"Since its inception this competition has generated a large amount of competitive spirit and hard work because of its outstanding prize - a trip to Orlando, Florida in America to attend the NAR Conference and Expo. It is an opportunity to not only find out the latest industry information and trends but to build a network of contacts, with other delegates from South Africa and around the world," said Tony Clarke, managing director of the Rawson Property Group.
The performance-based competition which comprised of seven categories was open to all Rawson franchisees and sales or rental agents and saw countless top performers in residential sales, rentals and commercial sales battling it out for the top spots. A total of 21 trips were awarded and the remaining tickets were bestowed by means of lucky draws.
The NAR Conference and Expo is an annual event that takes place every November and sees real estate professionals from all corners of the globe come together. Over four days, more than 100 education sessions are presented by internationally recognised speakers and trainers, while industry expects discuss timely topics and critical issues of value to the estate agency industry.
"In addition to this there are 400 industry vendors who present the latest innovative tools for real estate professionals, countless special events and networking lounges that provide unlimited networking and referral-building opportunities."
Schalk van der Merwe, franchisee for Rawson Properties Somerset West, who was one of the members of the Rawson delegation that attended the NAR conference in San Francisco last year, said what impressed him most was how sophisticated and advanced the American estate agents had become in the use of information technology, especially for marketing and liaising with clients.
"A whole range of excellent marketing packages were available to them and almost without exception they were using them effectively," said Van der Merwe. "I was particularly impressed by the quality of the photographs on their websites and their ability to use social media in their marketing efforts."
"The learning possibilities and skill-building opportunities are endless at the NAR Conference and Expo and I can't wait for this year's delegation to experience all of what this fantastic event has to offer," concluded Clarke.
