-to-implement systems that will ensure you are providing your clients with the highest level of skill and service. From financing rules and regulations to low inventory and competitive market dynamics, you'll learn how to empower yourself and your consumers by using dialogue, clear direction and an ability to know and show how you are the real estate professional in this ever-changing market.

Being a buyer in a seller's market is difficult, but being a buyer's agent can be even more frustrating. With a seller’s market, there aren't enough properties — and when you do find one, it's gone in a flash. While you're doing all you can to find the right home for your buyers, nothing seems to be in their favor, and it feels like time is running out before your buyers give up on you. But there's still hope! In this session, you’ll discover where to find scores of potential listings, and you’ll explore strategies for dramatically increasing the chances for your buyers’ success.

Key takeaways from this session include:

• Leverage a secret pool of listing inventory.
• Discover ways to stand out in a multiple-offer situation.
• Utilize the invisible power of psychological triggers.
• Gain five strategies for getting your buyers' offers accepted with no competition!
• Learn a systemic approach to working with buyers in any market — hot or cold.

Did you know there are three different agent business models? Knowing which model is right for you gives you the ability to practice and rehearse strategies necessary to succeed. On the other hand, not knowing which model is your best fit can cause you to do a little bit of everything and keep you from earning the income you want. Join Dan Elzer, the president of The Training Academy, in this session to learn the differences of each model as well as the critical skills you need to have a long, successful career.

Video is here and now, and it's building rapport with your local market. In this session, you'll get important insights to catch and surpass your local competition with video. You'll understand how to get it done and get past the common issues. Plus, you'll leave with YouTube tips, video-embedding strategies, SEO tactics and engaging subject matter. Get ready to establish yourself as an expert in real estate with video!

This session will begin with an overview of riparian rights and then review several current issues including boathouses, riparian zone and pier issues, riparian easements, nonconforming uses under shoreland and floodplain zoning, and issues associated with lake levels and flowages. Bring your questions and examples to this session!

How do you prepare agents for shifts in the market? Join us for this special session as veteran brokers share their experience in guiding agents through a changing market. Plus, we will consider the market trends that could affect agents in the future.

Panelists:

• Shawna Alt, First Weber Inc.
• Jim Mulleady, Coldwell Banker Mulleady
• Dan Spransy, Realty Executives Cooper Spransy

To last, you have to list! Are you willing to work smarter to make opportunities in a low-inventory market? To succeed, you’re going to need tried-and-true methods but also new and unique approaches that capture sellers. This session will show you how to identify listing opportunities, deliver a winning listing presentation, and then use easy systems to maximize sellers’ market dollar!

Feel like you’re drowning in a sea of social media demands? You need a systematic approach that can generate leads and simultaneously build stronger relationships within your community. In this highly engaging presentation, you’ll discover essential elements, systems and tools you can use to create the remarkable social media content that generates more leads and creates more engagement. The best part? It can all be done automatically, and most of it is free!

Become a better mobile agent with the coolest tips on how to stay connected outside the office. Plus, you'll learn how to put your technology to work with the latest and greatest apps in real estate! In this session, you'll explore the following:

• Full access to everything, even when you’re away from your desk.
• Bulging pockets? A look at the latest and greatest available.
• Cool apps for your business on the go.
• Using mobile technology to help the consumer.
• The hottest smart phone apps in real estate.

Join us to discuss how to use social media and technology to build your personal brand, market your properties, keep in contact with your sphere of influence, save time and be more productive. The panelists will share which social media platforms and apps they use and how they use them most effectively, and you’ll also learn about social/tech strategies the panelists don’t recommend you pursue based on their experience. You’ll walk away with new ideas and tactics for social media that give you the highest return on investment of both money and time.

Panelists:

• Jen Gizelbach, Realty Executives Integrity
• Amanda Schroder, Keller Williams Realty
• Tom Weber, First Weber Inc.

Learn how cryptocurrency, non-fungible tokens (NFT) and blockchain are changing the landscape of real estate.

Since its inception in 2008, blockchain has influenced many industries, including real estate, and blockchain could become the future of real estate transactions. This innovative session explores the following topics:

• The inception and fundamentals of distributed ledger technology.
• Various types of cryptocurrencies.
• The security of cryptocurrencies.
• Tokenization of assets and NFTs.
• How blockchain technology can address various issues in real estate transactions.

You know about blind spots on your car when driving — the places where you can’t see what’s going on around you. And the larger these blind spots, the more dangerous you can be on the road.

Leaders have blind spots too. And the difference between a great leader and an average leader is the ability to be aware of this Achilles’ heel and being open to modifying behavior.

For leaders, our blind spots can be the things we do and behaviors we have that we don’t understand and don’t appreciate the impact they have on others and on ourselves. If we don’t identify these blind spots and take action to remedy them, they can have a significant impact on our team and organization. In the worst scenarios, our failure to identify our leadership blind spots can actually sabotage the success of the business. This session will help you discover and take steps to eliminate your blind spots.

In this session, you'll learn about systems that are easy to implement for buyers’ and sellers’ gains when it seems like all bets are off in a multiple offer market.

Need to get more done in less time? Who doesn’t? Technology can get you there. This session is bursting with information about:

• Customer relationship management (CRM) systems
• Email hacks and productivity add-ons
• Facebook ad writing software
• Social media calendars, schedulers, and tools
• AI-generated property description software
• And more!

You’ll even get tools to help you follow up automatically with your sphere of influence for the next five years without lifting a finger ever again.

REALTORS^® must focus both on and in business in order to see success. How can you balance all of your daily tasks? This session will help you to create an order of priority to accomplish what needs to be done daily:

• Lead generation and follow-up
• Active transactions
• Pending buyers and sellers in your pipeline
• Nurture the rest of the pipeline
• Everything else!

Join WRA attorneys Cori Lamont and Jennifer Lindsley as they field WRA Legal Hotline questions — live — made just for you. In this session, you’ll hear what other agents are experiencing and share your experiences as well. You never know what surprises might arise during a legal hotline live discussion!

The transitioning market has created uncertainty in our industry. Do you know what decisions and moves to make to remain profitable and continue to grow? Join Dan as he walks you through the thought processes and strategies on navigating the market in three areas: leadership, management and key profit indicators.

Get inspired by these five rising star REALTORS® who are leading the way in the beginning of their careers. Come ready to ask questions and take notes on what they’re doing right now in their business to stand out in the crowd and earn the trust of their clients and peers.

Whether you are a new agent seeking a community of ambitious achievers or a seasoned vet looking for new and "modern" strategies, this panel is for you!

Panelists:

• Greskelly Diaz Penaranda, Keller Williams Realty
• Eloisa Morales Del Real, eXp Realty LLC
• Gino Morales, eXp Realty LLC
• Brian Stearns, eXp Realty LLC

Join us in the exhibit hall to visit with your favorite exhibitors and enjoy food, drinks, activities and music. Meet the newly installed 2023 WRA chairman Joe Horning and mingle with workshop speakers, WRA leadership and other special guests. Winners of the silent auction hosted by the Wisconsin REALTORS® Foundation booth earlier on Day 2 will be announced at the cocktail reception.

All current and future WCR members as well as strategic partners are invited to meet the new incoming state and local governing boards. Gather with fellow Women's Council of REALTORS^® (WCR) members from around the state and toast the new leadership for 2023. Any prospective members or strategic partners interested in learning more about the WCR are encouraged to attend.

Thank you to the WRA members who contributed $99 or more to the REALTORS^® Political Action Committee or Direct Giver program this year. As a "thank you" for your generous advocacy and your commitment to advancing the industry, this reception is for you! Stop by for drinks, hors d’oeuvres and live piano entertainment. Plus, event attendees will receive a commemorative bottle of "REALTOR^® Red Wine" to take home while supplies last! This is an invitation-only event. 

A career as a managing broker can be stressful. So de-stress with us at this exclusive event just for managing brokers who are attending the convention. Stop by for drinks, hors d’oeuvres and live piano entertainment while you meet other brokers from across the state. 

Back by popular demand! Gather your team or participate solo at the WRA’s second-annual trivia contest. Join us to compete for prizes, enjoy cocktails, or just hang out and cheer on your colleagues. Returning trivia categories include real estate, Wisconsin, sports and pop culture, plus new trivia categories are on the agenda. What are they? Come participate and find out!

Looking for the latest real estate business solutions? They're all here. In the exhibit hall, you'll get to meet with vendors offering title insurance, home warranties, real estate signage and more, and don't forget your business cards! With prize opportunities and even snacks and cocktails, the exhibit hall is a networking and learning experience you won't want to miss.

Markets constantly change, with continued scrutiny on appraisers’ work. Now more than ever, strengthening your sales comparison approach is critical to preserve public trust — through understanding the market, analyzing comparable sales, reporting conclusions, and using consistent and data-based methods.

Designed for residential appraisers of all experience levels, this course is broken into units that mirror an appraiser’s work process, beginning with a review of the basics, then moving to the market and subject property, then to the comparable sales, and finally to the adjustments and narrative support summary. Industry guidance documents are referenced throughout the course, including USPAP, Valuation Advisories, Frequently Asked Questions, and the Fannie Mae Selling Guide. With each document, the key points are extracted, discussed and applied to appraisal work.

Specifically, this course will touch on the following topics:

• Multiple areas of the sales comparison approach
• Various techniques for deriving adjustments
• Distressed sales and other nontypical transactions
• Communicating market analysis conclusions to the client
• And much more

A note from the instructor: "We all know there is increased scrutiny on appraisals right now. Take this time to sharpen your sales comparison approach to ensure a consistent process and transparent reporting. This class is not a review but looks at the sales comparison in a new light."

This course is approved for 7 hours of Wisconsin appraiser CE credit.

Kim has a secret to share: There’s no such thing as work-life balance! In this fast-paced, constantly changing and high-stress world, life is anything but balanced. It’s more like a colossal collision between the thousands of things pulling at your time — the demands of work, home and everything in between — leading to overwhelm, stress and yes, even burnout. Life — both professionally and personally — is constantly changing, especially right now.

In this interactive and energetic session, Kim will share key stress busters and resilience boosters to help you create a work-life blend to refresh, refocus and refuel. You will learn the keys to “resign as general manager of the universe” and leave with practical, immediately actionable strategies to reduce stress, overwhelm and burnout as well as boost your resilience and create a life where you can show up as your best self.

This is your chance to think outside the box with other professionals. These interactive sessions are ideal spaces to share ideas and meet your peers from around the state. Not only will you leave with new business ideas, but you’ll make valuable contacts!

The Wisconsin CRS chapter will host its annual luncheon full of insight and ideas to take your business to the next level. You do not need to be a CRS to attend, and all convention attendees are welcome. This is a ticketed event.

Advance registration is required to attend. Registration deadline: September 9.

We've packed so much excitement into the convention — why miss it venturing out for food? Register for the networking lunch by September 9 to enjoy a buffet lunch in the convention center so you can spend time with your colleagues and friends and find new names for your network. 

Advance registration is required to attend. Registration deadline: September 9.

“It’s not what you say but how you say it.” Did you grow up hearing that phrase? As children, we're often taught to use the golden rule meaning “treat others the way you want to be treated.” The platinum rule is a step above, which means we choose to treat others the way they want to be treated. In this session, you'll learn how to use DISC to quickly discern how your clients, customers and other real estate professionals would prefer to communicate and be treated, and you'll watch your business grow and excel.

In this session, you'll learn the two critical cash flow metrics you need to master to work effectively with investors. You'll take a deep dive into the nuances of investment real estate and gain the knowledge you need to succeed, whether you are working with clients or investing for yourself. This is a fast-paced and high-energy breakdown that will demystify investment real estate.

“There just aren’t any listings.” How many times have you heard that lately? Join Dan Elzer, the president of The Training Academy, in this session as he busts the listing inventory myth. In this market, only a few people are killing it on the listing side, and Dan will show you how you can get your share. This session explores the “myth” and provides you with strategies and techniques needed to increase your market share.

Many agents treat this business as having a single dimension, working from transaction to transaction to survive. Instead, this session encourages a multidimensional approach to work, building a tribe of people around you who will refer you and help you build your business. Instead of asking for the referral, this session shows you how to earn the referral with practical activities you can put into action today. You'll leave with proven strategies you can use to energize yourself and take control of your business, no matter the economic conditions.

Many of us have attended a home inspection, but many have not participated in a home inspection. In this session, instructor Ric Thompson will guide you through a virtual home inspection, giving you an opportunity to see a home through the inspector’s eyes. This virtual tour will give you an idea of the decision-making process of a Wisconsin home inspection based on the Wisconsin state standards of practice and how those standards determine how to categorize an inspector’s findings to best serve the home inspection client.

You’ll also learn how an inspector determines what is considered a “defect” and what is determined to be an item that “needs repair,” “needs further evaluation,” or what may be an “item to monitor” or a “maintenance item.” This session and its virtual tour will help REALTORS^® when it comes to the inspection at the negotiating table.

Global pandemic. Millions leaving the workforce. Work from home. Population shifts out of major cities. Demographic shifts in buyers. Never before have so many factors impacted the ability to recruit and retain talent. In this interactive session, we will discuss the current state of the market and explore alternative approaches to finding and winning the talent you need for your business to continue to thrive.

REALTORS® often intend to stay in touch with their clients after closing, but very few actually do! We create a close relationship during the home sale or home purchase process, and despite our best intentions, that close relationship often ends once you’ve cashed the check. Each person typically knows four people who will buy or sell each year. In this session, learn how to create and implement an after-closing customer service plan to maximize repeat and referral business from your database.

The market is shifting rapidly, and this session will help you be ready. You’ll learn ways to set up your business accounts, prepare for life as an independent contractor, build business credit, plan effectively for retirement, and explore alternative income streams to diversify and bulletproof your business.

Inspections and their consequences are some of the most common sources of potential problems in real estate transactions. Join WRA attorneys Cori Lamont and Jennifer Lindsley as they discuss the twists and turns that can arise in a transaction due to inspections.

Put your marketing on autopilot so you can stay ahead of the competition with less work, no stress and more time in your day!

A real estate career can survive in any market. In this panel, learn what top agents do to establish a business that not only survives but thrives. Topics up for discussion include referrals, follow up, lead generation, teams, daily routines, work/life balance, marketing and much more.

Panelists:

• Tonya Thomsen, Realty Executives Integrity
• Amber Huemmer, RE/MAX Preferred
• Jill Rooney, Coldwell Banker Real Estate Group
• Zoe Van Oss, Coldwell Banker Real Estate Group

We all have knowledge of great leadership principles. The question is, how well do we execute them? In the impersonal and digital world we work in, effective leadership has become the secret formula for growth and success. This session will challenge you to assess not only your knowledge of leadership, but your actions based on the habits you have developed. You’ll explore seven key actions you can take to become a visible, decisive leader and a powerful role model for your team.

Maximize your reputation and brand by investing your time and energy in your local community. It’s great to be known as a productive real estate salesperson. Elevate your brand to the next level and become a community supporter by investing your time and energy in local events in which you have an authentic interest. Have fun while meeting lots of new prospective clients and build a great reputation.

Learn how to use data resources to understand the market dynamics of your trade and discover neighborhoods with the greatest opportunity for business development and growth. In a time of tight inventory, it is critical to focus on probability vs. possibility business models — and this session can save you thousands of dollars by refocusing your marketing efforts.

Healthy, mature trees increase the value of a property and provide many benefits to the homeowner. But if not properly maintained, tree health can decline, and removal may be necessary, which can be expensive.

Join specialists from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as they discuss what to watch for to maintain healthy trees and which environmental factors expected this year could pose tree problems in the future. Plus, meet a certified arborist and learn how an arborist can help your sellers earn top dollar and your buyers benefit from their new investment.

You don't have to be a social media influencer to position your profile to attract two to three more listings a month with Instagram.

For brokers and leaders, one of the most important leadership skills is to focus on achieving and sustaining extraordinary outcomes. For brokers to lead their teams effectively, and for agents to build their business, strategic and financial acumen, participants in this session will learn the difference between strategic “PIE mentoring” as well as the more traditional style of mentoring underrepresented talent normally receives, known as “CAKE mentoring”:

• PIE mentoring: Performance, Image, Exposure
• CAKE mentoring: Confidence, Aptitude/attitude/advice, Konnection to resources, Encouragement

You’ll find out the differences between these two mentoring styles as well as how to ask for and distinguish between the two.