Month: June 2022

Time to Outsource My Real Estate Marketing?

Watch for these top signs that it’s time to move marketing off of your own plate.

Working as a luxury real estate agent involves marketing your services in the same way any small business owner or service provider would. Even when you’re part of a brokerage, you’re responsible for getting your name in front of the right people and for sourcing a steady stream of clients. 

Many realtors do this all on their own. From their luxury real estate websites to their Instagram real estate marketing, they dedicate time and energy to staying on top of each element of their marketing plans. This do-it-yourself approach is quite common with those first starting out. Many professionals prefer to try to do all of their marketing in-house and learn the ropes before evaluating whether an outside team is needed. Especially early on in their careers, real estate agents often wonder whether outsourcing their marketing is really worth the investment. 

If you’ve been tackling marketing on your own, look for these five signs that the time has come to outsource your marketing efforts.

1. You’re not seeing results

Whether you’re new to real estate marketing or you’ve been in the game for years, it’s extremely frustrating to put time and effort into your marketing strategy and still not see new leads or a positive response in return. Unfortunately, the world of marketing can move so quickly that as soon as you’ve mastered one aspect of it, the logistics and best practices seem to change. 

For most real estate agents, a huge bulk of marketing takes place online. From creating a high-end real estate website with strong SEO, to connecting with your community on social media, to reaching out to your leads with an email newsletter, many of your marketing efforts take place from behind your computer screen. These approaches can be extremely effective, but they also shift in strategy more quickly than print and more traditional marketing mediums tend to. 

For example, learning how to run ads on social media can take weeks or months of online courses and hands-on experimenting. However, each time Facebook comes out with a new update or nationwide regulations arise that change audience targeting and bidding, you’ll likely have to relearn a few steps and weather a drop in your ad performance. Likewise, some of the same strategies that used to be the go-to industry standard for SEO three years ago are now dragging SEO rankings downward for many sites. Constantly learning and relearning the same few skills can get discouraging and take your energy away from your current clients. 

If you’re not seeing the results you need and expect from your marketing efforts, it’s likely time to bring in an outside team. This way, you get the benefit of working with people whose entire careers are in marketing, meaning they can dedicate the time needed to keep up with the ever-shifting landscape and bring in the results to help your business grow. 

2. You’re burning out

Have you begun to dread the workday and the tasks you know you need to complete? If you’re feeling drained of energy because you’re dedicating too much overtime to your business, marketing may be the culprit. 

At the start, most marketing tasks can appear easy and minimal. A post to Instagram here, an email newsletter there, a day to make some follow-up calls…easy, right? However, when you compound these small tasks with all of the moving parts you’re already juggling in order to best serve your existing clients, your to-do list begins to look insurmountable. 

If you’re finding yourself exhausted and missing out on events in your personal life because of your career as a luxury real estate professional, look into where you’re spending your time. Track your hours to investigate where you’re going overboard, and take time to consider whether your current workload is sustainable. Is this the life you imagined when you set out to grow your luxury real estate business? Are you still finding balance, joy, and fulfillment in this career path?

If not, then outsourcing your marketing efforts is a great way to cut down on your workload. Once you have help with marketing, you can focus your energy on taking care of yourself, maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and showing up as the best real estate agent you can be for your current clients.

3. Your efforts are inconsistent

Instead of working overtime and entering burnout territory, many professionals instead allow their online marketing tasks to fall lower and lower on their priority list until they’re barely on the mind at all. It’s very common for luxury real estate professionals to take weeks or even months away from their websites, email lists, and social media channels, only to revisit them and become active again once they have extra time — or worse, as a last-ditch effort once their leads have dried up. 

Unfortunately, you likely won’t see overnight improvement by getting active with your marketing after ignoring it for months and after your leads have slowed down. Online marketing efforts like making connections on social media or posting helpful blogs and videos are long-term strategies; they help you build trust and community over time, so when someone who’s been watching is ready to buy a home, they think of you first. While these methods are extremely powerful for creating a steady flow of leads over time if you’re consistent with them, they generally don’t produce quick results. Plus, posting or emailing sporadically or only to ask for referrals is a surefire way to lose the trust of your audience. 

Instead of waiting until you have more time and letting it fall off your to-do list, outsource your real estate marketing in order to show up consistently for your community and establish your expertise for anyone who finds you online. Hiring out your marketing efforts allows you to invest in a consistent strategy, instead of spotty and random bursts of online activity. 

4. You don’t have time for the rest of your business

Maybe you’ve taken the time to learn online ads and SEO, you’re putting in the work to keep up with the ever-changing requirements, and you’re maintaining a consistent presence online. Awesome! But, stop to ask yourself…at what cost? 

Could you have spent the ten hours it took to learn how to set up a Facebook ad to go out for some pop-bys instead? Could you have made a few phone calls to follow up with warm leads rather than tweaking your website all morning? Could you have reached out to a current client more quickly about a new home on the market that meets their wishlist perfectly? 

There are only so many hours in a day, and you only have so much energy. As a luxury real estate professional, your role involves many nuances and many moving parts already. Your top priority should lie in honing your skills as an agent and soaking up all the real estate knowledge you possibly can! Showing up for your clients is a full-time job as it is. Is it in your — or your clients’ — best interest to spend such a large fraction of your own time on your marketing?

5. You’re ready to level up

Helping your clients buy and sell luxury properties is what you do best. Your knowledge, skill, experience, and expertise all come together to make you the ideal person for the job, and your clients need your full attention in order to achieve their goals and land their dream homes. The work you do is important, and getting in front of the right people so you can serve them is important too. 

Even if you’re not seeing anything particularly wrong with your current marketing strategy or your overall workflow, outsourcing your marketing efforts can open doors to a stronger stream of business. With the right marketing team at your side, you’ll be connected with your dream clients more easily and more consistently. Take advantage of the newest tools, best strategies, and smartest resources and watch your business flourish. 

Making an investment in marketing for your luxury real estate business means placing a bet on yourself and your own expertise. Get your name out there and get ready to welcome your ideal clients. We buy houses in Baltimore

Best Real Estate Conferences

Attending a real estate conference is an excellent way for you to broaden your horizons, meet new people, and strengthen your professional brand. Real estate and property management conferences allow you to network with the leaders in your market and beyond. 

With more people becoming comfortable with in-person interactions, conference-goers are more eager to attend live events packed with industry movers and shakers who can make a difference in their careers.

With several of the best real estate conferences yet to come, you still have time to attend and benefit from great connections. However, when there are so many events to choose from, it can be challenging to decide where to go.

So, we’ve done the hard part for you and listed the best real estate conference for the rest of 2022. Let’s dive in!

What is a Real Estate Conference?

Let’s start at the beginning by answering the simplest question first: A real estate conference brings together people who work in the real estate industry to discuss current trends, share new ideas, and network in an event filled with keynotes, entertainment, and whatever the organizers can imagine. They’re a great way to meet industry players and stay updated on the latest technological development. It also provides you with many new ideas that may help your business grow and make a good impression on your clients.

Examples of Popular Real Estate Conferences

Some popular real estate conferences held over the years include:

  • LeadingRE Global Real Estate Conference
  • RISMedia Annual Power Broker Forum
  • Leaders in Luxury
  • Inman Luxury Connect
  • National Association of Realtors Conference & Expo

And without further ado:

12 Best Real Estate Conferences for the Rest of 2022

Planning to attend a real estate conference in 2022? Here are some of the best ones you should take note of.

1. CRETech Conferences

  • Date: April 27-28, 2022
  • Location: London
  • Price: £899.00 (Attendee conference pass), £449.00 (Startup conference pass)
  • Date #2: 12-13 October
  • Location#2: New York 
  • Host: CRETech

CRETech is the best source for commercial real estate technology. Their programs include panels on proptech M&A activity, a recap of capital market activity, and speakers from companies such as Greystar, Lightbox, and Accruent.

CREtech promises a two-day exciting in-person event in London on the 27th and 28th of April. They will bring together landlords, asset managers, brokerages, construction companies, tech startups, venture capitalists, and others under one roof. 

And, from Wednesday, October 12 to Thursday, October 13, 2022, CRETech will be live in New York, providing networking opportunities, presentations from leading built work innovation experts, and more.

2. Inman Luxury Connect

  • Date: August 2-3, 2022
  • Location: Las Vegas, USA
  • Price: $899 for early registration and $1,199 for late registration
  • Host: Inman Luxury Connect

If you’re in the luxury real estate industry, this is the ideal conference for you. This conference returns in-person to provide attendees with extensive talks, networking opportunities, and hands-on training. 

This event is geared toward high-end agents, and there are rumors of some spectacular off-site events planned for this year. Not to mention the high-quality content and event experience you’d expect from Inman Connect founder Brad Inman. 

Speakers include Ryan Serhant of SERHANT, who many know from “Million Dollar Listing New York,” and Gary Gold of Hilton & Hyland, an industry leader, and trendsetter. It’ll be interesting to hear Gold’s thoughts on the future of marketing and technology and how Serhant will entertain with his valuable insights.

3. World Real Estate Forum

  • Date: July 2022
  • Location: Cambridge, MA
  • Host: MIT Center for Real Estate

The World Real Estate Forum will provide a bird’s-eye view of the real estate market highlighting regional and global trends. And, of course, it’s MIT, so you know it’ll be high-tech. UI/UX: customer-driven technology for real estate and “‘Smart Zones’ and the user interface of real estate” were among the topics covered in previous forums. 

This year’s event will be a virtual forum filled with lively and informative discussions between industry thought leaders on topics affecting global real estate today and in the future. 

4. T3 Summit

  • Date: May 3-5
  • Location: San Antonio, TX
  • Price: $2195 (Delegate registration), $200 (T3 Open Golf Tournament)
  • Host: T3 Sixty

The T3 Summit is an invitation-only event for corporate leaders, CEOs, top producers, and other C-level executives. It’s a private event with a limit of 400 people. 

T3 Sixty is a management and consulting firm that has produced the Swanepoel Power 200, a list of the most influential and powerful people in real estate. 

The summit will promote strategic discussions in a non-competitive setting. The Summit does not allow for pay-to-play negotiations. There are no trade shows or promotions, and the media is not invited.

5. RESO Technology Summit

  • Spring Technology Summit
  • Date: April 25-28, 2022
  • Location: Tucson, Arizona
  • Price: $650 for Members, $750 for Non-Members
  • Host: RESO

RESO is the starting point for the real estate industry’s upcoming technological revolution. The market for real estate data is still in its infancy, and the opportunities are limitless. This is something they firmly believe in. 

The RESO hosts two conferences each year, which are open to anyone working in the brokerage, MLS, or vendor industries. 

This event will be available in-person and live streaming, so choose what works best for you.

6. Home Front: NAR Legislative Meetings $ Trade Expo

  • Date: May 1-6, 2022
  • Location: National Harbor, Maryland
  • Price: Free for National Association of Realtors (NAR) members
  • Host: NAR

Home Front, the National Association of REALTORS®’ annual legislative meeting for REALTORS®, is a must-attend for those who want to advance issues important to the real estate profession and realtors’ livelihoods. This event is attended by NAR members, Federal Political Coordinators (FPCs), and other politically active members.

There will also be a trade show with over 100 exhibitors and numerous activities where real estate professionals can find tools and resources to help them rise to the top of their profession. The expo will feature informal networking opportunities, short information presentations, and product demonstrations from exhibitors.

7. Tom Ferry’s Success Summit

  • Date: August 23-25, 2022
  • Location: Dallas, Texas
  • Price: $399 for early registration, $799 for late registration, and $349 for virtual registration

The #1 ranked Real Estate Educator by Swanepoel Power 200, Tom Ferry, will coach you for three days to make your conversations with clients, leads, and people on the street more profitable. Expect to learn about lead conversion, marketing, networking, productivity hacks, and what to say to win more business and earn more commissions. 

Mr. Ferry is not one of the most sought-after trainers in the industry for nothing. He has been selling and coaching sellers for nearly 30 years, and his conferences are packed with valuable information. His approach motivates professionals of all levels, from new agents to seasoned professionals.

8. PropTech Vienna

  • Date: June 1, 2022
  • Location: Vienna, Austria
  • Price: €529.00 for Real-Estate or Technology Professional
  • Host: PropTech Vienna

PropTech Vienna is Europe’s largest event for real estate innovation and technology. Real estate is no longer exempt from the digital revolution. Companies that can adapt quickly will have a significant advantage over their competitors. 

Real estate startups, universities, the public sector, political leaders, business angels, venture capitalists, PropTech funds, and media and business organizations are all represented at the PropTech Vienna conference.

9. REALTORS Conference & Expo

  • Date: November 11-14
  • Location: Orlando, FL
  • Host: NAR (National Association of Realtors)

Keep up to date on the most recent technological advances in the Realtors Conference Expo. The NAR vendor expo is the place to be when it comes to getting a foothold in the real estate market. 

Successful real estate professionals will gather to share and explore key industry insights, advancements, and practical applications. Vendor expos, held on the third day of local state conferences, are also excellent places to learn more about real estate technology.

10. Apartmentalize 2022

  • Date: June 22-24
  • Location: San Diego, CA
  • Price: Members: $895 for early registration and $1,270 for on-site registration. For non-members: $1,295 for early registration and $1,670 for on-site registration. 
  • Host: National Apartment Association (NAA)

Apartmentalize, the industry’s top event, brings together rental housing experts worldwide. The conference will feature high-level keynote speakers, instructional sessions led by industry experts, and exhibits showcasing the latest products. 

The event invites well-known speakers from outside the industry to inspire you with their inspirational stories of success and real-life experiences. And this year, the speakers will include Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Danica Patrick, and Dan Levy. 

How to Get the Most Out of Real Estate Conferences in 2022

Make a Game Plan for Your Networking

To attend a networking event, you’ll need a game plan. A networking event guide is the best way to keep track of all the people you meet at the event. Make a list of everyone you meet at the event, including their phone numbers and emails.

Do Not Forget Your Business Cards!

When on a business trip, it is mandatory to visit the local Club. When starting a business, you can use this strategy to build a network and gain support. No matter what industry one is in, colleagues are essential. Even the most opulent hotel rooms cannot ensure the success of your meetings and events. They can, however, only do so much; you will need to do more.

Taking Notes at Presentations

Remember to write down anyone you believe your team would benefit from hearing about. Take notes on what each person says and how it relates to your business.

Ask Questions 

Conferences are a great way to learn new things. This is especially true if you’re with a more successful or established professional. Don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions during a presentation. Listening to an expert is similar to reading a book about the subject.

Don’t Miss Out on the Fun

The exhibition hall is packed with industry professionals, but the majority of them are either listening intently to what the presenters have to say or conversing with the exhibitors themselves. Don’t miss out on the best places to meet new people: parties and social events!

Attending real estate conferences in 2022 is a great way to expand your sphere of influence and meet new people. Attending your local state conference is a great place to start if you want to stay up to date on the latest developments in real estate technology. But whichever you choose, make sure you make a game plan to get the most out of these conferences.