Social Media in Just a Few Words
September 25, 2008
Social Media - Blogs, Twitter (Tweets, Twitterazzi), Flickr, FaceBook, LinkedIn- what are these folks talking about?
Short & sweet - all of these are about connecting with real people. Its about CONVERSATION! Its about engaging with others, about networking, about communication, about friendship. AND NO there is NO age limit!
Twitterazzi are coming to VAR08 …
you will be able to identify them -they’ll be wearing on of these.
Stop them in the halls, talk to them during the sessions, we’ll all be glad to help you join the conversation.
Dropcard - Keeping Pockets Empty Since 2008
September 24, 2008
I made a mistake, a business networking faux paus.
I showed up without business cards. Well, technically the cards I was planning on bringing didn’t arrive in time, but I ALSO failed to bring backup cards. To a business convention. Fail.
For those of you who are headed to VAR Convention tomorrow and don’t want to lug around hundreds of business cards, check out MyDropcard.com. You can create a profile, then when you would normally hand a business card over to get lost in a pocket or purse somewhere, just send that person your Dropcard by texting their email address to 41-411. They’ll receive your information, and if they have Dropcard then you’ll receive theirs, as well!
Keeps your pockets free for stuffing full of all the swag you’ll pick up at the Expo, and makes you look a techno-wizard when in the end you just forgot. Oh, and it’s FREE.
Hope to see you at VAR Convention and Expo! Look for me, I’ll be the guy busy texting business cards all over the room!
And So It Begins …
September 24, 2008
In just a few short hours, members of VAR - REALTORs®, brokers, staff and the like - will begin descinding upon the Baltimore waterfront for the Virginia Association of REALTORs® Convention and Expo 2008.
I don’t know about you, but I’m a first-time participant of the VAR Conference. I’ve been a member for several years, but this is the first convention I’ve been to; it’s interesting - to me, anyway - that the first one I attend will be the one furthest away from my home here in the New River Valley, and also the last VAR Conference held outside the Commonwealth of VA. It probably has something to do with the fact that until earlier this year, when I joined the Information Management Advocacy Group at VAR, I had never really gotten involved in anything Association-related. I always found something else that needed to be done, one more appointment to keep that would interfere … Jim Duncan reminded us at VARBuzz why it’s important to get involved.
Unlike the pace Jim’s referring to though, VAR Convention 2008 will be nothing but action-packed! I can’t wait - there are tons of things going on, much of them at the same time, so whether you’re coming to the Convention or not make sure to check in to VARConvention./2008 for updates throughout the Convention - you can subscribe by RSS as well, if you’d like. Knowing this crowd, it’s a virtual certainty there will be all kinds of interviews, Twittering, live blogging and more going on, so whether you just missed the session or you’re stuck at home and couldn’t attend, we’re going to do our best to keep you up-to-date on everything VAR Convention 2008 (I really didn’t intend for that to rhyme, I swear). There’s even a Flickr Group you can join! My Twitter ID is @NRVLiving, and I’ll be posting both there and here on the main site throughout the conference.
That’s one of the great things I’ve discovered about VAR since I decided to jump in and get involved. There are all kinds of ways to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in the Association, and I’m proud to be a part of that. I hope to see you in Baltimore, but if not, enjoy the ride for VAR Convention & Expo 2008!
Greater Baltimore Board of REALTORS: Visit with VAR while we’re in your back yard!
September 11, 2008
COME TO OUR EXPO FOR FREE!
READ ON FOR MORE DETAILS!
Dear Baltimore area REALTORS®:
We’re excited to visit Baltimore for our 88th Convention & Expo, and you’re invited to enjoy some Virginia hospitality right on the banks of your Inner Harbor. VAR’s Convention & Expo 2008 will be held at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront, September 25-28, and it’s your perfect opportunity to take advantage of:
- Three educational courses that are approved for CE in Maryland and Virginia.
- Networking with the best REALTORS® in Virginia (can you say “referrals”?).
- Sessions on social media (blogs, social networking, and so on) to help you attract more clients, plus Web 2.0 technologies to help you take care of the administravia faster, cheaper, and more effectively. Oh, and we have an unconference-style session just for real estate bloggers!
- Scores of exhibitors showing off the latest products and services specifically for real estate pros like you. You can even come to the expo for FREE on Saturday. Just print this coupon and bring it with you to the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront on Saturday, September 27 between the hours of 8-10 a.m. or 1:30-3 p.m.
- Three keynote speakers who will challenge you to rethink your assumptions about marketing, the state of demographics in the market, and innovation in the real estate industry.
You can attend the entire Convention & Expo if you’d like, or attend on a one day pass.
Exhibitor Spotlight: VHDA Booths 87 & 88
September 3, 2008
Stop by the VHDA booth and learn about their programs to help your homebuyers get the loans they need…
The Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) is your MVP for first-time homebuyer loans. Our wide range of loan programs—designed to remove the barriers of buying a home for Virginians—now includes FHA Plus with no cash needed for a down payment (pick up a flyer with all the details at our booth). Put our experience to work for you! Since our founding in 1972, VHDA has committed financing for more than 131,000 single family homes. We also provide free Intro to Homeownership classes throughout the state to help Virginians learn the process of buying a home and maintaining it long-term. The classes are offered in English, Spanish and many other languages, and are available online 24/7.
Stop by booth #s 87 and 88 to learn more about how VHDA can help your first-time homebuyer clients!
Exhibitor Spotlight: TASC - Booth #57
August 11, 2008
VAR member service partner TASC is exhibiting and holding an educational session during VAR’s Convention & Expo 2008.
Doesn’t everyone like free money? I mean even in Monopoly passing ‘GO’ was one of the best parts of the game. For some reason though we in Virginia have been passing ‘GO’ every year and been missing out.
Did you know that all brokers and agents classified as independent contractors can utilize their status to do a myriad of great things, one of which is paying for your medical expenses completely tax-free? See… missing out.
Now this is a little more than writing off their health insurance premiums on their Federal tax return. This is everything! Your Band-Aids, contact lenses, cough drops, medicated dandruff shampoo, everything. Tax-free. That’s pretty incredible. And then on top of that we can throw in the not so important items like co-pays and prescription meds. Did I mention aspirin is included in on this too? Oh that’s right, I said everything.
One of VAR’s newest Member Service Partners, TASC, is making the IRS tax law (that makes this possible) easy to utilize. You should have received a letter from us in the mail introducing them to you, but if not…let this stand as the introduction to free money.
Learn how you can collect $3,000 this year as you pass ‘GO.’ TASC will be at VAR’s Convention & Expo 2008 hosting a booth and holding a seminar entitled, BizPlan: Pay 100% of Your Medical Expenses Tax-free. See you in Baltimore!
Exhibitor Spotlight: Oakwood Worldwide - Booth #38
August 7, 2008
Here’s another VAR Convention & Expo 2008 exhibitor, Oakwood Worldwide. Find them in booth #38.
Oakwood Worldwide is the global leader and provider of furnished and serviced apartments. For one need or many, local or around the globe – Oakwood offers flexible, easy-to-use, custom solutions to meet any temporary housing need. A wide range of inventory and supplier management options allows Oakwood to provide the optimal housing solution whenever and wherever it’s needed – our clients decide and we deliver with reliability they can trust. With nearly 3,500 Oakwood associates worldwide, nearly 23,000 apartments, and more than 300 network partners to meet any need, we’ve got our clients covered. Our staff of trained professionals throughout the world, innovative technologies, and our unparalleled customer service have made Oakwood the premier choice in temporary housing solutions for nearly 50 years. For more information, please visit oakwood.com.
Exhibitor Spotlight: Advance Realty - Booth #84
August 1, 2008
Here’s just one of the exhibitors you can meet at VAR’s Convention & Expo 2008, Advance Realty in Booth #84:
The economy is changing and with it, a shift among real estate consumers…both buyers and sellers. In the face of the current market, Advance made a record high sales increase in the year 2007 and 2008 has been a year of growth as we continue to expand our offices, attracting more associates instead of downsizing them.
This year’s March 14th issue of the Baltimore Business Journal ranked Advance Realty among the largest Real Estate firms in the Baltimore area. We moved ahead of last year’s seventh place ranking by securing sixth place among other well-known competitors. This increase is attributed to the residential real estate customer’s shift in favor of a lower commission model and to the company’s new Associate -centric systems. Our new web platform, Agent 360, functions as a corporate, office and agent website interface, housing multiple real estate sales and business building tools. Advance has also incorporated an Associate revenue sharing program and an online real estate university offering 24/7 web-based training, education and mentoring.
In addition to Advance, other major value oriented companies like the retail giant Wal-Mart have been embraced by the population due to the rising cost in gasoline, food and other increased living expenses. According the Washington Post, Wal-Mart’s same-store sales jumped up 3.9 percent after the stimulus check. Models such as these understand the need for a balance between price and quality during economically stressful times. Other discount retailers in nearly every other industry have seen a spike in sales even after the tax rebates as consumers try to save. The rising prices will continue to drive the masses to discounters of all kinds, allowing those with the bargains to reap the benefits.
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VAR's Convention & Expo Experience
