ThinkUp LIVE

The Austin Board of REALTORS® is committed to being the engine of your success! Join us virtually for ThinkUp LIVE on August 31 to learn more about the top trends powering our industry right now. The Austin housing market is hot! In four back-to-back, power-packed segments, these dynamic speakers will deliver essential content that is inherent in propelling your business forward. Plus, ABoR’s CEO Emily Chenevert and CMO Kelea Youngblood will be streaming LIVE from ABoR HQ to break it all down. Get your tickets now!

• 1:00 p.m. | Pamela Benson Owens explores the logic that leadership is an inside job.
• 1:20 p.m. | Josh Cadillac unlocks the secrets of creating life-long clients by building credibility and trust.
• 1:40 p.m. | ABoR staff Jeni Williams and Taylor Smith, Julia Parenteau of Texas REALTORS®, and Bryan Greene of NAR give hot-of-the-presses advocacy updates on the local, state, and national level.
• 2:00 p.m. | ACTRIS staff Will Burnham and Dré Dargin unpack upcoming MLS compliance changes and how we can create the accurate, efficient marketplace we all desire.

BONUS! Register now for your chance to win a $200 Amazon gift card! The winner will be announced live on August 31.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS

Pamela Benson Owens is the President and CEO of Edge of Your Seat Consulting, Inc and is currently serving as the CEO of Six Square. For 25+ years Pam has owned Edge of Your Seat Consulting, a unique consulting firm that is dedicated to assisting for-profit, nonprofit, and faith-based entities. The major focus of Edge of Your Seat Consulting, Inc., is to provide methodologies that help manage perceptions and narratives about complex and challenging issues with courage and strategic passion.

Josh Cadillac began working full-time in real estate in 2008 and within his first two years became a top producer. After taking many classes early in his career, Josh took what he learned and created his first state-approved educational class: The Accredited Closing Expert (ACE) 2-day course. Since then, he has become a national speaker and has written multiple very popular classes in the ACE family of courses. His teaching focuses on the real-world skills that agents need to be true advocates and trusted resources for their customers. Josh currently owns and operates several businesses including a real estate investment fund, property management company, general contracting company, and teaches nationally.

Jeni Williams oversees the strategy and implementation of ABoR’s Advocacy program, including leading ABoR’s government affairs involvement at the local, state, and national levels. Having worked for ABoR since 2014, she’s become well-versed on how ABoR, Texas REALTORS®, and the National Association of REALTORS® function and collaborate on advocacy initiatives to make meaningful change happen.

Taylor Smith closely monitors and advises on local public policy issues that impact Central Texas REALTORS®. Taylor brings a wealth of experience and connections to ABoR, holding a Master’s in Public Administration from the Bush School of Government and Public Service and having worked in public policy in Austin for nearly a decade. He loves maintaining effective relationships with elected officials, city staff, and other stakeholders to protect REALTORS® and help shape the future of Central Texas.

Julia Parenteau serves as Director of Public Policy and staff lobbyist for Texas REALTORS®. She has worked in real estate advocacy on behalf of REALTORS® and related organizations for nearly 20 years, in state legislatures, city councils, and county commissions in Texas, Minnesota, and California. Julia has also been extensively involved with the National Association of REALTORS® policy and advocacy efforts, and she most recently served as the 2019-2020 Chairman of NAR’s Government Affairs Directors.

Bryan Greene is Vice President of Policy Advocacy at the National Association of REALTORS® where he oversees all legislative and regulatory advocacy on behalf of the association’s 1.4 million members. Bryan joined NAR in November 2019, and spent his first year at NAR raising the association’s profile in Washington and nationwide on all fair-housing-related policy matters as NAR’s first Director of Fair Housing Policy.

Will Burnham began his ABoR career as an intern in the Marketing and Communications Department during his final semester at St. Edward’s University. He moved over to the MLS team in 2016. Will is invested in making the ACTRIS MLS the most powerful listing marketplace in Central Texas with unparalleled data, tools, and resources. His team is focused on improving the MLS from the front-end to back-end while delivering outstanding customer service for our 14,000+ subscribers.

Andrea "Dre" Dargin is the MLS Compliance & Data Licensing Supervisor for the Austin Board of REALTORS®. In her role, she leads the MLS Compliance Team to foster and ensure an orderly marketplace with a keen focus on data accuracy and reliability. Before joining ABoR, she worked in the Compliance & Risk Management department for a government-sponsored entity. Her career background is diverse and includes human resources, organization development, and bookkeeping. Through her prior work experience, she developed many cross-functional skills and sharpened her ability to adapt to new situations nimbly and view her efforts from various lenses.

A special thank you to our sponsors: