Speakers

Angel Tucker is an Expert Personality Profiler, Certified Human Behavior Consultant, Best Selling Author, Award Winning Author, Creator of the “Four Pals” children’s book series, mother of 5, and a military spouse. Angel also has over 25 years of experience as a Real Estate Professional in the State of Florida. Just a few of her achievements include: #1 Agent in an office of over 100 Agents, Top 5 in her local Association of Realtors, and Realtor of the year. Additionally, Angel completed nearly 100 transactions in a year while working only 25 hours per week. This is attributed to her vast knowledge of the different personality types and utilizing her easy to use ideas in her own business.

Barbara has been a licensed Realtor since 2003.  Together with her husband they are known as The Betts Team.  For her entire career she has had a philosophy of “Real Estate by Relationship” and working primarily by referral. Working by referral allows her to take care of the people closest to her while relying on referrals to their friends, family, and associates. Recognized as a top producer, her true joy is in helping their clients reach their real estate goals, whether buying, selling or investing.  She has a passion for her industry and gives back by teaching and coaching other Realtors and is highly involved at the local and state levels.  She is the proud mother of two amazing children, Chris and Mandy.  In her spare time you will find her on a baseball field watching her son, or at a dance event with her daughter. 

Ben Bacal is a leader in the Southern California luxury real estate industry and founder of Roofshoot.com. Selling over a billion dollars in residential real estate, he has carved his niche and driven prices in the most prominent neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Ben was the first person to sell a property for $20 million in Trousdale, subsequently causing the price in the neighborhood to double from $1500 to $3000 per square foot. Simultaneously catalyzing a similar trend in the Bird Streets, Bacal was the first to push prices above $1700 per square foot and most recently over $3000 per square foot. Ben is well respected among his peers and has become the “go-to” agent for hard to find trophy properties. When listing a client's home for sale, Ben develops a very personalized and aggressive marketing approach through the use of video. After his proven success through video marketing, Ben started Roofshoot, an easy to use app that allows real estate agents to shoot professional looking videos right from their smart phone.

B.J. Ward is the Broker, and Co-Owner of Comfort Real Estate Services, Inc. based in Ventura, CA.  In 2005 they closed nearly $10 million in real estate sales and they’ve been going strong ever since.  In 2009 B.J was selected as one of REALTOR® Magazine's "30 under 30.” In 2011 he was chosen as the Broker of the Year for the Ventura County Coastal Association of Realtors (VCCAR).  This achievement acknowledges the recipient’s volunteer efforts and commitment to the profession and organized real estate.  B.J has served as a board member at VCCAR from 2011 to 2012.  In 2013 he was elected Treasurer, in 2014 he was elected President-Elect, and in 2015 he was elected as President of VCCAR.  During those years he also served as a director for the state association, C.A.R.

Bob Wolff is the Senior Real Estate Sales Consultant at Harcourts Prime Properties: Monarch Beach, an internationally-regarded and award-winning franchise office of Harcourts U.S.A. It is Bob's relentless energy and passion as a real estate professional that drives him to treat each and every transaction with the integrity and candor he would expect of his own. With his unwavering positive attitude, unrivaled work ethic, area-expert knowledge, and unstoppable drive to exceed customer expectations in residential real estate transactions, it is no wonder why Bob Wolff is so highly-regarded and sought-after in the Orange County communities of Newport Coast, Dana Point, San Clemente and Laguna as a "Top-Seller" and industry "Super-Star". At the age of 21, Bob Wolff entered the world of Residential Real Estate. Only 4 years later, Bob was one of the youngest Vice Presidents of Moore & Company: a 22-Office, 350-Salesperson real estate firm in Fort Collins, Colorado. Over the next 5 years, he closed over $70 million in residential transactions. Bob relocated to Orange County, California in 1989. By 1991, Bob's sales volume exceeded $20 million. A year later, he was ranked "Top 10" of all Realtors in the state of California and ranked within the "Top 50" in the U.S.A. with Re/Max Real Estate. By 1993, Bob achieved #1 Sales Associate for Re/Max Laguna Niguel -- and again in 1994. Currently, Bob achieves sales volumes in excess of $100 million annually, and ranks as one of the "Top" agents in the country.

 Brian Polinksy is a Staff Attorney for the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.).  He became Staff Coordinator for the C.A.R. Professional Standards Committee at the beginning of 2015.  Polinksy counsels local associations of REALTORS®  on matters concerning professional standards, bylaws, and Multiple Listing Service issues, and he oversees state-level professional standards programs for C.A.R.  He trains REALTORS®  who volunteer to assist in the enforcement of professional standards at local associations, and he teaches classes and presents webinars to promote REALTOR® knowledge of the Code of Ethics. Polinksy earned his Bachedlor of Arts in Economics from Stanford University and a Juris Doctorate from UCLA.

As the Director at CoachSimple (RealEstate.CoachSimple.net), Bryan has helped build and implement automated Coaching, Productivity, and Sales Enablement systems used by thousands of Sales Professionals in Coaching, Mortgage, Insurance, Technology, Recruiting, and Real Estate. With over a decade of Sales Management experience, Bryan has a deep understanding of sales processes and sales mentoring techniques that provide powerful insight and best practices across multiple industries. Bryan strives to help companies leverage their existing content and processes to help motivate their agents, managers and teams to take their business to the next level. Key areas of focus for Bryan are:   Providing comprehensive onboarding and learning programs, facilitating business planning and goal setting, tracking key metrics and daily success habits, creating interactive coaching and mentoring programs , encouraging community-based discussions to increase knowledge base.

It is Bryan's passion to help organizations reach new levels of success by implementing technology, improving their Sales Enablement process, and creating an everlasting Coaching Culture.

Burke Smith, EVP of Business Alliances at ServiceMaster, Inc. is also a licensed California real estate broker and founder of YourNetCoach Consulting, an International marketing & technology coaching company focused exclusively on the real estate industry.  Having closed close to 2000 transactions and $1billion in residential real estate sales, he has been in demand as a featured speaker at conventions and seminars across the country, including C.A.R. and dozens of WCR events.  Burke speaks to thousands of real estate professionals a year about practical ways to WIN more listings and CONVERT more buyers using innovative offline and online marketing strategies that he has proven to work.  As a consultant and a trainer to some of the most successful agents in the country, his clients have closed over $25 billion in residential real estate transactions.  Mr. Smith previously served as a member of the Executive Team and Director of Strategic Development for BHHS California Realty.  Prior to joining BHHS, using a unique Internet-driven business model, he built one of the largest single office real estate companies in the country. Mr. Smith has been featured on CNN, in the New York Times, the San Diego Union Tribune, The Real Deal, and was nominated two years in a row for the Inman Innovator of the year. 

Carmen Hirciag is a senior research analyst at the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^® (C.A.R.). She is responsible for most survey research, writing articles, creating informative presentations and collaborating with the research team on press releases about the housing market. Carmen joined the association in 2003 as membership development manager.  In that role she managed various member programs, including the Young Professionals Network, commercial, new members, top producers, and cultural diversity; built strategic partnerships with other real estate and community organizations; oversaw several budgets; staffed numerous committees and forums; and planned educational events.

Fueled by a passion for social entrepreneurship, Caroline Pinal helped create Giveback Homes to empower the real estate industry to turn their everyday business into an opportunity for social good. Pinal and team deliver innovation and impact to their network of like-minded agents, brokerages, as well as real estate technology and service providers, which are the driving force behind the movement to provide safe homes for families throughout the world. Prior to Giveback Homes, Pinal worked at TOMS, the business that pioneered the one-for-one model by giving shoes to children in need. During her time at TOMS, she worked alongside Giveback Homes Founder, Blake Andrews. After a Giving Trip in Central America, Blake shared his goals to bring a sustainable giving model to the world of real estate. Pinal was inspired to apply her insights and experiences from TOMS to help realize Blake's vision of Giveback Homes. The path was paved early on for Pinal as she always felt the desire to apply her experiences in story-telling and creativity towards something bigger.

Chris Scott is a marketing veteran who has run marketing programs for people like Brian Buffini, companies such as Bank of America, and has led teams that have landed on the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing businesses. Chris is no stranger to technology and works with agents and brokers as president of The Paperless Agent while managing the marketing for GoodLife Realty in Austin, TX.

Christine is the Vice President of Marketing & Events for Nexthome, Inc., and is no stranger to real estate marketing. She was the Vice President of Marketing for Realty World Northern California, Inc. from August 2011 to May 2014. She was Vice President and Branch Manager of Pacific Union International – Christie’s Great Estates offices in San Francisco from April 2007 to August 2011. Prior to that, she began a successful brokerage career in San Francisco. She was a trendsetter in the adoption of paperless transactions and improving the experience for her buyer and seller clients. She is an active member of the San Francisco Association of REALTORS Board of Directors since 2009. She founded the association’s San Francisco Young Professionals Network in 2009, chaired it in 2010 and remains active with the network locally, statewide and across the Nation. Christine was the chair of the San Francisco Association of REALTORS MLS and was Co-Vice Chair of the California Association of REALTORS Young Professionals Network in 2011. She was the President-Elect of the San Francisco Association of REALTORS in 2012, and became the President in 2013. She is currently a Director for the San Francisco Association of REALTORS, the California Association of REALTORS, and the National Association of REALTORS.

Erin Koops, CRP, is the Executive Vice President of Member Services for Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^®, managing the client services VP’s, the industry leading broker to broker referral network, member education for all core LeadingRE programs and services and unique member-only offerings that include the white-glove cross-border referral concierge program and LeadingRE’s US Military on the Move real estate program for military families. Erin started her career as a financial analyst valuating real estate investment trusts on Wall Street and later for Marvel Entertainment and Sara Lee Corporation, where she developed a passion for hands-on corporate operations, finance and marketing.  Having grown up attending open houses with her mother, Erin’s love of residential real estate eventually brought her to LeadingRE in 2006. She earned her CRP designation from Worldwide ERC^® in 2010 and has served the on the Young Professionals Committee for the industry organization as well.

Gail Kasper is the Managing Partner of Gail Kasper Television, LLC, a YouTube Channel Developer and the ONLY company that brings Human Behavior Expertise and a Corporate Training Business Background - working with Top 100 and Multi-Billion Dollar Companies, Entrepreneurs, Entertainment Professionals, Realtors, and Sports Organizations - to over 15 years of Coast-to-Coast Production experience, working in both scripted and non-scripted programming. An Author of 2 Books and Multiple Life-Business Audio Books, available on iTunes, Gail’s proprietary business processes combined with her production expertise provides individuals / businesses with a full-service organization that creates an original Brand, helps you present a strong On-Camera Hosting presence (based on her LA Hosting Class), writes and produces Script Content focused on viewer connection, shoots and edits your Videos, and then increases Digital and Social Media Followers. GKTV has achieved extraordinary results of 800+ to 2000+ per month, combined Instagram/Twitter Followings. As the Host of The Visitors Channel, Gail is known as the Face of Philadelphia, viewed by over 40 Million people every year.

Garry Wise of GoodLife Luxury grew up in the real estate industry and now has over 2 decades of luxury sales experience. Early in his career, Garry quickly became an award winning leader in sales and development.  In his journey to eliminate the frustration with how complicated the transaction process is, Garry literally cracked the code on running his real estate business entirely paperless using a mobile device and has been featured as a business case study by Apple.  As lead trainer and speaker of The Paperless Agent, Garry now works to bridge the understanding of technology and sales in real estate.

Gillian Darr is a Senior Account Manager at Red Tettemer O'Connell + Partners, the Philly and Santa Monica based ad agency for the California Association of REALTORS®. She joined the agency in 2013, and has been working on the C.A.R. consumer ad campaign since 2014, helping launch the line "Who's Your  REALTOR®", CARmoji's and other free digital marketing tools for Members. With a focus on trend marketing, Gillian’ s also responsible for managing integrated experience plans for clients such as MorningStar Farms including the production of a branded documentary, and creating ‘ first campaigns’  such as Swarovski’ s first ever digital and in-store loyalty app. Prior to RTO+P, she lead rebranding campaigns for the University of Maryland’ s Smith School of Business and T.Rowe Price at Carton Donofrio Partners in Baltimore. Always in the know, Gillian prides herself on knowing the next fitness and fashion trends before Kim Kardashian can do a sponsored Instagram post on it.

Greg McDaniel is a partner in the McDaniel Callahan TEAM, one of the top teams in the East Bay, as well as Education Director for J Rockcliff Realtors. Greg has a passion for teaching up-and-coming agents as well as veterans looking for new ideas and a fresh approach to the business. Greg shows agents how to find their unique superpower and combine high-tech with high-touch to attract clients. Connect with Greg on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Gretchen Pearson has had a dynamic real estate career spanning more than three decades, her professional experience had included roles as agent, office manager, and senior corporate executive.   In November of 2005, Gretchen opened her first real estate office in San Ramon, California under the name Windermere Welcome Home.  The company has been acknowledged as California’s fastest-growing, full-service real estate company almost every year of their existence. In September 2010, Pearson aligned with Prudential Real Estate and quadrupled the size of the company with massive and strategic growth through acquisition and new talent hires.  In December 2014, her Prudential Real Estate Brokerage partnered with the prestigious Berkshire Hathaway brand and became Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Drysdale Properties. In February 2015, her brokerage was named the fastest growing full-service real estate brokerage in California and in March 2015, was awarded the Apex Award as the 12^th most producing company in the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network.Furthermore, the San Francisco Business Times voted Gretchen as one of the most influential businesswomen in the Bay Area.  Gretchen received the prestigious National Association of REALTORS’ Top 40 Under 40 Award, the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Contra Costa County, and has been the featured speaker at numerous industry events.

With over 34 years of real estate experience, Heidi has an extensive background in property management, investment sales, exchanges, commercial and residential leasing, residential resale and relocation. She was a founding partner and President of Bayside Management in Marin County for 20 years and is currently the Vice President/Principal of Terra Firma Global Partners with offices in Napa, Sonoma and Marin Counties.  Heidi was also a Broker Associate and the SVP/Regional Manager Wine Country for Pacific Union real estate in Marin and Napa Valley prior to launching Terra Firma Global Partners. Her long career in the industry is reflective of her skill set, respect in the real estate community and her satisfied client experiences.  She was the youngest Chair in history of CAR’s Legislative Committee in 1993.  With three decades of business and transaction experience she is well qualified in all aspects of risk management, transaction strategies and effective negotiations.  Heidi has received both Realtor of the Year and Distinguished Service Awards from the Marin Association of Realtors, is an Honorary Director for Life for the California Association of Realtors and has been Director since 1985 and recently served on the REB’s (Real Estate Business Subsidiary to CAR) Board of Directors.

Jeffrey Aba-Onu is an Associate Counsel with the California Association of Realtors (“C.A.R.”). He specializes in federal finance laws. At C.A.R., he reviews real estate contracts and provides legal advice that assists brokers in the day to day operations of their business. Mr. Aba-Onu has written and lectured on legal topics relating primarily to finance laws that affect the residential real estate industry. He earned his J.D. in 2008 from U.C.L.A. School of Law, his M.B.A. in 2008 from U.C.L.A. Anderson School of Management, and his B.A. in 2003 from New York University. He is admitted to the bars of California and New York.

Jenny Marder is the Director Extraordinaire of Social Media at Red Tettemer O'Connell + Partners, serving as the head of social strategy for a range of clients including MorningStar Farms, Speck Products, and California Association of REALTORS®! Since joining RTO+P in May 2014, Jenny has led the integrated content strategy & on-site social production for the Planet Fitness and Dick Clark’ s New Year’ s Rockin’  Eve activation in Times Square as well as developed & executed the social strategy for Under Armour Women’ s “I WILL WHAT I WANT”campaign. Before joining Red Tettemer, Jenny worked at PR powerhouse Edelman Digital in New York City, working exclusively on the Samsung Mobile business. During her tenure, she participated in social-to-screen and on-the-ground activations including Super Bowl XLVII, NBA All Star Game, Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards, and The Oscars 2014, featuring the "Ellen Selfie.”Jenny lives and breathes all things social, but when she’s not catching her news on Twitter, you can find her perfecting new techniques at barre class.

Jim Marks is the President and CEO of Virtual Results, a company dedicated to assisting businesses achieve their goals using effective web design, search engine optimization and social media strategies. Jim has worked with top brands globally including Amazon and Apple. As a self-proclaimed “Internet Anthropologist” Jim is interested in what makes web consumers call, click, self identify or fulfill a goal. In real estate he is known as the industry’s top social media analyst and advisor. He has consulted some of the most prominent and top-producing real estate professionals in the country including Tom Ferry.

Described by the New York Times as “America’s uber-geographer,” Joel Kotkin is an internationally-recognized authority on global, economic, political and social trends. His new book, THE HUMAN CITY: Urbanism for the Rest of Us, was published in April, 2016. Mr. Kotkin is the Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University in Orange, California and Executive Director of the Houston-based Center for Opportunity Urbanism (opportunityurbanism.org). He is Executive Editor of the widely read website www.newgeography.com and writes the weekly “New Geographer” column for Forbes.com. He serves on the editorial board of the Orange County Register and writes a weekly column for that paper, and is a regular contributor to the Daily Beast and Real Clear Politics. He is the author of seven previously published books, including the widely praised THE NEW CLASS CONFLICT (Telos Press), which describes the changing dynamics of class in America.

At age 18 John worked for the #1 specialty retail company in the United States. Operating in the largest shopping centers across the country, this company made more money per square foot than any other in the kiosk business.  John quickly became the #1 salesperson out of the more than 800 employees in his position. Immediately after college he entered into the mortgage and home financing arena. Working for one of the largest companies in the U.S., he set the record for both closings and revenue generated within the first 30 days. John went on to be the Top Producer almost immediately. Shortly thereafter, he entered into the loan brokerage world. He honed his skills in working with consumers while broadening the market and developing long-lasting relationships with real estate professionals. As he began working closely with REALTORS he saw a tremendous lacking in the use of technology in the real estate world. Seeing the need for marketing and technology training, his next endeavor began, ultimately leading to the creation and evolution of Social NetworX Inc. John is aggressively working with his team to build the number one marketing and technology resource company in real estate. Recently Apple stores in Southern California selected John to be a speaker and trainer so that he could help real estate professionals utilize mobile technology by way of Apple products.

Jordan Scheltgen is a Managing Partner and Co-founder at Cave Social, a digital marketing agency with offices in Toronto and Fort Lauderdale. As an ex-college quarterback, he takes the same team values and work ethic towards business and marketing. He's an Inman contributor, coffee lover and die-hard Minnesota Vikings fan.

Josh Sharfman has worked with the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) for the last 36 years: First as a consultant, then as an outside board member of the Association’s Real Estate Business Services, Inc (REBS®) subsidiary, and now as the Association’s Chief Technology Officer. Prior to joining C.A.R. on a full-time basis, Sharfman led product development for a variety of privately held and public companies, including Legal Research Network Digital Lava, ParcPlace-Digitalk, Inc., Dassault Systemes USA, CADAM, Inc., and the CAM Center at the Hughes Aircraft Company.  Sharfman also has served as an adjunct professor of engineering at the University of Southern California.  Sharfman holds four system and method patents for software inventions.  He provides expert testimony for software patent and copyright infringement matters. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Engineering from UCLA, a Master of Science Degree in Engineering Management from the University of Southern California, and a Ph.D. in Business.

J.P. Shamshoian is the president of Realty Concepts, one of the leading real estate firms in Central California. Since taking over his family owned brokerage in 2014, Mr. Shamshoian has overseen 75% growth in agent count and nearly 80% growth in revenue, all without focusing any time, energy or resources on traditional recruiting. Mr. Shamshoian is a board member at the Fresno Association of Realtors and a director of the California association of Realtors, wherein he serves as the vice chairman of the membership committee. 

Born and raised in LA, Kamille Rose Soler graduated from UC Berkeley with a double degree in Psychology and Mass Communications. She empowers women and men alike by helping them break through their deepest fears, unleashing their ultimate genius, and creating a community of happy and fulfilled high achievers. Kamille expands her research on human peak performance through Tony Robbins' Mastery University, The World Class Speakers Alliance, and her travels around the world speaking and empowering communities of various cultures. Kamille's work has been as varied and passionate as her love for people. She has worked as an actress in independent film, been on the production team for CNN news documentaries in Washington DC, consulted for nonprofits, startup founders, Film/TV creatives and companies both nationally and internationally. In 2014, she co-founded a collaborative workspace for positive social change entrepreneurs based in Southern CA where she teaches workshops on self-development and continues to consult on brand strategy, company culture development, and leadership communication.

Karlton Utter has the privilege of overseeing the national learning initiatives for Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC as their Senior Director of Learning Technologies and Solutions.  A licensed NJ Real Estate Broker and Realtor, he has held positions in the industry that include office management, sales, marketing, public relations, communications, training, business development, and recruiting.  Karlton uses his enthusiasm and real world experience to create an engaging and interactive learning environment. His underlying message is to build relationships through enhanced client experiences and increase production…while also having some fun.

Kat is the Director of Community Engagement. Her greatest joy is connecting people with improvisation to transform their lives and work. She is a graduate of the UC Santa Cruz Graduate program in theatre and education. She has produced and performed shows for many of San Diego’s best companies.

Kendyl Young is the founder and owner of DIGGS, a residential boutique brokerage in Glendale CA.  Kendyl’s detail oriented style of business has led to 27 successful years of selling and the launch of her own brokerage.   In 2015 she doubled her business with the help of Realvolve and her workflows.  Kendyl is named on Inman’s List of 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders and is a popular writer, speaker and thought leader in the industry. 

Leslie Appleton-Young is Vice President and Chief Economist for the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.). Appleton-Young directs the activities of the Association’s Member Information Team. She oversees analysis of housing market and brokerage industry trends, broker relations, and membership development activities. She is also closely involved in the Association’s strategic planning efforts and is a well-known speaker in California’s real estate community.
Appleton-Young earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and her master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Luciano Cordova is the zipForm® Product Coordinator for the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R). Luciano provides training and support to members and local Associations throughout the state. He Joined C.A.R. in March of 2004. He hosts webinars and live training to aid REALTORS® in their day to day business. He loves everything tech. This passion helps drive his determination to master technology and share it with others. C.A.R. is a statewide trade organization with more than 180,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate.

Mark Bennett is the designated State Broker in California at Redfin, the next-generation real estate brokerage. Mark has moved up the ranks at Redfin over the last seven years, first joining as the Market Manager for Southern California, then moving on to become the Market Manager for Los Angeles, then California District Manager and most recently State Broker, a leadership role that supports all Redfin agents throughout California. Mark has been instrumental in growing Redfin’s presence in California and takes pride in his commitment to transparency and excellent customer service. Before Redfin, Mark was the District Director in Orange County for ZipRealty. Mark has a degree in real estate finance from California State University, Long Beach and has been a licensed Realtor® since 2005.

Matt Johnson - Content marketing specialist & founder of Pursuing Results, a podcast PR & production firm. Matt is also a partner in Elite Real Estate Systems, which has offices in Omaha, Salt Lake City, San Diego, Lincoln & Boston. You can watch Matt live 3 days/wk as co-host of Real Estate Uncensored, a real estate sales & marketing training podcast.

Matt Hood is co-founder of Transported VR, a venture-backed technology company building the virtual reality marketplace for residential homes. As a broker with Sotheby’s International Realty Matt began working with VR in 2014 to better market listings on the westside of Los Angeles. Since that time his work has been featured in Fortune, Curbed and the N.A.R.’s Realtor Magazine. With Transported, Matt is helping to create the go-to VR destination for agents and their clients which features all active for-sale listings in a consistent, easy-to-use interface. Home discovery, browsing and touring can now take place entirely in VR. Matt holds a masters degree in real estate development from the University of Southern California and has been recognized by the American Institute of Architects for his work as a multifamily developer."

Melissa Zavala is the Broker/Owner of Broadpoint Properties, as well as the founder of Short Sale Expeditor® and Transaction 911, two companies that provide administrative services to real estate agents. She is also an author and trainer who assist agents across the nation through coaching, mentoring, and speaking engagements.  Melissa and her programs have been featured in various national and regional publications, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Inman, and the San Diego Union Tribune. She is a columnist for The American Genius, and The Real Daily and was nominated for the 2011 Inman Award for Real Estate's Most Influential Leaders.

Michele is the Broker and CEO of Star Real Estate South County.  When Michele first received her broker’s license, she worked solely as an independent broker. During this time she invested all the commissions she had made into residential income properties and owned over 100 units in the long beach area.  Although managing the properties was a full time job Michele wanted to help and teach other agents how to build a sustainable career in real estate and build wealth as well so she opened her brokerage up to hiring agents. That company had grown from 2 agents to over 150 agents and is the top producing office in Aliso Viejo.  Since then she’s opened offices in Mission Viejo and San Clemente and has an escrow company in Laguna Niguel.  Michele stays very involved in the community.  She served as VP for the governmental affairs committee for the South County Chamber of Commerce.  She also served as a trustee for the board of Realtors political action committee as well as a director for the California Association of Realtors and the Orange County association of Realtors.  She is a past- president for the Women’s Council of Realtors South Orange County chapter. 

Molly Ellis brought ten years of mortgage lending experience with her when she joined the California Housing Finance Agency in September of 1998.  At CalHFA, Molly has served in various positions, from compliance and technical underwriting to her current role as Lender Services Specialist, where she works to promote the Agency’s programs through training seminars with lenders, real estate professionals and the general public.   

The speaker, Nate Bernstein, Esq., is the Managing Counsel of the LA Real Estate Law Group, a Los Angeles based real estate and business law firm.  The firm serves clients throughout Southern and Northern California, and defends real estate brokers and agents in cases of alleged professional liability. Nate Bernstein is a 22 year veteran Los Angeles real estate and business attorney, transaction, negotiator, and trial lawyer. Mr. Bernstein also has expertise in bankruptcy law, the federal bankruptcy court system, creditor's rights, and debtor's bankruptcy options. He previously served as Vice President and In House trial counsel at Fidelity Title Insurance Company, a Fortune 500 company, and in house counsel at Denley Investment Management Company, a large privately held company. Nate Bernstein created www.laquiettitleattorney.com, a leading educational resource on quiet title real estate litigation. Nate Bernstein is a local expert on real estate law and economic trends in the real estate and leasing market, business law, bankruptcy law. Nate has personally litigated more than 40 real estate trials, and has negotiated favorable settlements in more than 200 complex real estate and business cases.  Nate is both a "player" in the local legal system, and is a constructive "critic" of the legal bureaucracy, which often times, is grossly inefficient, needing systemic reform. 

 Nathaniel Osollo is a zipForm® Product Coordinator for Real Estate Business Services, Inc., and the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.).  He leads webinars on the use of zipForm® Plus and zipForm® accessories for the Association’s membership.  He also aids in national webinars for members of the National Association of Realtors across the U.S. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honors from California State University, San Bernardino.

Nina was introduced to the 3D world as a stereographer for PassmoreLab, where she worked side-by-side with programmers to develop a proprietary 2D to 3D conversion software and workflow pipeline.  She was quickly promoted to Lead Stereographer and sent to the Philippines to open and manage a sister office of 30 women.  She has since developed multiple training programs for companies like Panasonic and launched one of the first 3D curriculums at Stevens Institute of Technology.  Ever since Nina had her first immersive media experience, she was hooked.  3D has lead her into the world of virtual reality, augmented reality, and holographic arts.  She now works in production for 360Rize, capturing 360 all over the US and pushing the boundaries of content creation. 

Peggy is a former Vice President of SAIC, a Fortune 500 technology company, where she was responsible for training employees and managers worldwide on employee ownership. A real estate agent for 10+ years, Peggy trains sales professionals in applying improv techniques to grow their business.

Penny Nathan has been a broker and has been selling real estate in San Diego for 16 years. Co-founding Ascent Real Estate in 2005 broadened her focus into directing the stability, innovation and growth of her Company. This has provided the foundation of the company culture which is based upon the importance of balance between business, personal growth and health, mutual respect, diversity and ethics. Ascent's dynamic real estate professional Sales Associates and Broker Associate team are committed to this culture which continues to have a positive impact on San Diego real estate.  Ascent aspires to hire, develop and retain San Diego County's most professional and best trained agents. We collaborate from a spirit of business partnership with our associates providing on-going industry training, time management tips and business best-practice strategies. Ascent and our Associates focus with gratitude on our opportunity to serve and support our relationships with each other, our clients and our communities.

Raj Qsar is Owner & Founder of The Boutique Real Estate Group and they represent one of the most dominant Real Estate Teams in the Southern California Real Estate Market. The Boutique Real Estate Group has invested heavily in bringing all aspects of the real estate experience completely in-house.  From custom design, professional staging, amazing photography, cinematography and social media to technology, internet optimization & cloud based transaction management.  This not only provides The Boutique with complete control of the design, marketing & technology of luxury real estate but also gives them the look & feel of a true boutique marketing agency.  This design & tech-forward approach has earned The Boutique Real Estate Group accolades & awards worldwide. Most recently Raj was selected as Top 33 People Changing The Real Estate Industry by Inman News and Innovator Award for Most Innovative Real Estate Agent in 2014 by Inman News, he was also named Top 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders For 2013 By Inman News and The Boutique Real Estate Group was recently selected as The 2014 Next Generation Real Estate Brokerage by Better Homes & Garden Real Estate & 1000 Watt Consulting. 

Ricardo is an 8-year veteran of the real estate industry and currently works as the National Trainer for W&R Studios - creators of Cloud CMA and Cloud Streams. Ricardo’s passion is helping real estate agents and brokers develop and implement lead generating marketing strategies. Having consulted with real estate companies large and small, Ricardo is well versed in the pain points and struggles of agents and brokers. He is skilled at devising creative solutions and innovative marketing plans to generate leads, drive business, and grow sales.

Robert is co-founder of Bailey Properties and Bailey Properties, Inc.  Established in 1974, Bailey Properties has grown to five locations and the position of market leader in both residential sales and property management in Santa Cruz County.  The property management company specializes in long term rentals, corporate (interim) rentals and vacation rentals.  A respected Realtor, leader and spokesperson within the real estate industry, Robert has held several positions at the local, state, and national level.  Robert served as President of the 185,000 member California Association of Realtors in 2002 and is currently a member of their executive committee.  Robert, at the request of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) is the  2015 Liaison to their Second Home and Resort Committee.  Robert was recently honored by NAR with the designation, Realtor Emeritus.

Sanya Gurnani is COO and Co Founder of Agentdesks. Agentdesks is a mobile first CRM and networking platform made specifically for Real Estate Agents. Sanya was previously a Strategy Consultant at Bain & Company, a leading consulting partner to the Real Estate Industry and an Investment Banker with Citigroup Public Finance, the top underwriter for Real Estate transactions in the US. She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and Harvard Business School.

Sara Sutachan is the Industry Relations & Strategic Initiatives Manager for the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.).  Sutachan manages industry relations, membership development, and strategic initiatives for the Association. In this role, she helps the Association establish vision, identify new and emerging opportunities and relationships, and is responsible for implementing key strategic initiatives.  She is closely involved in the Association's strategic planning efforts and is a well-known speaker in California’s real estate community. Sutachan earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State University, Northridge with concentrations in finance and real estate, and a master of economics degree from California State University, Los Angeles.

Seth O’Byrne is San Diego’s real estate powerhouse who has built in less than 12 years, a highly recognized team brand having employed over a dozen advisors and brokering nearly 1000 real estate transactions in San Diego. As the head of the O’Byrne Team whose home office is Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty, Seth O’Byrne has created a full-service real estate selling and buying experience. Forecasted to break a billion dollars in San Diego real estate sold in the next few years, Seth and his Team have grown into a local go to for all things real estate. Growth, volume, and experience have consistently placed the O’Byrne Team among the top professionals in the real estate industry. In fact, in 2013 Seth & his Team were ranked #1 with Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty by number of transactions closed and in 2014 Seth ranked in the Top 50 Brokers in all of San Diego. Despite all this experience, sales volume, accolades, and success the O’Byrne Team still provides personalized service, is tremendously customer service oriented, and are absolutely dedicated to their San Diego buyers and sellers. You are not just another real estate transaction to Seth and his Team, you are a client for life.

Over a period of 15 years, Scott Chaplan has created and shaped the Urban Group of Companies into an integrated multi-service firm with the capacity to structure financing, acquire, develop, rehabilitate and manage over $1 billion of luxury single family, multi-unit residential, mixed use, commercial , industrial and business properties across the United States. Many of these projects involve historic buildings which have been rehabilitated to provide affordable family housing in low-income communities.

SHERRI NOEL

Sherri Noël started her career in real estate as a one-person operation in 2000. She focused on luxury marketing while obtaining her training with Coldwell Banker in the affluent Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. With a keen understanding of the ever-shifting market, Sherri left her previous company to assemble a top-notch team of individuals with highly specialized skills, to ensure each client receives the highest level of service. Over the last eight years, she has led The Noël Team to become a national TOP producing team. In 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 The Noël Team has been recognized by “Real Trends Magazine” as featured in The Wall Street Journal, as one of the Top 250 Realtor Teams in the nation. Sherri has also been ranked one of the “Top 20 Real Estate Agents in Los Angeles” according to Curbed Los Angeles. The Noël Team is currently ranked as the number 13 team in the nation for Keller Williams Realty and the number two team in Southern California. Sherri continually strives to outperform the competition. Her team consists of her husband, Jose Noël, who handles the company’s operations, six buyers agents, a full-time marketing coordinator, an office manager, client liaison, and an administrative assistant. The 11 highly skilled, motivated and productive members of The Noel Team know the Westside and how to provide unparalleled service. With her conscientious and effective team, Sherri is able to focus on what she does best, keeping a close eye on market trends and negotiating for her clients to provide exceptional results. Averaging 100-120 transactions per year, it is clear that it’s not luck it’s knowledge.

Sherry is the president and CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Sherry has more than 30 years of real estate experience, including, significant senior management positions in the areas of sales, marketing, new technologies, and franchise management. A native of Canada, she began her real estate career in Ontario and held increasingly senior positions with Royal LePage for 16 years before taking on executive roles within notable US brokerages. She joined Realogy in 2006 as Chief Operating Officer for Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.  Sherry serves on the NAR real estate services and Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) Education Foundation advisory boards. She is also the chair of the national board of directors at the non-profit organization, Rebuilding Together.  In 2015, Inman News named Sherry as one of the 33 people who are changing the real estate industry. Additionally, since being named Inman Innovator of the Year in 2010, a prestigious and coveted award that honors individuals who have demonstrated exceptional vision and foresight to advance the real estate experience, she has been recognized six years consecutively as one of Inman’s 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders. Additional accolades include the Swanepoel Power 200 list (2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016), the Most Influential Real Estate Executives list by Real Estate Executive Magazine (2013) and Profiles in Diversity Journal’s annual Women Worth Watching list (2013).

Silva Hameline is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX ELITE, a boutique residential and commercial real estate firm in Glendale and Malibu, serving throughout Los Angeles and neighboring counties.  In 2008, Silva received the coveted “Realtor of the Year” Award from the Glendale Association of Realtors and served as two term 2005 & 2015 President for the Association. She currently serves as 2016 Director for the California Association of Realtors. Silva is a Certified Luxury Home Specialist, fluent in English, French, Armenian and Arabic.  Silva takes pride in community citizenship, leading RE/MAX ELITE in charitable events that support the Children’s Miracle Network. She is an active member of the local Chamber of Commerce, and serves on the Advisory Board for Ascensia, a project dedicated to raising people out of homelessness.

Which would you rather do: look for a real estate agent or get a root canal? If you answered “root canal,” I completely understand. It seems like there are practically as many real estate agents in LA as there are houses in LA. But here’s the thing- I have some unique and unusual skills, experiences, and ideas that make me unlike any other agent around. For starters, I was a touring drummer for fifteen years in rock bands, living in and out of hotels and tour buses. (Trust me; it’s not as glamorous as you think.) After so many years on the road, I’ve developed a passion for not just finding a place to live, but for finding the perfect home. I started applying that passion to a new career: real estate. My business has sky-rocketed and here’s why: When it comes to helping a client sell their house, I admit, I’m a fanatic. I don’t just want to sell… I want to sell my client’s home for the best price to the highest number of bidders in the least amount of time. I love helping clients buy a new home. Nothing gives me more of a buzz than finding people not just a house, but finding a home. My goal is to witness the moment when you walk into a house and your eyes light up. That’s what gets me going. I want to put my negotiating skills and intimate understanding of the market to work for you. Giving you the keys after a purchase process that’s as smooth, enjoyable, and stress free as possible for you is my goal. I understand how emotional and stressful (even nerve-wracking!) it can be to buy or sell a home. You might have your entire nest egg on the line. Your satisfaction will be my first priority. My goal is to serve your needs not only now, but in the future.

Tami Halton Pardee’s expertise in Southern California real estate and entrepreneurship is unrivaled. As owner and principal broker of Halton Pardee + Partners (formerly Pardee Properties) since 2005, Tami is currently ranked the #1 broker in Los Angeles and, to date, her company has sold over $2 billion worth of residential and commercial properties. In recognition of her accomplishments, Pardee was recently recognized by Good Housekeeping with their 2016 Awesome Women Award and earlier this year she was nominated by the Los Angeles Business Journal for Philanthropist of the Year. Other recent recognitions include: Los Angeles Business Journal naming Pardee among Los Angeles’ 500 Most Influential People and in the Top 100 Women-Owned Businesses; The Hollywood Reporter listing her among 2015 and 2016 Top Realtors; and Real Trends ranking her team at Halton Pardee + Partners Number 2 nationwide in sales transaction volume. Tami battles multiple sclerosis (MS) but she won’t let that (or anything else) stop her. When not in the office, Tami is empowering others through speaking engagements, she is a member of the Santa Monica chapter of the YPO and she is busy raising her four children.

Tom Ferry is the CEO of Tom Ferry – Your Coach, an International Coaching and Training Company. He is named #1 Real Estate Educator by Swanepoel Power 200 and is the best-selling Author of Life! By Design. During his 26+ years in the industry Tom has influenced over 500,000 real estate professionals to create inner and outer wealth by helping them grow a prosperous business that they love. Tom is a highly sought after and renowned speaker whose work embodies a passion for life and business, a commitment to discipline and the most innovative business strategies you will find anywhere. Tom has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Huffington Post, Mashable.com, Inman News, Agent Genius, Realtor Magazine and many more.

Real Estate Specialist and Consultant, Valerie Torelli, is the owner and founder of Torelli Realty, a residential realty firm based in Costa Mesa, CA. For over 30 years Valerie has been engaged in the full time sale, lease and property management of residential real estate. With 10 full time agents and a support staff of 5, her firm has been the #1 real estate firm in Costa Mesa, dominating the Mesa Verde section of the city.  Valerie has personally closed escrow on over 2,000 homes. With a combination of community events, new technology and “old school” communication the agents of Torelli Realty adhere to the 4 C’s (commitment, connection, compassion, community) and enjoy unparalleled success and sustainability in the marketplace.

A native New Yorker, Vanessa started her career in real estate in 2003 as a sales agent, moving into management just one year later.  For three years she ran a large franchise, growing it to the #2 in profitability in the Northern CA region.  In the 2007 downturn she left to manage a small, independent brokerage, one year later becoming General Manager of the entire company, and ultimately acquiring the 35 year old brokerage with her partner in 2010.  Since then, she has rebranded  and reshaped the entire organization, moving it from 12th in market share to number 3 in just 4 years.  Presently, she oversees the 80 sales agents in two offices located in Berkeley and Oakland, CA.  She has spoken about branding, culture and agent retention at several organizations and conferences including ICSF, ICNY, NAR, CAR and Who's Who in Luxury.  In 2013 she was named as one of Inman's 100 Most Influential Leaders in Real Estate. She currently resides in Oakland,CA with her husband and two young children. 

Wendy has leveraged her passion for real estate, technology and branding to help build successful real estate networks in both Canada and the United States. Since joining Carrington Real Estate Services in 2012 as Executive Vice President/Head of Global Operations the company has grown significantly and is now recognized as one the of top 100 brokerages in the United States. She was recognized in 2016 by the Swanepoel Power 200 as one of the Top 20 Trendsetters in the residential real estate industry. She is a contributor to Inman News, a Location Scout writer for Market Watch and frequently speaks about leveraging technology and branding to grow your business. You can follow Wendy on Twitter @brandwendy or email to [email protected].