I have just finished the first day of the Accredited Buyer's Representative classthat I am taking as a preliminary activity to the National Association of Realtors convention that gets under way officially on Friday. Last year in Las Vegas, the NAR convention served as a springboard to what has been a surprisingly good year. Needless to say, I'm hoping that this year's event is equally helpful.

I am taking the ABR class for two reasons. First, having the certification will add more credibility to my marketing efforts. Second, and more important, is the fact that over 60% of my sales this year have been with buyer clients. This is the exact opposite of what my business plan called for. Since I believe that 2009 will be much the same as 2008, this class should be helpful to me.

"Knowledge vs information." One thought (among many) that I have taken from today's class is the concept that even though buyers can get an infinite amount of "information " from the internet, we as Realtors can help them interpret the information in the context of our local markets because of the "knowledge" that we bring to the table.

I'll write an update each day of the conference and will highlight which sessions I attend that especially meaningful. If there are any topics that you would like me to address, just let me know.