There are things you can do at a networking session that simply can't be done on the MLS or in an open forum. Most of this I published 3 years ago:
Back in 1974 I went to my first meeting with Chapter Number One of the Farm and Land Institute a division of the NAR, now called the REALTORS® Land Institute. At that time they were the dominant commercial arm of the NAR, Unlike the better known and better educated CCIMs these were people, people. They taught me was you don't need to talk about the property, leave that to the CCIM's!
Yes, I did say that you don't need to talk about the property!
At FLI marketing sessions we rarely talked about the property we talked about solving the people problem! It's not that we don't need to know about the property we do, but facts are facts, put them in writing. Print a flyer, a hand out sheet, a copy of the MLS print out. Don't except us to take sufficient notes about the property to sell it to our investors when we get to a phone or back home!
Here we are thirty-four years later and that's still great advice, but what does it have to do with networking?
Networking gives us access to people like those old FLI brokers who can help, people with hard earned experience, people that will with-in reason share freely. Give them the facts about the property in writing, so that they can have them in hand while discussing your problem. When talking we're going to look for solutions which more often than not have much more to do with the buyer and seller than the property.
If you're looking for help, be prepared to discuss both of your clients needs wants, desires, and assets, because that's where the solution lies.
One more thing remember that "within reason" there is a point after which we should be paid.
Often, problems really only needed an idea or a simple referral.
Networking allows you to solve the people problem!
Bill
William J Archambault Jr
The Real Estate Investment Institute
Bill
William J Archambault Jr
The Real Estate Investment Institute
wja@reii.org 832-259-7078 or 702-516-1569
From my past: GRI 1975, FLI 1974, Catalyst from a client 1974 an agent that makes things happen, REII, The Real Estate Investment Institute 1995.
©William J Archambault Jr ©The Real Estate Investment Institute ©REII
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Hi Bill, I just wanted to give you a heads up. When I go to your blog (I am a subscriber) all of the recent blogs are posted and so each of your "avatars" begins speaking at the same time so it sounds like I am in a room with several of you at the same time! This may only occur on my computer but I thought you would like to know!