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Real estate self-promotion: Do you attend these meetings?

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Marte Cliff Copywriting

In your efforts to promote your real estate services, do you attend HOA meetings, Chamber of Commerce meetings, and meetings of the Planning & Zoning Commission and the City Council?

I believe you should, for three good reasons:

  • You'll be seen by the community leaders.
  • You'll actually KNOW what's going on in your community.
  • You'll be able to let your prospects know that you know by blogging about what you've learned.

Attendance at these meetings will add to your image as the local real estate expert.business meeting

Participating with questions and comments will make you visible – so that others who care about the community will notice you and see you as a real estate professional who cares about the future of the community and makes the effort to have the facts.

By now you know that blogging about local events is beneficial. Not only do people who are thinking of moving to your city find you and see you as a knowledgeable agent, potential listing clients will also see you.

Those folks who want to know but don’t want to know badly enough to go to the meetings themselves will find you when they're searching for information.

Here's a bonus: Depending upon what you say in those meetings, you could get additional recognition when the local news reporter quotes you as a "Voice of real estate." You can't even buy that kind of advertising!

If you’re shy about speaking up in public meetings…

When I first started attending meetings as a real estate broker, making myself speak up was torture. My mouth would go dry and I knew I must be shaking hard enough for everyone to see. I'm sure my voice was shaking.

I did it anyway, because there were things going on that I really cared about. But I was terrified!

Then I learned a trick: Get there early and sit in the front row. When you do that, you focus on the few people sitting in the front of the room, conducting the meeting. (If it's a more informal meeting, where you'll be arranged around a table, sit as close as you can to the person conducting the meeting.)

You'll feel like you are speaking just to them, and you won’t see all the other attendees who are looking at you as you speak.

The other good thing - the more you go and the more you speak up, the easier it gets.

 

 

Image courtesy of franky242 |freedigitalimages.net

This post first appeared at: https://copybymarte.com/real-estate-self-promotion-are-you-attending-these-meetings/

Comments(48)

Jan Green - Scottsdale, AZ
Value Added Service, 602-620-2699 - Scottsdale, AZ
HomeSmart Elite Group, REALTOR®, EcoBroker, GREEN

That's an excellent idea!  Sitting in the front is also a great way to hear and see everything first hand.  My distance vision isn't perfect and I've stalled getting full time glasses so sitting up front would be helpful.  I love your idea about going to city council meetings for MANY reasons, being more relevant helps our credibility.  Excellent!

Oct 13, 2018 08:57 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Debe Maxwell, CRS Hopefully I'll never have to give a presentation again, but if I do, I'll remember that trick.

Good for you, Grant Schneider. People see you and know you're involved with the community, not just there to make money.

 

 

Oct 13, 2018 10:05 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Barbara Todaro - I think all agents, and especially those who sell new construction, should know what's in the planning stages.

Jan Green I agree. I've been in real estate classes when I got there after the front seats were filled - and from the back I couldn't even hear what the "instructor" was saying. It's not easy to take a nap sitting up, but I did it a few times.

Oct 13, 2018 10:07 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

                         

                                         Thank you, Marte.

Oct 13, 2018 07:04 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Thank you Kathy Streib - it's always an honor to be included in your weekly post.

Oct 13, 2018 07:59 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Marte, have attended my HOA meetings, and not shy about speaking.   We had to attend the City Council meeting on behalf of the REALTOR community talking about the Construction Defect and hoping builders start building condos again.   

Oct 14, 2018 06:32 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

I don't attend these meetings anymore. I'm practically retired. I have attended many in the past and I wish I had figured out that "sit in the front row" thing. What a brilliant idea!

Oct 14, 2018 06:55 AM
Debb Janes
Nature As Neighbors - Camas, WA
Put My Love of Nature At Work for You

We were both on the board of our HOA for years. Now, we are out of the neighborhood with no HOA. It did keep us front and center. My husband also attends local meetings regarding zoning, etc. 

Oct 14, 2018 08:36 AM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good morning Marte Cliff,

I'm so glad that Kathy Streib featured this post in her "Ah-ha" moments for the week. These are good tips on learning how to speak up and become a valuable resource to the community and become recognized. Sitting in the front row is brilliant!

Oct 14, 2018 09:34 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Good for making your voice heard, Joan Cox - I hope they paid attention to you.

Sharon Tara Should you ever decide to attend those meetings again, try it. It really helped me.

 

 

Oct 14, 2018 02:15 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Debb Janes EcoBroker and Bernie Stea JD - Good! He can keep you in the loop.

Thanks Dorie Dillard CRS GRI ABR - for people as shy as I am, every little trick helps.

Oct 14, 2018 02:17 PM
Pat Starnes-Front Gate Realty
Front Gate Real Estate - Brandon, MS
601-991-2900 Office; 601-278-4513 Cell

I attended an HOA meeting a month ago and a Town Hall meeting last week. It's nice to be an active part of the community and be visible.

Oct 15, 2018 02:44 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Good for you Pat Starnes-Front Gate Realty - you'll have the latest information to share with clients - and those who see you at the meetings will know you take an active interest in the community.

Oct 15, 2018 03:25 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Just curious - I'm wondering how many of your town hall, Chamber of Commerce, City Council, Planning & Zoning, etc. meetings are televised. I was just remembering that our City meetings were. They were on a local cable service, but that meant all the citizens who wanted to be in the know could tune in without having to go sit on those hard chairs.

If yours are televised it's one more reason to go and to speak out.

Oct 15, 2018 03:28 PM
Pat Starnes-Front Gate Realty
Front Gate Real Estate - Brandon, MS
601-991-2900 Office; 601-278-4513 Cell

Marte, at the recent Town Hall meeting, I heard a city official say they were live streaming the meeting. I have looked for that link but it may have expired by now. So even if the meeting isn't televised, it could still have far reaching effects.

Oct 15, 2018 03:46 PM
Tom Bailey
Margaret Rudd & Associates Inc. - Oak Island, NC

Marte, good suggestions! I try to go to as many of these meetings as possible. I love the exposure 

Oct 15, 2018 06:42 PM
John Henry, Florida Architect
John Henry Masterworks Design International, Inc. - Orlando, FL
Residential Architect, Luxury Custom Home Design

The best way to be remembered or noticed is to be seen and heard, especially in local political or business functions.  Unfortunately, unless I have something personally at stake, I tend to avoid them.  Most likely a big mistake.

Oct 15, 2018 06:54 PM
Lottie Kendall
Compass - San Francisco, CA
Helping make your real estate dreams a reality

Good tips, Marte. I definitely agreee with your "sit in the front row" advice.

Oct 15, 2018 08:02 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

That's good, Pat Starnes-Front Gate Realty - more exposure for you when you speak out - or even when you're just seen being there and being in the know.

Tom Bailey When I was a broker I went because I thought I "should" know what was going on in town - but I'm sure the exposure didn't hurt me any!

Oct 15, 2018 08:28 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

John Henry - I agree. Probably a mistake. But... as we all know, there are only so many hours in a day. You need a few of them to have a personal life.

Lottie Kendall For me it was a no-brainer. It was not only easier for me to speak out, it was easier to hear what they were saying up in front! Of course it put me closer to that annoying P&Z member who chewed her gum like a cow chewing it's cud... but you have to sacrifice at times.

Oct 15, 2018 08:31 PM