By Ana María Ramos
El Inmobiliario
Photos: Fidel Pérez
SANTO DOMINGO- The opportunities that the Dominican Republic has as a destination, the latest technological trends in the world, effective communication, sales techniques and a varied menu of high-end content, were the axes that marked yesterday the "4th International Congress of Real Estate Leadership", carried out by the Association of Real Estate Agents and Companies (AEI).
The murmur of a massive attendance of representatives from real estate agencies and independent agents invaded the foyer of the Hotel Catalonia's halls yesterday, where delegations from the various demarcations of the country began to arrive from the early hours of the morning, especially from the tourist centers, where real estate tourism is experiencing its moment of apogee.
At 9:15 AM, the voice of Nikauly De la Mota, master of ceremonies, announced the start of a training day that promised a day filled with useful content and growth for the 700 participants who attended the event.
The projection on screen of a short video detailing the content and thanking the sponsors of the brands Supercasas, Reservas, KW, Emely Tours, Banco Popular, Noval Properties, Echenique Group, Arenal Inmobiliaria, Mr Home, BC Real Estate, Asociación Popular de Ahorros y Préstamos, Leev, Elite House, City Max and Plusval Dominicana, continued the scheduled agenda.
At 9:22 AM, Alberto Bogaert, president of the AEI, took the stage to deliver the official opening remarks. “The real estate sector has changed, it has evolved; our companies and agents are increasingly prepared and up-to-date, offering top-notch results and services. Part of our commitment at the Association is to provide ongoing, high-level training. Welcome, everyone,” he stated to a room packed with real estate agents.
A momentary power outage, nothing unusual in this Caribbean land, attempted to halt the dynamics of the master of ceremonies, with the intention of preparing the audience for a day where learning shone.
A second blackout occurred at 9:35 AM when the first speaker of the morning was being introduced: Francisco Montalvo, a social communicator, expert in non-verbal language, and graduate of Harvard.
He arrived backpack in hand to begin narrating the adventures he went through on a flight to Boston, a city where he also suffered poisoning that brought him to the brink of death.
At 9:49 AM, she began her presentation by explaining the term "real estate self-sufficiency" and inviting those present to gather positive skills, enhance them, and showcase them to clients. "Many real estate agents create a persona, projecting who you are and what you have, but choose your battles.".
Artificial intelligence and other technologies at the service of the real estate world, arrived at 10:46 AM thanks to Pepe Gutiérrez, a Spanish veteran, who took the audience on a tour of the new world of technology.
He immersed the room in a virtual tour, projecting the fascinating scenario of the new digital age. “Think big, act small, but fast. The real estate agent will be replaced by one who uses artificial intelligence; otherwise, in two years, he'll be a dinosaur,” the property management specialist declared.
It concluded at 12:33 PM. After enjoying the food and refreshments, the president of the AEI returned to the stage at 1:55 PM to present the scheduled awards. He reviewed the past and present of the organization's training program and how it has changed under his current leadership, attributing to its evolution the awarding of 3,500 certifications in just over two years.
He called the Association's team of collaborators and the core group of teachers responsible for that figure to the stage to recognize their contributions. Marbel Lugo, Roberto Carlos Jorge, Juan Estévez, Claudia Castillo, Robinson Cuello, Edgar Arguello, Indhira Desangles, Rafael González, Paola Simó, Teresa Pérez, Alenny Garabito, Iván Guerrero, Ilonka Castillos, among others, received recognition.
Belkis Cuello received an award for her efforts in getting the Dominican Republic chosen as the guest nation at the Gran Salón Inmobiliario, which will take place this August in Bogotá, Colombia.
A group of former presidents of the AEI were also recognized, including Claudia Castillo of Plusval and Mélido Marte of RE/MAX Metrolitana.
At its 4th International Congress, the AEI recognized several agents. (External source).
Ilonka Castillo, speaking on behalf of the award recipients, expressed her gratitude for the trust the organization places in them as educators of future real estate agents. “You change our lives because there is nothing more rewarding than seeing young people eager to learn. We are inspired to continue our education so we can pass on that knowledge. We dedicate these awards to you, who strive to be better representatives of the real estate community every day.”.
Jorge Carbonell brought from Mexico the new reality seen from a real estate perspective, where he presented the diverse opportunities the Dominican market offers real estate agents. He shared statistics on the global situation to make one thing clear: the Dominican Republic has all the potential to attract significant foreign investment to the real estate sector.
Emotions ran high with the arrival of Margarita Pasos at 3:50 PM. The life coach and motivational speaker infused the audience with her positive energy and motivational phrases. “Focus only on what you can control: thoughts, actions, your emotional, mental, and physical well-being.”.
At 5:15 PM, he left the audience deep in reflection, invoking great thinkers. “I don’t let anyone walk through my mind with dirty shoes,” he quoted Mahatma Gandhi, concluding with a powerful statement: “You can live your dreams or you can live your fears, but not both.”.
A tropical revue with a Latin mix lit up the stage, sealing the fourth edition, in anticipation of the 5th AEI International Congress 2024.
