The Speakers
As always, the speaker line-up at this year’s Gathering is made-up from my “million-dollar rolodex” of real estate insiders…
I created this rolodex the hard way, by racking-up millions of air miles, traveling to dozens of countries and meeting with the real estate elite there.
It’s the result of more than twenty years on the road.
You won’t see these people on Instagram, bragging about their wealth, or promising you how to get-rich-quick with real estate…
They are very private and very serious people.
For many of them, The Gathering is the only public event they’ll attend all year.
And because of the small and intimate format of The Gathering, you’ll have the chance to mingle with them and ask them any questions you have about their beat.
When you attend The Gathering this year, you’ll hear from:
Ronan McMahon (Global)
I’m a global real estate scout and investor. I’ve been hunting down and investing in real estate deals for more than 20 years. In 2008, I founded Real Estate Trend Alert. The rest, as they say, is history.
At this year’s Gathering, I will talk about the historic home I just purchased in Portugal…and the latest discoveries from my most recent scouting trips.
Margaret Summerfield (Global)
As always, I’ll be joined on stage by my right-hand woman and Gathering Master of Ceremonies Margaret Summerfield.
Margaret has been with me at Real Estate Trend Alert from the very beginning. She’s a no-nonsense straight-talker and there’s no one I trust more.
Jose Ramon Contijoch (Riviera Maya, Mexico)
At The Gathering last year Jose Ramon unveiled a brand-new investment opportunity in Playa del Carmen… a chance for attendees to buy in the master-planned community of Corasol.
Located just a 30-minute walk from downtown, Corasol is a beachside oasis with lots of open space and even a golf course, yet still close to all the action of Playa’s pumping Fifth Avenue.
Frankly there’s nothing else like it in Playa del Carme and that’s why I invested alongside attendees.
This year, Jose Ramon will give investors an update on the deal at Corasol and its future opportunities.
Alfredo Aleman (Panama)
Alfredo is a member of one of Central America’s most successful and prolific real estate families. His father was a key player in Panama City’s transformation into a world trade hub.
Alfredo has been involved in building high-rise towers, malls, transport hubs, expat communities and even a luxury community on man-made islands in the Bay of Panama.
At this year’s Gathering, Alfredo will reveal the incredible investment opportunity that Panama offers and how you can take advantage of it. .
Shawn Fletcher (Costa Rica)
His passion is helping others buy their dream home in paradise, and he’s appeared on the TV shows International House Hunters and Beach Front Bargain Hunt.
He also has a unique income investment strategy which generates gross rental yields of more than 20%.
Geoffrey Donoghue (Spain)
Geoffrey has spent his entire life in real estate, over fifty years, starting as a kid by his father’s side on building projects in Dublin.
In the 1990’s he relocated from Ireland to Spain’s Costa del Sol and founded Always Marbella to help others buy their dream home in the sun.
Now with over two decades living on the Costa del Sol, and raising his family there, no one knows the Costa del Sol’s real estate market better than Geoffrey.
Alan Gongora (Medellin, Colombia)
After earning his B.A. from the University of Michigan and his J.D. from Harvard Law School, Alan became a lawyer in New York City. But the career was burning him out…
When the U.S. housing bubble collapsed and business slowed, Alan used the opportunity to travel and recuperate. His journey eventually took him to Medellin, Colombia where he settled and opened a law firm.
Alan has since helped hundreds of expats with a host of legal services, like setting up businesses to buying real estate in Colombia.
Zach Lunin (Nicaragua)
In 2003 Zach bought a one-way ticket to Mexico City to escape a corporate career in the Boston area. From Mexico City he journeyed south until he arrived in Nicaragua, where he’s lived ever since.
Settling in San Juan del Sur in 2004, Zach now helps others buy real estate in this overlooked paradise.
Sure, Nicaragua is a political basket-case. But it could be among the best places in the world to buy real estate for those willing to look beyond the headlines. Zach will tell you where at The Gathering 2025.
Gonzalo VĂquez Jr. (COSTA RICA)
Viquez Oreamuno & Associates Real Estate Law
LIC. Gonzalo Viquez Carazo (JR) is a Real Estate Attorney, Partner and Founder of VIQUEZ OREAMUNO & ASSOCIATES law firm in Costa Rica. His 26 years of experience covers a broad range of real estate law, including assisting clients in real estate transactions purchases, relocation, due diligence, escrow, sales and leases of property and much more.
Ryan Pitts (Riviera Maya, Mexico)
Ryan moved from cold Winnipeg, Canada to Mexico’s Riviera Maya way back in 2007.
Originally a seller of real estate on the Riviera Maya, Ryan became a buyer when he realized the huge investment potential there.
He’s bought and owned real estate in Tulum and Playa del Carmen and owns his own vacation rental management company that covers both cities.
Ivan Castillo (MEXICO)
Title Solutions
Ivan Castillo is a Mexican real estate attorney. In 1999, he obtained a law degree from Universidad Iberoamericana in MĂ©xico City. Ivan is the founding partner of Title Solutions de MĂ©xico, a title company located in the Riviera Maya. During the past 19 years, he has supervised the closing of real estate transactions for RETA members in multiple locations within Mexico, including Playa del Carmen, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, San Miguel de Allende, among others.
Special Session:
Brad Costanzo on
the Impact of A.I. in Real Estate…
Brad Costanzo is a seasoned entrepreneur, growth strategist and investor. He advises business owners and corporations on how to grow their business using innovative yet proven strategies. He serves as the Chief AI Officer and Head of Strategy for Brandetize, an agency he’s a partner in.
Brad is also a RETA member with two properties in Lagos, Portugal.
At The Gathering 2025 Brad will talk about the game changing potential of A.I. and what opportunities it presents for our beat and real estate investors.
*Remember, this speaker list is subject to change.