Boston, MA — With the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) conference so close in Boston, Badger Peabody & Smith Realty was pleased to participate by helping to send over fifteen of the firm's agents to the conference.

The agents were joined by over 15,000 agents from all across the nation as they attended the conference in mid-November in Boston. This year's NAR conference, entitled "NXT, The REALTOR® Experience" was held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. The event featured discussions on market trends, emerging tools, and innovative approaches that help agents better serve their clients and customers.

This year's NAR NXT conference was highlighted by notable speakers, including former Boston Red Sox player David Ortiz, who shared insights on leadership and resilience; Nate Silver, founder of FiveThirtyEight, on data-driven decision-making; and Marcus Buckingham, renowned author and strengths-focused researcher, on leading change. These sessions, along with many others, allowed the Badger Peabody & Smith Realty team to gain valuable knowledge and insights they can bring directly back to our clients.

"Conferences like NAR NXT help us stay connected to industry changes, learn more about AI as a tool agents can use and this was also a way to strengthen our team's shared commitment to excellent client service," said Brendan Battenfelder, Vice President of Sales.
He added, "Our agents return with both fresh knowledge and renewed energy, ready to apply what they've learned to help sellers and buyers navigate today's dynamic market."

The agents from the firm who attended were: Nikki Barrett, Missy Sullivan, Danielle Ventre, Maggie Jones, Austin Hale, Ellen Kremer Christian, Jackie Elliott, Tara Peirce, Bernadette Donohue, Fran Matott, Vespar Duffy, Keegan Rice, Jason Cape, Matthew Penner & Jeana Hale-Dewitt. Also in attendance, VP of Sales Brendan Battenfelder and Broker/Owner Andy Smith.

Ellen Kremer Christian said of the conference, "It was truly reinforced to me that homeownership remains a key to wealth in the country. To participate in that wealth, you have to get into the market and our role as agents is to help buyers and sellers achieve their desired outcomes."

Jason Cape said, "Flood insurance sometimes comes up in our markets and with this we learned that FEMA will now allow monthly installments for flood insurance premiums and that flood insurance policies can be assumed by the buyer. In this business, we always learn new things that benefit our sellers and buyers – I was glad to learn of this and will be sharing the knowledge."

For Missy Sullivan, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) was fascinating. Sullivan said, "While the session was about the use of AI, there was a discussion about branding. So while AI has many uses, we have the ability to create emotional connections with our clients and customers. Over the past 32 years that I've been in real estate, I know I have experienced everything possible in a transaction, but I am still learning new things which keeps this career interesting. It is our human experience and knowledge that helps guild our clients through wavy waters and helps to get them to their end goal."

Jeana Hale-Dewitt from our North Conway office said, "The convention was a wonderful experience. It was an amazing opportunity to get to know other agents from our firm, as well as meet new agents from across the country. The educational opportunities were numerous and covered many diverse topics – I certainly gained some knowledge and some tips to strengthen my business and assist our sellers and buyers."

Andy Smith, Broker/Owner of Badger Peabody & Smith Realty said, "For our agents, NAR NXT wasn't just about professional development but also served as a powerful team-building experience. The time spent learning, exchanging ideas, and discussing best practices fostered a stronger bond among our agents, reinforcing the collaborative culture that's central to our company." With regards to the real estate market, Smith commented, "Based on the economic sessions we attended, the demand for housing is expected to remain high, likely keeping housing prices strong in 2025 across many markets, including the ones we serve."

Badger Peabody & Smith Realty is the North Country, Mt. Washington Valley, Lakes Region of NH, Western Maine and Northeast Kingdom of Vermont representative of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (LeadingRE.com). With a membership that spans six continents, LeadingRE aligns 550 firms and 138,000 sales associates. As a member of LeadingRE, Badger Peabody & Smith Realty combines authentic local market leadership with top-ranked resources and relationships with other premier real estate firms across the country and worldwide. With the combined resources of over 60 full-time agents, and eight offices, Badger Peabody & Smith Realty is available to help sellers and buyers in their journey home. They can be reached online at www.badgerpeabodysmith.com.