Need to escape the monotony of everyday routines? What about attending a real estate conference to add variety to your busy life?
Though most agents say they neither have the time nor see it urgent in the information age, attending relevant events and real estate conferences has obvious advantages to your business – you can meet inspiring people, obtain more knowledge of the market, make a couple of good connections, and have fun! Dozens of realtor conferences and networking events are hosted every year. Have you ever attended one? We recommend you reconsider attending at least a few. If one day you decide to spend time and cost on a real estate conference, you may face questions like what to wear to a real estate conference, how to network at a conference, or what to take to a conference. The following tips tell you how to make the most of every realtor conference.
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Winning Networking Tips at a Real Estate Conference
Plan Ahead
The reason agents should attend real estate conferences is that a specialized conference is one of the best places to build business relationships. Next time you plan to attend a real estate conference, think of 5-10 people you want to meet there. Contact them and get the meeting scheduled. This later avoids having a hard time finding one another. If you need to get in touch but they don’t feel comfortable exchanging phone numbers, you can ask for their email address. These Days, everybody carries a smartphone in his bag or pocket, so it will be easy to send and receive emails.
Download the real estate conference app ahead and go through the conference program so that you can decide on the must-attend sessions. It would be better to consider some free time between sessions to meander through the conference area or lobby. You never know whom you might bump into. Perhaps a golden networking opportunity is standing there!
What to Take to a Conference
A real estate conference is a place to exchange information, listen to top leaders’ and experts’ stories and learn from experiences, get informed about new trends in various niche markets, and refine your prospecting, marketing, and selling skills. Note-taking is the best way to keep your learnings safe from being forgotten over time. Take a laptop or tablet and a battery charger or a notebook and a pen with you to take notes during lectures and workshops.
Don’t forget to put a stack of business cards in your bag or pocket for networking and giveaways. It’s still common practice in conferences to exchange business cards. Want your business cards to create buzz and stand out? You’ve come to the right place. At AgentPrint, you can design and order professional realtor business cards. Here are absolutely killer realtor business card ideas to seal the deal in the current year. At last, double-check the items you need for the real estate conference before departure.
What to Wear to a Real Estate Conference
Not necessarily like when you go to a wedding ceremony! But try to look your best when meeting new people – first impressions are the most lasting. Just wear something that makes you feel like a million bucks! Your body and feet will thank you if you wear something in which you feel comfortable for 10 hours or more.
Prepare an Out-of-office Message
The main reason many agents refuse to attend real estate events and conferences is that they are usually snowed under with business responsibilities. What if you miss an important call or an ideal sale opportunity because you weren’t available when you should have? To rest assured that everything goes well, send your clients a professional out-of-office email including the starting date and date of return just the same way you do when on a vacation. When attending a conference, out of office messages can save you from losing sales and customers.
What if an emergency comes about? Your out-of-office email should stipulate how your clients can contact you if they really need to get in touch with you. For example, the email subject ”URGENT!” tells you what emails must be addressed first.
Learn, Connect, and Do Some Deals
The first reason agents and brokers should attend a real estate conference is that such events usually convene experts, industry leaders, and top professionals. Where else can you find such sources of knowledge and expertise? Write down useful tips and interesting ideas. You can learn a lot by attending a real estate conference but your learnings will be forgotten quickly if they aren’t written down somewhere.
The second reason you need to be there is to build new relationships. Don’t hide in a corner – put your phone in your bag or pocket, step out of your comfort zone, and socialize with people. It may be difficult to start a conversation with strangers but remember that everyone is there to meet new people. Besides, there is a chance that you are forced into a conversation with someone.
Business relationships are an integral part of any business. Once established, business relationships must be nurtured or they will be lost soon. To build a strong referral base, you first need to foster the existing relationships. Making new connections might be easy but maintaining mutually beneficial relationships requires consistent work overtime.
Nowadays people are usually busy with daily routines and job responsibilities. In-person meetings may require hours of driving and phone calls can disturb people. Thanks to the internet, there are a couple of alternative communication channels to keep your relationships healthy and strong in an unobtrusive way.
While taking notes at every session, add a few things about the people you just met and the subjects you spoke about so you can use the information later on. Follow them on social media, refer them to your clients, create and send them interesting newsletters, comment on their blogs and social pages, make them happy on their birthday with a gift, or send them greeting cards on holidays or special occasions. These simple things help you stay in touch with your networking contacts.
Once you leave the real estate conference, follow up with people you met there through social media. You should do it on your way home, otherwise, you may completely forget about it.
How to Network At a Conference
An ideal real estate conference is the one you walk out of with dozens of business cards. Get connected with as many people as you can. If the conference does not host a dinner, join after-hours social gatherings to have some fun and conversations. Such gatherings are the best time to make the best connections.
Are you invited to a party including people you’ve never met before? That’s great! Does someone invite you to dinner? Say yes and thank them. Don’t miss the chance to meet or socialize with others. You never know where you’ll meet your next client. Besides, they may introduce you to a couple of leads.
For a business, connections are a sign that it is powerful and can withstand sudden changes. Strong connections guarantee a greater level of trust and a quick share of information. After you are back at your office or home, take the time and think about what your takeaway from the real estate conference was. What actions can you take to move your real estate business forward?
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