Every gathering of real estate investors is a highly concentrated area of opportunity. Perhaps the most popular venue of all is the real estate investing conference or expo event, wherein educators, vendors, and hundreds of investors converge in one location to learn, connect, influence, and, hopefully, do some deals.
Doesn’t it seem that some investors get a lot more out of these events than others? If you feel like you just shake hands while other attendees get their deals funded, their careers launched, and their portfolios padded, take a minute to review these tips. Odds, are, you simply are not maximizing your attendance.
Good news: That’s easy to fix!
In today’s highly connected world there are many, many ways to leverage event attendance like a pro both online and in person. Below are Think Realty’s top three pro tips for getting the most out of a real estate expo.
1. Sign your name on every line
If you attend a real estate conference in person, you’ll be provided with ample opportunities to give the hosts, the exhibitors, the educators, and other investors your contact information. Hand it over! Check out all of the available conference materials from exhibitors and speakers online. Most will provide you with a way to sign up for more educational materials online or otherwise contact them.
2. Actively Attend as Many Sessions as Possible
Attend every session that you possibly can and actively engage with the speaker. Keep an ear out for real estate investing strategies that you can incorporate into your own investing toolbox. Take the time to speak personally to each presenter. You never know when that meeting will expand into something much more.
Don’t restrict yourself to just face-to-face interactions, either. Follow the conference’s host organization, the conference itself, and as many speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors as possible on social media. Be aware of and track relevant hashtags. Check out the event’s press kit. Between officially sanctioned live streaming, real-time reporting, next-day conference coverage, and all the tweeting and Facebooking that goes on organically at these events, you’ll feel like you sat in the front-row seat all day.
Just a note: Many conferences allow attendees to access one or more custom apps that provide additional networking opportunities as well as advance information about the conference.
3. Look and Be Professional
When attending a real estate conference, you’re going to want to look your best. While you might forgo a suit and tie, the odds are good that you’ll wear a clean shirt, comb your hair, and make sure your breath and your business cards are fresh. This way, you feel confident and are more likely to network effectively and prolifically at the event.
Freshen up your online presence as well. Every social media profile should feature a nice, professional picture in place for the duration of the event. Cutting-edge events usually stream highlights on Facebook Live, so you may get to interact with other investors possibly the presenter. The image they see when you are visible online should be clean cut and professional, not that Throwback Thursday picture of you doing keg stands on Spring Break in college.
Once you have mastered the art of truly maximizing real estate conference attendance, you will find that these events no longer feel like work and are really fun.
0 Comments