Inman’s first virtual conference, Connect Now, has been in the planning stages since the early days of the pandemic back in March.
Today, at 11am ET/8am PT, the three-day event finally begins. And Connect Now will begin, as most Inman events do, with an address from Inman founder Brad Inman. Titled “The Big Idea: Realism, Reflection, and Action,” Brad’s talk calls on the real estate industry to make real change a reality.
Here are the opening words of Brad’s speech. We sincerely hope you’ll join us live today — reserve your seat now.
The Big Idea: Realism, Reflection, and Action
By Brad Inman
Five months ago, I stood before the Connect audience in New York City with an optimistic message about the economy, the housing market and the coming digital age.
How wrong could I have been? A pandemic, record unemployment, businesses closed down everywhere, maddening social isolation and now a heartbreaking and painful week for America.
The ancient Greeks might have contended that the fickle Gods blessed us in the winter and cursed us in the spring.
What’s next? Indeed, what is next? If we underestimate the virus, it will find us. If we underestimate the tattering economy, we will make the wrong calculations. Ignoring deep seated prejudices will be our undoing.
Just last year, the industry was forced to face the stains of prejudice once again when Long Island’s Newsday revealed patterns of housing discrimination. While we must be part of the solution, we can also be part of the problem.
How do we move forward?
Together, all of us must use the uncertainty about the present to imagine a new future. Getting back to business is essential. But not business as usual. We must act with a new compassion and a broad denouncement of inequities, injustice and violence…
That’s just the beginning. Hear the rest of Brad’s talk, plus conversations with Rich Barton, Robert Reffkin, Gary Keller and more, live today and through Thursday at Connect Now. Join us.