AREC 2022 edges closer with ‘star-studded’ line-up

PHOTO: Spearheading the satellite speaker line-up is Matthew McConaughey. GQ

Pre-pandemic sized crowds are expected at the 24^th annual iteration of the Australasian Real Estate Conference (AREC).

To be hosted at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre on 29 and 30 May 2022, this year’s event will give attendees access to 33 speakers from across Australia and the globe.

AREC founder John McGrath said that “it’s unarguable that AREC 2022 brings together the best talent in real estate history”.

This year’s theme – “Accelerate” – “is a reflection of the increased pace of change we believe is now upon the industry”.

“Agents operating under an old paradigm will be swamped by those who understand the challenges and the opportunities that are now upon us,” Mr McGrath opined, calling the theme “an obvious” one for 2022.

“We believe there will be a significant shakeout over the next few years of agents who don’t understand what people want. But at the same time, we see those who deliver above expectations will be able to build their business faster and larger than ever in history.”

Nichola Byrne, the general manager of Total Real Estate Training (TRET), the organisation behind AREC, said the appetite for face-to-face learning had seen registrations skyrocket.

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“And with the opening of our borders, so too are registrations from across the pond,” Ms Byrne said.

She has revealed that ticket sales “have now surpassed 3,500 and we believe the delegate interest will continue”.

“We are now heading towards 3,700 attendees – our biggest attendance since 2017,” she said.

She flagged that the new world of global communication has enabled TRET and AREC to embrace technology and “access speakers we would otherwise be unable to secure, to share valuable insights and learnings with our delegates”.

Spearheading the satellite speaker line-up is Matthew McConaughey, alongside names such as Seth Godin and Mel Robbins. Other keynote speakers include Thailand cave rescue diver Dr Richard (“Harry”) Harris and performance-enhanced communication expert Vinh Giang.

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A number of Australasian real estate identities are also set to take to the stage, including Michael Kollosche, Kon Stathopoulos, Cathy Cattell, Carla Fetter, Sam Rigopoulos, Mario Sanfrancesco, Helen Yan, Hanan Cawley, Jamie Lampard, Jessica Melling and Charlie Zeidler.

Tom Panos will also be returning as MC.

Weighing in, Mr McGrath said that “with literally the best speakers in the world like Seth Godin, Mel Robbins and Matthew McConaughey heading up our star-studded line-up alongside agents who are doing things that have never been done before in their markets we believe it’s unarguable that AREC 2022 brings together the best talent in real estate history”.