Learn to use social media marketing from REALTORS® who ACTUALLY use it themselves
June 30, 2008
You’ve heard the hype from VAR and other sources about using social medias like blogs, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to get new clients. But you may be wondering, that’s great, but how do I actually do that stuff for my business?
There’s a session at VAR’s Convention & Expo just for you! It’s called Social Media for the Technologically Challenged and it’s on Saturday, September 27 at 2 p.m.
This session with Tony Arko and Danilo Bogdanovic, two boots-on-the-floor REALTORS® who are raking in clients using social media marketing, will demonstrate how agents can profit from a well-implemented social media marketing strategy. You’ll learn the difference between the many types of social media sites, and how to use them to increase your real estate business. Arko and Bogdanovic promise to help you increase your referral business and sphere of influence by becoming a trusted real estate expert through social media marketing.
This session will help you get past the theoretical so that you can start deploying these powerful relationship-building tools in your business.
Getting a peek behind the curtain: Tale of a first-time VAR Convention attendee
June 27, 2008
Never attended a VAR Convention before? Skeptical that you could possibly get anything out of it?
You’re not alone.
Last year, Danilo Bogdanovic had never thought twice about attending VAR’s Convention & Expo. But now, he sees attending it as a top priority, and he’s even willing to cross a state border to get there!
Read how Danilo’s experience at last year’s Convention set the stage for his future involvement at VAR. The following entry was originally posted by Bogdanovic on VAR’s Convention & Expo 2007 blog in October. His experience helped him realize how crucial it is to be plugged in to REALTOR® association activities. In fact, Danilo went from skeptic to supporter in just a few short days at VAR’s Convention & Expo 2007, and this year you can actually see him teach a session along with fellow Loudoun County REALTOR® Tony Arko. Here are his thoughts at the conclusion of last year’s event:
Not sure how many of you have been to the VAR Convention before, but this was my first time here so I had no idea what to expect. Though there were a variety of things I learned and took home from the convention, the biggest thing I got out of the experience was a better understanding of what VAR’s role was and that VAR actually cared very much about it members (yes, I was a skeptic up until very recently).
VAR does seem to care about what it’s members think and how they feel on issues as illustrated by it’s staff, management and board members - they took the time to stop by, listen to and engage with myself and others in discussions about everything ranging from disclosure issues on blogs to VAR’s desire for increased interaction with members and it’s role in the future. This kind of forward thinking and interaction is exactly what VAR needs to help retain it’s current members and attract new ones, as well as help it’s Realtor members remain competitive and efficient in their business.
Thank you to everyone at VAR for putting this together and helping to change my views. Definitely looking forward to the next VAR Convention and BloggerCon being even bigger and better.
Can’t attend the whole convention? Try a one day pass!
June 25, 2008
Let’s get hypothetical for a minute. Assume, just for the sake of argument, that you can’t attend the entire VAR Convention & Expo. Of course this isn’t the case. You’d be downright silly to pass on the full convention registration, with everything included in the price of admission, it’s the best value. But hypothetically speaking, you’ve determined you just can’t make the whole thing. We have an option for you, and it’s not hypothetical.
You can purchase a one-day pass for VAR’s Convention & Expo 2008 for as low as $145. Here are summaries of what you can expect on the days for which a one-day pass is available:
Friday, September 26 (full schedule)
Unofficially, I’m calling Friday “Fun Day.” Here are some of the highlights:
- First timer coffee hour
- Trend/Countertrend keynote with Robyn Waters
- Virginia Real Estate BloggerCon 3.0
- Out of the Cockpit and Into the Cabin with Marc Davison
- A New Look At Buyer Agency: Putting the Client First with Lem Marshall
- Expo Hall Grand Opening Reception
- Late night afterparty with Rapport (unofficial event)
Saturday, September 27 (full schedule)
And I’m calling Saturday “WOM & Networking Day.” No, it’s not as catchy as Fun Day, I know. This fact notwithstanding, here are the Saturday highlights:
- Breakfast in the Expo Hall
- Word of Mouth Marketing keynote with Andy Sernovitz
- Social Media for the Technologically Challenged with Tony Arko & Danilo Bogdanovic
- Pump Up Your Referral Network: Speed Networking
- Death, Divorce and Bankruptcy: Are You Ready for Some Football? with Lem Marshall
- Inaugural Party, a harbor cruise to toast 2009 VAR President, John Powell (extra fee if buying a one-day pass, included with full convention registration)
- Spontaneous, unscripted post-Inaugural Party merrymaking and hijinx (unofficial event)
Sunday, September 28 (full schedule)
I call Sunday “Short Day.” Not because you can wear shorts (well, who’s gonna stop you, really), but because it’s only half a day. Here’s what you get for your one half-day registration (as low as $45).
- REALTOR® of the Year presentation
- Get Back in the Box: Innovation from the Inside Out with Douglas Rushkoff
So of course, hypothetically speaking, if you can’t attend all of VAR’s Convention & Expo 2008, clearly you have options. And some very good ones, at that.
Why is the Virginia Association of REALTORS meeting in Maryland?
June 19, 2008
In a comment to a previous post, Phyllis Papkin asks why VAR is meeting in Maryland. That’s a very good question…
VAR’s Convention & Expo 2008 marks the final year of a policy adopted by our policy board several years ago that says VAR’s Convention & Expo will be in-state two years and out-of-state (within reasonable driving distance) the next. The purpose of that policy when it was adopted reflected the will of those members who actually attended Convention; surveys showed they preferred the occasional out-of-state location. It was also a strategic move that acknowledged that if we wanted other states to site their convention in Virginia, we should occasionally site ours in theirs (in recent years, North Carolina, NAR and Tennessee have hosted events in our state).
Our record since adopting the policy shows that our conventions are not as well attended when we’re out-of-state, although we’re actually 13 percent ahead of our registration pace compared to last year, as of July 30. However, as you’d expect, the hotel contracts for events the size of ours are signed well in advance of the actual year of the event, and we committed to Baltimore awhile back.
That’s why a working group was empanelled last year to evaluate and recommend changes to our convention siting method and schedule in hopes of attracting significantly larger numbers of our members to the event — by making it more convenient, attractive and affordable. That group continues its work, and we expect to have their final recommendations this September. Their interim reports, which have been accepted by our policy board, show that states that hold their convention in the same in-state location at the same general time each year tend to have a larger percentage of our membership attend; their final recommendations may include adopting such a plan. At a minimum, it’s unlikely that we’ll continue to have VAR conventions out-of-state on any regular basis after this year.
First time attendee? VAR makes it easy to meet other newbies!
June 18, 2008
Stereotypically speaking, REALTORS® aren’t exactly known for being introverted. Still, it can be intimidating attending a conference of hundreds of people for the first time and seemingly knowing nobody. The folks planning VAR’s Convention & Expo 2008 have this covered.
If this will be your first VAR Convention & Expo, be sure to attend our First Timer’s Coffee hour at 8 a.m. on Friday, September 26. Bring your business cards and come prepared to revel in your first convention moments with others who are also unsure of what to expect. You’ll meet REALTORS® from all around the state, VAR staff members, as well as VAR members serving in volunteer leadership roles.
If this coffee talk session tickles your fancy, consider attending the speed networking session to make even more contacts during the convention.
50 New Tools and Technologies For Real Estate
June 17, 2008
Faster, cheaper, better — or all three at once. Don’t you wish you could spend less time doing routine office tasks?
Attend 50 New Tools and Technologies For Real Estate with Marc Davison at 3:45 p.m. on Friday, September 26 to learn about 50 nifty new technologies that are either free or super cheap but most importantly, a sure-fire way to evolve your business and cut huge costs. There’s no way you’ve heard of all 50 technologies in this rapid-fire presentation, so you’re bound to leave with at least one new trick to help you get things done faster, cheaper or better. Bottom line? You simply can’t go wrong in this session.
Location announced for VAR/Rapport networking party
June 11, 2008
You may have heard that VAR and Richmond-based real estate networking group Rapport are joining forces to throw a cash bar after-party on Friday, September 25 at 7 p.m. It’s official: We’ve nailed down a location!
Wear a lei and bring along your ukulele, because the after-party will be held at Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion, just one block away from the front door of the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront. Spread the word to your friends, neighbors and relatives. Everyone’s welcome: We want to see you at Roy’s!
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VAR's Convention & Expo Experience
