Post by Jesse Timmerman

One final Realcomm | IBcom 2025 "recap"...but this is different. It's no secret that this annual event never disappoints and is THE not-to-be-missed convergence of real estate technology leaders, professionals, and vendors. However, what may not be apparent to those who haven't attended is that "Realcomm" is more than an event--it's a community. A year-round community that thrives by sharing a certain openness in discussing and tackling common (non-proprietary) challenges in the RE technology space. I'm among the crew that strives to maximize the live conversation opportunities. From pre-breakfast catch-ups on the practice range with Sam Jack Ghnaim about network managers...to taking in leadership perspectives from Ilene Goldfine at the RealTalk breakfast...to talking building system patching on the expo floor with Tom Shircliff...to discussing semantic model architecture in the pool with Andrew Weakland...and everything in between until last call at the hotel bar discussing support models for in-house developed systems with Robert Entin--I (conservatively) clocked 45 hours of priceless interaction in Savannah. So why am I sharing this? What am I trying to recap?...That I don't sleep? My career today as a Managing Director at Hines and the successes I've realized over the past decade are in large part due to the very members of the Realcomm community and their selflessness. This post isn't aimed at blowing people up but I'll drop one name--Stuart Appley introduced me to the scene in 2015 and HUNDREDS of connections have developed since (Stuart also doesn't seem to have aged since 2015). Additionally, I have also participated in valuable organizations closely related to Realcomm, such as the Real Estate Cyber Consortium. If you haven't attended Realcomm, or haven't taken part in the webinars, Friday livestreams, or Realcomm Events that happen during "the other 11 months", you're missing out. If you have participated and didn't walk away with the warm & fuzzy experience I've represented above...maybe give it another shot. And finally, if you're a leader and have selfishly not been bringing your crew along for the ride, consider a shift. You can't be everywhere at once. Don't fear what your staff might learn and challenge you with when you return to the farm. In closing (and because it's as good a time as ever), thank you Jim Young and Howard Berger for being the fabric upon which the community has grown. - Jesse Timmerman