Drawing upon more than 17,000 members across North America, the Asian Real Estate Association (AREAA) hosted its annual Global + Luxury Summit (GLS) in Seattle for the first time with events around the city from April 6-9. The GLS has traditionally been held in global gateway markets like New York City, Miami and Honolulu, but Seattle’s rise as an international hotspot secured its position as a host city. The event was also coordinated to align with the America-China Real Estate Summit, which included a delegation of prominent Chinese real estate investors, politicians and real estate professionals that visited Houston, Seattle and Vancouver on the multi-city tour.
“In many ways, the GLS in Seattle was a validating moment for us,” said Dean Jones, President and CEO of Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty. “We’ve been working hard to make Seattle the next market to matter to international consumers from Asia and given that we hosted that very panel session, I would say we reached our goal.”
An estimated 800+ guests attended the GLS in Seattle, which included numerous ancillary events and happenings. RSIR was also the host to a gathering of top brokers at its Kirkland branch office where more than 80 agents listened to presentations comparing Washington, DC; New York City and Toronto real estate with featured Sotheby’s International Realty brokers David DeSantis, Kevin Brown and Richard Silver, respectively representing their markets. The group later enjoyed a waterfront home tour with many participating in a private poker tournament at the historic Lawtonwood Estate in Magnolia.
Dehlan Gwo, RSIR broker and Founding Member of the firm’s Asia Services Group, said he was thrilled to see Seattle’s highlighted on a global stage, remarking that it was “also an impressive and very apparent testament to Sotheby’s International Realty’s continued leadership in this space.”
Above: AREAA guests enjoyed a waterfront home tour hosted by Realogics Sotheby's prior to the commencement of the Global + Luxury Summit.
Jones was invited to speak on “Understanding Wealth & Success,” where panelists outlined ways brokers and businesses can deliver stellar service to ultra-high net worth individuals and distinguished clientele from around the world.
RSIR shared a number of new development projects in the pipeline, including NEXUS and KODA, among others, with an onsite exhibit at the GLS and inclusion during presentations about presales success at the projects.
“New projects such as NEXUS and KODA were certainly the talk of the town,” adds Jones. “AREAA guests were duly impressed with the project and the market overall as Seattle earns its position as a global gateway city.”
“What a great networking event filled lots of people from around the corner and around the world. The panels were all well attended and very informative,” said Stacia Smith, Director of Sales and Seattle Branch Manager, RSIR. “The entire AREAA event exceeded my expectation!”
Who is AREAA?
Founded in 2003, the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) is a nonprofit professional trade organization dedicated to promoting sustainable homeownership opportunities in Asian American communities by creating a powerful national voice for housing and real estate professionals that serve this dynamic market.
AREAA will accomplish these goals by:
- Creating a powerful national voice for housing and real estate professionals that serve this dynamic market
- Advocating for policy positions at the national level that will reduce barriers to homeownership for the AAPI community
- Increasing business opportunities for mortgage and real estate professionals that serve this growing community
- Hosting National and Local events to educate and inform members about housing issues and developments affecting the AAPI community
- Conducting trade missions throughout Asia to develop business partnerships and increase brand awareness
AREAA’s membership represents a vast array of cultural, ethnic, and professional backgrounds. AREAA is open to anyone and everyone who works with, or seeks to work with, the AAPI community. With over 15,000 members in 35 chapters across the US and Canada, AREAA is the largest Asian organization in North America.