It’s January, which means the season of real estate brokerage conferences will soon be here. If you plan to attend brand or network conferences, or industry gatherings, here are some helpful strategies to help you survive and thrive successfully.
What are your objectives for attending the conference? Education, networking, discovering new technologies, meeting potential vendors, or mixing a little business with pleasure? So much to do over the span of, typically, a few days — conference days can be long, but very fulfilling if you plan correctly.
Networking at Real Estate Brokerage Conferences
Get the event agenda as soon as possible, and determine when you want to attend. Every conference will have speakers and seminars, so identify those you really want to attend and mark those on your calendar. You’d be surprised how much time this can take up.
Networking events are common at trade shows and real estate brokerage conferences. Be sure to mark these times on your calendar as well. The objective here is to chat with as many folks as possible while remaining present and in the moment. Introduce yourself and what you do, and before parting, ask for the other person’s business card.
Which brings us to business cards — bring them. Bring lots of them. Load up before leaving the hotel each morning. Running out of business cards is very frustrating, so bring way more than you think you’ll need.
Meeting with Vendors at Real Estate Brokerage Conferences
Typically, there is a vendor showroom with products and services to see. Try to go through this area earlier in the conference, so you can identify potential vendors to have more engaged conversations over the next few days. Some of these show floors can have a dizzying array of options, so get the lay of the land, and then have more engaged conversations after you’ve scoped it all out and can focus on your needs. Take some time here, as you can learn about tools (like, for instance, TRIBUS’ own custom real estate brokerage websites) that can really help your brokerage and agents be more successful. Often vendors have “show specials,” so be sure to enquire about those as well.
With your calendar up to date, you’re in a great position to ask for, or reply to one-on-one meetings with potential partners, customers, or vendors. Don’t be shy about accepting these meetings, as its part of why you’re attending, and why vendors sponsor these events. You may be surprised by what you’ll learn. They don’t have to be long; 15-30 minutes is often enough. These face-to-face interactions can be very helpful in establishing these relationships. Don’t be this King:
With a bit of planning, you can extract full value from your time and expense of attending a real estate conference. See you on the road!
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