Every year, Inman celebrates the most innovative teams, the top producers and business experts who are expanding rapidly and winning clients and fans. This year’s finalists for the Inman Innovators Most Innovative Team category include teams from an array of brands that are making their mark in markets all over the country.
Many of them will be taking the stage at Inman Connect San Francisco, July 17 through 20 at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square, and celebrating their achievements at the Inman Innovator Bash, July 19 at Verso. Here are some highlights from the 2018 class of nominees for the Most Innovative Real Estate Team:
Amy Youngren, North Group: Amy Youngren’s marketing and video strategies have helped her team capture market share in multiple cities in Canada. She’s built her team into a top Keller Williams entity and one of the fastest-growing in the country through her ability to sense where real estate marketing is headed next and land there before everyone else does.
Chris Suarez, Xperience Real Estate: Chris Suarez built his business on his deep experience in real estate law and real estate sales, and he’s crafted his team strategy around one-on-one agent training that helps elevate agents’ strengths and minimize weaknesses. His team is now selling real estate in more than 30 cities, and the solid process and strategy that Suarez has established make his team one of the strongest in every market where they move.
James Harris and David Parnes, The Agency: What if there was a private source for pocket listings that was only accessible to real estate agents? The Agency’s James Harris and David Parnes built that reality with their agent-only website, thePLS.com. They’re giving more options to clients who want the privacy of a home sale without a listing while providing a new resource that real estate agents in their area can leverage.
Jason Miller
, Miller Team Realtors, Re/Max: Homesale Services in Michigan: Jason Miller founded Miller Team Realtors to service all of metro Detroit by providing comprehensive listing support, marketing, transaction management and more, but it’s the agent training that really sets the team apart: Miller Team Realtors uses systems and dialogue to train agents, encouraging them to strike out on their own when the time is right. By structuring his team as an incubator of sorts, he’s able to maintain service quality and offer comprehensive agent education in one blow.
Phil Sexton and Jeff Sibbach, The Sibbach Team, Realty One Group: The Sibbach Team is one of the top-ranked and most-lauded teams in Arizona due to its focus on operational excellence and use of technology to sell more houses, faster and with greater efficiency than other teams in the area. By using the systems and economies of scale that teams are known for, they’re able to provide high levels of customer service and get everything done — fast.
Kris Lindahl, Team Lindahl, Re/Max Results: Team Lindahl takes a community-focused approach to the real estate journey in the greater Minnesota area, guiding buyers and sellers through the top tips and best marketing tactics for finding a home or selling a home in that specific region. By using his local knowledge to educate and inform clients, Team Lindahl is setting itself apart.
Kunal Patel, Kunal Patel Group, Coldwell Banker: Kunal Patel has built a real estate team that sees itself as a technology company that sells real estate instead of a real estate team that leverages technology. This approach arms agents with the newest and best in tech tools, which they in turn use to make the client experience smoother and better. That’s why the Kunal Patel Group is consistently on the cutting edge of tech adoption in its market.
Matt Fetick
, Matt Fetick Group: Matt Fetick’s team blends Keller Williams’ technology with a focus on clients. The team specializes in the Brandywine Valley of Pennsylvania, creating guides and resources for consumers interested in specific areas and for buyers, sellers and more specific consumer segments. The attention given to what each consumer segment wants pays off, as the Matt Fetick Group is consistently able to provide its clients with exactly what they want and need to know.
Scott Curcio, Baird & Warner: Scott Curcio established himself as one of the top real estate agents in Chicago before scaling his business to a team. His success comes from his expertise in pricing and strategic marketing, his willingness to tweak and reinvent his team model and the thriving referral business he’s built. By taking what he’s learned as an individual agent and creating systems to protect his knowledge, he’s been able to build a thriving team in a very competitive market.
