May 27, 2004

Back in the office with only a few days to complete the work on the next issue of RETI. So, I'll keep this short. Would be very interested in getting feedback from anyone who attended the LSI Emerging Trends conference. No high-tech polling tools here, though. Just let me know what you liked best about the event and the piece of information you took home with you that will make the most difference in your business. Hit the respond to this blog button on this page and you can e-mail it right to me.

We've been seeing a lot of personnel announcements lately. A couple more hit the site today. Make sure you're letting us know when you add to your team or promote your best people. I understand that, on the one hand, it's a risk to expose your best human assets to potential headhunters, but it's also good for your partners in the industry to know that you have people they can depend upon. So send us your news.

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May 26, 2004

Today will be the last day of the LSI conference. I'll skip the golf tournament and head home today, but I'll be in the air for most of the afternoon and evening. Such is the reality of conference travel. Still, this was definitely an event worth attending. I'll share much of what I learned with you in future issues of the newsletter.

One story that probably won't get into RETI has to do with the presentation made by last evening's motivational speaker. Not because it wasn't great. It was. It's just that Terry Bradshaw doesn't have a lot to do with real estate technology. It would take too much space to go into his biography here, but Bradshaw has had an incredible career – and he's still living in it. He may have played the game a long time ago, but that was no old man on stage last night. His message was simple: keep things simple. Pay attention to the little things. Be thankful you're alive. Learn to smile more. Be responsible for your own performance. And learn the difference between happiness and joy (hint: one is dependent upon outside events, the other is internal). What could have come across as trite or sappy from a lesser speaker, had an obvious positive effect on the audience when Bradshaw delivered it. I was very impressed. If you have the chance to see him speak, take it.

I'm off for the last general session of the conference: Emerging Trends—Planning for the Future. I'll let you know what I learn.

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May 25, 2004

First day of the LSI Emerging Trends conference was great. Started out with a breakfast in the pavilion and then into the first general session.

Brian Hershkowitz made the opening remarks and then turned the podium over to a distinguished panel to discuss the Year in Review: Key Issues Impacting Our Industry.

Dr. Richard T. Pratt did a fine job of moderating the panel, which included Daniel Sussman, EVP & COO of New Century Mortgage Corp. (spoke about the rise of subprime and Alt-A), Thomas P. Vartanian, partner with Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson (spoke about the GSEs) and Bob Sullivan, VP of OneFee Services for ABN AMRO (spoke about bundling).

I'll be telling you more about these speakers and the other fine panelists who presented today in the next issue of RETI. I won't be telling you about my own presentation, however. Consider yourself spared…this time.

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May 24, 2004

Update:
I have arrived in Dallas. The weather is nice and the resort is awesome. Wish you were here.

I'm in the air for much of the day, traveling to Dallas for the conference. Once on the ground, I'll survey my surroundings and make a report. I'm very excited about this show. I expect to learn a lot to share with you over the next couple of days.

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