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Great networking opportunity at the Metropolitan Real Estate Investors Association; MREIA

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Services for Real Estate Pros

I don't know what else to say except my expectations were met and then they were exceeded.

There must have been well over 300 people in attendance!!! Everyone I met was incredibly nice, friendly, and easy to talk to. This is truly one of New Jersey best kept secrets. I must have spoken to at least 50 people all of which were involved in real estate from a variety of prospectives ie, agents, mortgage brokers, investors, rehabbers, contractors, instructors, etc.

From the moment I arrived at 6:15 till the moment I left at 10:15 I was engaged in positive conversation about real estate. Everything from investment strategies, to marketing strategies, creative financing, etc. In fact, I was invited to come back next time to talk to the group about www.jerseypreforeclosures.com. People were there to form teams--not just promote their products.

I became a member withing 45 minutes. The MREIA staff were all very friendly and supportive. It seemed clear that the mission of the association is for the benefit of the member NOT the selfish benefit of those in charge.

Tonight I will be attending the Garden State Real Estate Investors Associations meeting at, coincidentally, the same location as the MREIA meeting. Check this blog for my observations. I will be carefully looking at the following points:

1. Who benefits from membership? The organizers or the members?

2. How many people in attendance? What types of real estate professionals attend?

3. What is my overall impression? Were the vendors hard selling their products? etc.

4. Was I moved to join?

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Tony Hodge
Piscataway, NJ

GSREIA overview:

1. Who benefits from membership? The organizers or the members?

It is hard to tell based on one event. I will be attending subsequent meetings and I will report my finding here on activerain. 

2. How many people in attendance? What types of real estate professionals attend?

At most 45 people were in attendance.  I was told this was not reflective of the norm. I am told that the GSREIA boasts 850 members, with an active yahoo group message board. However, I must say that I have found a source for where the real deal real estate investors in NJ gather. Even though only a minority of members were in attendance it was clear that these people were not pretending to be investors--I met rehabbers, wholesalers, contractors, hard money lenders, etc!!!

3. What is my overall impression? Were the vendors hard selling their products? etc.

Vendors were extremely friendly and supportive. It did not seem that anyone was hard selling their products. It seemed like the vendors had legit products that are of great value to investors or investment minded agents. 

4. Was I moved to join?

Yes! I will be joining as a vendor member in the near future. 

 

May 24, 2007 02:49 AM