Let’s do it all again.
I’ve received more congratulatory messages for last Friday’s EA Masters and Best Estate Agent Guide Awards than for any event we’ve put on in the last 20 years.
It’s been humbling and gratifying in equal measure and whilst I will be self-indulgent and take credit for having the idea to create the first and foremost event in estate agency, thereafter it’s the Property Academy team who deserve all the accolades. Danielle, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah (Kmac), Sharon and Sophie are the people who’ve worked all year to bring together two days of Information, Insight, Ideas & Inspiration, most ably assisted by Jim and his production team plus the inimitable Suzie McOwan who’s been such an amazing addition.
We’re also so lucky to have such amazing support from the best suppliers in the industry – too many to single out here but everyone of our 51 Supporters contributed, no doubt about that. And then there’s our incredible presenters, speakers and leaders & legends panels. 17 people, all of whom so generously gave their best and latest thoughts and ideas.
So what was my biggest takeaway of all? What will be the one thing of many I will do as a consequence of this remarkable event?
Reflecting this weekend, I realised that nothing is forever and to remain relevant and remarkable requires regular review and renewal.
We retired the Sunday Times Awards two years ago to design a whole new level of assessment and celebration resulting in our collaboration with Rightmove to create the Best Estate Agent Guide & Awards. And my sense is that the adjustments we made after the first year have paid off to produce a set of winners that truly identifies the very best agents in the country.
We changed from almost 20 years of LIVE events (EA LIVE, Lettings LIVE, New Homes LIVE, Marketing LIVE, etc.) to bring the EA Masters and again the vast majority of people have told me that this is at another level compared to both our previous and all other events.
But the danger is to think the work is therefore done when instead I feel it’s the end of the beginning to a whole new chapter of fulfilling our purpose to inspire people to fulfil their potential and to be the best that they can be.
I want to explore how we can make similar leaps forward but in the next 12-24 months, not years. I want to look at how we can build our audience and attract even more people to be inspired by our initiative. I want to identify how we can utilise tech more effectively and expand our international reach – it was fantastic to have our first live satellite broadcast with Hilary Corna from Austin, Texas but I feel this is just the tip of an incredible iceberg. I want to engage more with the next generation of leaders & legends and put them on a fast track to success. I want to learn and share more from other industries as well as from the best estate agents across the world.
So my biggest lesson is to remind myself to take heed from one of my favourite quotes:
“We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” TS Eliot
And to paraphrase: We shall not cease from improvement and our biggest lesson will be to arrive where we started and know we must begin again.
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