Sustainability Summit Schedule

2:00pm - 3:30pm
Optional Field Experience: Bringing Home Building Science - Behind the Scenes of Sustainability at Minneapolis Convention Center
^{*Advanced signup required}

3:00pm - 4:00pm
Optional Walking Tour: Exploring Sustainability at Hilton Minneapolis
^{*Advanced signup required}

6:00pm - 7:30pm
Welcome Networking Reception at the Hilton Minneapolis

Kick off conversation ahead of the formal programming with your fellow attendees from around the country at this welcome reception in the Hilton Minneapolis! Appetizers and drinks will be served.

9:30am - 11:00am
Optional Field Experience: U.S. Bank Stadium Tour
^{*Advanced signup required}

12:00pm
Lunch

Sponsored by St. Paul Area Association of REALTORS®

1:00pm - 1:15pm
Welcome Address

1:15pm - 2:00pm
How To Be A Non-Obvious Thinker (And See What Others Miss)

Speaker: Rohit Bhargava

What if you could learn to think like a futurist? Unlike most talks about the future, this generous and inspiring keynote will reveal how anyone can learn to anticipate what is coming next. Using his signature fast-paced "non-boring" presentation style, trend curator Rohit Bhargava will take the audience behind-the-scenes of more than a decade of research to illustrate how his award-winning "Haystack Method" can help anyone be more innovative using the four specific habits of non-obvious thinkers. Based on his #1 WSJ bestselling Non-Obvious Book Series that has been shared by more than 1 million readers and his latest book Non-Obvious Thinking, this keynote will also include all-new insights from his latest trend research along with stealable ideas for how to put those insights to work. The world needs more non-obvious thinkers. This talk will give you a roadmap to being one of them.

2:00pm - 2:45pm
Forging Future Communities: Planning With Foresight

Speaker: Petra Hurtado, Chief Foresight and Knowledge Officer, American Planning Association

As professionals invested in the state of the built environment, we shape the future of our communities. But to be able to shape the future, we first need to be able to imagine it.  The world around us is changing at an accelerated pace with technological innovations, societal shifts, climate change, and the yet-unknown implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, making it ever more difficult to effectively plan for the future. Learn how professionals are tackling these challenges through strategies like the APA Foresight Program. Delve into the key signals on the horizon, how they are expected to impact the communities of today and tomorrow, and the unique advantages this knowledge provides your value as a real estate professional.

2:45pm - 3:15pm
Fundamentals of Sustainability

Speaker: Jessica Lautz, Deputy Chief Economist and Vice President of Research, National Association of REALTORS®

Take a look at how consumers are thinking about sustainability in their home purchase decisions and how REALTORS® are embracing sustainability.

3:15pm - 3:30pm
Networking Break

3:30pm - 4:15pm
Trailblazing Sustainability: Case Study Examples to Help Carve Your Path

Speakers: Kerri Hartnett, 2024 National President, Women's Council of REALTORS®️; Christopher Matos-Rogers, Associate Broker and REALTOR® Coldwell Banker Realty; Josh McFall, Chief Executive Officer, Minnesota Association of REALTORS®; Carrie Chang, CEO, Minneapolis Area REALTORS®

Hear from association staff and volunteer leaders on the unique journeys that led each of them to a culture highlighting sustainability. Discover the valuable impacts it has had on their business, at their associations, and in their communities. No matter where you are on your own journey, leave this panel inspired by case-study examples to spark a new project, program, or plan to spotlight sustainability for your association and for your clients.

4:15 pm - 4:45pm
Charting the Course: The Sustainability Strategy Workshop

Speaker: Rod Helm, REALTOR®, Coldwell Banker Realty

Cultivating a culture of sustainability can be a dynamic, challenging goal and a cohesive strategic plan is key to establishing, implementing, and building sustainability efforts. Take the first steps, by collaborating in real-time with fellow attendees utilizing NAR’s Sustainability Toolkit as a resource. This exercise will guide you towards positive long-term change, championing environmental stewardship and promoting market-based approaches to benefit your members, homeowners, and resilient communities.

4:45pm - 5:00pm
Day 1 Closing Remarks

6:00pm - 8:00 pm 
Celebration Reception at Orchestra Hall 

Celebrate, relax, and recharge after the first day of Sustainability Summit sessions with fellow attendees at the visually stunning Orchestra Hall. The first performing arts center in the U.S. to be awarded LEED v4 O+M Silver certification, this modern, efficient venue is one of Minnesota’s cultural and architectural touchstones. Mix and mingle with fellow attendees, enjoying food, cocktails and live music fit for a night to remember!

Conveniently located across from the Hilton Minneapolis, this venue places attendees in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, an easy walk to both nightlife and the host hotel.

Sponsored by Minnesota REALTORS®

8:00am
Breakfast

9:00am - 9:30am
Leading a Climate-conscious Real Estate Business

Speakers: Craig Foley, Chief Sustainability Officer, LAER Realty Partners; Stacey Alcorn, Chief Executive Officer, LAER Realty Partners

As real estate agents cultivate their value to homebuyers, it’s important to prepare for concerns about climate risk and sustainability as they consider purchasing a home. Learn first-hand tips to act as the niche sustainability expert in your business, attracting new clients and building your network of diverse industry resources. Return home a client-savvy agent, uniquely positioned to fill a void in your local market and future-proof your business. This fireside chat between a Chief Sustainability Officer and a Chief Executive Officer, provides attendees an exclusive look at the business considerations leading more and more companies to place sustainability in the limelight.

9:30am - 10:15am
Sustainable Living, Passive Homes: Redefining the Future of Housing

Speakers: Cynthia Adams, Chief Executive Officer, Pearl Certification; Tim Eian, Principal, TE Studio, Ltd.; Jan Green, REALTOR® & Instructor, HomeSmart

Explore the future of housing with this session on sustainable living and passive homes. Learn how passive home design is transforming the way we build, emphasizing energy efficiency, comfort, and environmental responsibility. Discover the key principles and benefits of passive homes through real-world examples and expert insights into evolving client’s expectations. Whether you're a real estate agent, homeowner, or sustainability advocate, this session offers valuable insights into the future of how people will shop for homes.

10:15am - 10:45am
Using Home Performance Data to Build Better Listings

Speakers: Todd Shipman, Broker, Lakes Sotheby's International Realty, and Tim Dain, CEO, NorthstarMLS

The NorthstarMLS is a leader in sustainability, offering data fields and the auto-population of home performance data into listings. Join us as they share their path to become leaders in this space and the work they did to support the dissemination of efficiency information in their market. In this session, understand how to gather and share energy efficiency information as part of the real estate transaction process, and what data elements are necessary to properly establish and recognize home value.

10:45am - 11:00am
Networking Break

11:00am - 11:30am
Show Me The Money! Building Science Solutions for Climate Resilience

Speaker: Aaron Smith, CEO, Energy & Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA)

Today is the tipping point for the future of building science and technology, where homes can maximize not just comfort and enjoyment but also return on investment. Implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act and alignment by state and local governance, means that sustainable new construction and retrofits are increasingly accessible. Learn how building science and new technology produce better quality, affordable and climate-resilient homes that can sell at a premium and operate more efficiently. Understand how the IRA is being leveraged by national and local builders to produce resilient and sustainable homes your clients will be proud to own.

11:30am - 12:00pm
Maximizing Advanced Analytics: A Step Change in Real Estate Transactions

Speaker: Craig Kaiser, President and Co-founder, LandGate

Information and access to comprehensive and accurate data is key to winning any transaction. In this session, with the help of LandGate, a data-based marketplace for listing land for sale or lease, learn how leveraging advanced data solutions can provide a competitive edge in the evolving landscape of real estate and renewable energy. With proprietary analytics that expose hidden value and risks on every property, LandGate serves as the world’s largest marketplace for energy related transactions. Discover how the integration of these analytics into real estate marketplaces and facilitating direct and efficient connections between buyers and sellers can equip you with the knowledge, tools, and competitive edge needed to make data-driven decisions in property selection and energy projects.

12:00pm - 1:00pm
Lunch

1:00pm - 1:45pm
Prevent, Prepare, Prosper: Getting on Path to Low-Carbon, Resilient Housing

Speaker: Steve Winkelman, Executive Director, Ottawa Climate Action Fund

Explore compelling solutions and gain useful insights to some of the industry’s biggest questions. How can we cut carbon pollution, keep the lights on, lower energy bills and protect our homes from worsening climate change impacts? Can we do all that and increase housing supply and affordability? What is the economic case for "beyond-the-building" community solutions on energy and travel efficiency? What are the roles and responsibilities of the real estate agent and the homeowner? How can government, industry, and community work together to multi-solve? Leave this session inspired to act with more urgency and collaborative impact.

1:45pm - 2:15pm
NAR’s Federal Advocacy Efforts to Promote Sustainability

Speakers: Russell Riggs, Director, Environmental and Sustainability Policy, National Association of REALTORS®; John Rosshirt, 2024 Chair, Sustainability Advisory Group, National Association of REALTORS®

Learn about NAR’s® federal legislative, regulatory, and legal advocacy efforts to promote sustainability and protect property rights.

2:15pm - 3:00pm
From Grassroots to Green Roofs: Local Sustainability Efforts in The Heights

Speakers: Amy Peterson, REALTOR®, Edina Realty; Cecile Bedor, Chief Real Estate Officer, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity; Dan Collison, Senior Director of Business Development & Public Affairs, Sherman Associates; Jenae Batt, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Ever-Green Energy

The Heights is the newest and biggest redevelopment project from Saint Paul Port Authority in partnership with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and Ever-Green Energy. The plan not only calls for both housing and light industrial redevelopment, but the Heights could be one of the first Net Zero communities in the country with a Platinum LEED for Communities certification. Discover the vision behind this significant redevelopment and gain insights from experts working directly on the project into how local sustainability efforts are shaping the future of urban redevelopment.

3:00pm - 3:15pm
Closing Remarks