It all began around a campfire 29 years ago: 50 real estate leaders came together in a redwood grove in Sonoma County, California, for the first Inman Connect.
“It was quite chilly,” remembered Inman News founder Brad Inman at Inman Connect New York in 2016. “We had hand warmers. We had blankets. We had a fire pit. We roasted a pig. And we drank and talked about how technology and the internet — because that’s right when the commercial internet began — were going to disrupt real estate.”
Among those first attendees were Joel Singer, then-CEO of the California Association of Realtors; Richard Janssen, founder of the firm that became Move Inc. and the technology behind Realtor.com; Saul Klein, a pioneer of the early online real estate community RealTown; and Ward Hansen, a Stanford professor studying internet marketing.
That small, spirited gathering in the woods planted the seeds for a movement — one that would grow into an industry tradition, a catalyst for change and a community that continues to define the future of real estate.
A legacy built by community
Through market highs and housing crashes, through commission debates and tech revolutions, through lawsuits, AI and everything in between, one thing has remained constant: the people who keep showing up.
Agents who adapted.
Brokers who led through uncertainty.
Founders who dared to challenge the status quo.
Inman Connect alumni aren’t just attendees; they’re the architects of modern real estate. They’ve been there for the biggest shifts, not just to witness them, but to shape them.
That’s why this year’s celebration isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about recognition of the operators, believers and builders who have kept this community alive and of the new generation ready to carry it forward.
The next 30 years begin here
In 2026, we celebrate 30 years of collectives, collisions and courageous thinking. We celebrate the people who took chances, asked better questions and pushed this industry forward.
The next era of real estate will be defined by community, transparency and shared innovation. The conversations that happen here will shape what’s next — for agents, brokers, technologists and consumers alike.
So, this February, we invite you back to the campfire — to the stage, the hallways, the conversations that started it all.
To look each other in the eye and say: We’re still here, we’re still building and we’re just getting started.
Inman Connect New York 2026
Year 30. The Community Era.
Hilton Midtown | Feb. 3 – 5, 2026
