« Splashcast Partners with Hulu: Add TV Channels to Your Facebook or MySpace Page
The Furor Over The Real Estate Downfall »

Realtor Stay Home

Published by Jonathan Dalton December 13th, 2008 in Marketing tips. Comments

Guest Post by Jonathan Dalton

We’re quickly approaching a brand new year and a new round of real estate conferences vying for your attention. Inman, NAR, your franchise’s international convention … all are billed as must-see TV, the ONE conference you absolutely must attend in order to salvage your real estate career.

If you can’t afford to go in this economy, goes the logic, then you’re exactly the person who can’t afford not to go.

Let me spare you some angst. Just stay home.

And not because there’s not value to be had in the conferences. Personally, the lure of hearing David Knox is almost enough to get me to the RE/MAX Convention in Las Vegas. No … I saw stay home because, if you’re honest with yourself, at the end of day there’s little from any of these conventions that you’re going to take away and implement into your business.

Jeff Brown, aka the Bawld Guy, said it best a week ago in response to a post on Agent Genius …

90% of agents find it difficult to adapt to rainy days much less market changes in real time.

He may be a bit optimistic when it comes to the other 10% (keep in mind that real estate bloggers, who with a handful of exceptions tend to be the brightest, most easily adaptable of the bunch, constitute a far smaller percentage) but that’s a topic for another day.

The larger issue is behavior. Most agents will attend one of these conventions, jot down some notes, go home and promptly abandon those plans faster than a New Year’s weight reduction resolution.

Why? Because making a chance requires effort. And there’s a sizable portion of the real estate population who aren’t in this business to work. They’re in the business to pick the low-hanging fruit for as long as possible, then stare at the tree and wonder why these easy pickings aren’t repopulating as fast as sharks’ teeth.

In spite of this aversion to work … or maybe because of it … real estate agents are more susceptible than most to the idea of the golden bullet, the Holy Grail, the one and only thing they can do tomorrow that will lead to untold riches.

And this is why we will flock to conventions believing the one true answer awaits us upon our arrival, even though the reality is if that answer was handed to us, most of us wouldn’t recognize it and wouldn’t do a thing with it.

So with that in mind, take my advice. Stay home this time around. Watch the convention chatter on Twitter.

Because unless you’re committed to implementing what you learn, there’s nothing that will happen for you there that can’t happen to you in your own living room.

Jonathan Dalton, REALTOR, e-Pro
RE/MAX Desert Showcase
(602) 502-9693
www.AllPhoenixRealEstate.com

Got something to get off your chest? Sent your rant to sellsius@gmail[dot]com

Share This Post
  • Joe -- I get the distinction. The problem is, most conferences charge as if they're handing you the one and only map to the Holy Grail. If it's a networking event, that's good, but when they're promoted as THE place to 'learn what's new and effective, blah blah blah, networking alone doesn't cut it. I can network anywhere using any flimsy excuse, and it won't cost me anything with a comma in it.
  • I see your point. But what marketer of conferences isn't guilty of a little puffery? Still, those commas can put a crimp in one's conference, especially in lean times. No doubt. And to your (and Jon's) point that the failure to implement good ideas makes any event you attend of little value, I agree. But then the contrary might be true-- that using the ideas you've learned listening or talking to or networking with, intelligent, creative people might yield a worthwhile ROI. Still, one has to choose, based on one's circumstance, and the Holy Grail might indeed be found at the local Starbucks over a mochachino.
  • Jon -- Had the 'puter off most of the weekend.

    The last 'conference' or seminar I went to that I felt was not only well worth the time and money spent, but had legs, was in 1980. The current crop falls short, to be kind, with some exceptions.

    The day long 'barcamps' are more than likely to send you packing with more than one applicable morsel. Unchained is also been a standout, as it does what so many don't seem to think is necessary -- outline what needs doing, and show attendees the 'step by step' required to actually do it.

    The rest of these things fall into the 'If you takeaway one thing' category. 'Course I go for two reasons usually unrelated to the meeting's subject matter -- road trip, and networking.

    The one suggestion I'd make to conference organizers is this.

    Go further in the teaching. Don't show concept with a modicum of detail. Take folks from A to Z. In other words, teach them to fish, don't talk about how fun fishing is, or how effective fishing is in nourishing us. Actually teach.
  • Good points Jeff.

    Perhaps a distinction is in order-- conferences may be better suited for
    networking, forging partnerships, and sharing/discovering new ideas, whereas
    workshops/classes *teach* the A-Z application of the ideas you picked up at
    the conference. Also, "step by step" workshops tend to work better with
    small groups.
  • Laurie - I was all set to head to the RE/MAX Convention until I looked at the costs side by side with a trip to Disneyland with the kids. They've earned it so we're going there instead. My online friends will have to wait a bit.

    Ken - If someone can find value and will actually implement something, then it's worth the trip. But very, very few do. As to the general point of these things, I realized a while back that I'm not the intended audience these days.

    Kelley - the trick is to get a picture of me without a drink in my hand. That's a virtual collectors' item.

    Ardell - I never watched West Wing. Is this a good thing?

    John - Yes and no. I'm starting to lean toward Teresa's contention that there's a new breed of near-incompetence coming into the business - don't know how to do much more than prepare a BPO, take a handful of bad photos and e-mail their asset manager when they get a contract. No marketing skill, no negotiating skill.
  • More conferences................yawn..................... Only go to hang out with my online friends. We've been chatting about that lately. 4 days in Mexico hanging on the beach sounds more inviting...............
  • "If you can’t afford to go in this economy, goes the logic, then you’re exactly the person who can’t afford not to go."

    I love that line. I hear it all the time and it's usually for conferences that are way, way overpriced.

    I hate to say it, John, but I think you're right about this and that's a shame. You would think that the real estate gurus and franchises and, yes NAR and CRS, would or could come up with something more relevant and timely.

    But, nooooo..... I think it's all they can do to stop from evangelizing about cold calling and door knocking and even then some will say that's a great idea for expireds and FSBOs.

    My criteria this year: some place warm and some place inviting where I can have some fun.

    Hey, Jow Spake? It's not a good time to buy??? :-)
  • "don't have to worry about Teresa B. getting a picture of you with a drink in your hand."

    with you, my friend, that's not the kind of photo we worry about... (doh!)
  • You remind me of Toby in West Wing in this post LOL!
  • I agree, the "if you only implement one thing" is ridiculous.

    I think this market has been weeding out the ones who don't treat real estate as a business as the low hanging fruit has pretty much stopped blooming.
  • Matthew - there have been a couple recently that to me fall into that category. All of what you went to hear was readily available already online for those who chose to look.

    Joe - I missed my chance locally since I had other plans the weekend of AZPodCamp. That, I heard, was pretty cool.

    The one thing I didn't mention is the lone aspect that remains strong is the social part, but even that can be accomplished online and you don't have to worry about Teresa B. getting a picture of you with a drink in your hand. :-)
  • How true, how true, Jonathan. These real estate gatherings have become humorously irrelevant. Take for example the upcoming CRS Sell-a-bration - about 15 sessions, with only one on technology and social media.
    I am tired of learning about improving my listing presentation, working short sales, and breeding loyal clients, as I am besieged by vendors. They usually tell you that if you spend the 3 days at a conference and get just one thing you can put to work for you, it's worth it. Well who came up with that line? Probably the same folks that came up with , "It's a good time to buy."
    How about recommending some non-real estate, techie or social media conferences? That is where I am looking to spend my traveling budget in 2009.
  • Very, very well done. As much as I enjoy road trips, I'm getting fewer and fewer revelations, per se. Typically when I go to a training session any more, I've almost always read the material elsewhere....however I am forever astonished at the number of folks who are excited at all the "new" things they've heard.
blog comments powered by Disqus
Blog Widget by LinkWithin