Real Estate Conferences: Go Big or Stay Home?

As a professional strapped for time, money, or both, you’ve probably asked yourself if you should go to the next big real estate conference or save yourself the trouble and just stay home. Your concern is valid. How you schedule your time can mean the difference between profit and loss. Are real estate conferences, events, and conventions worth it?

Like so much of the real estate industry, real estate conferences follow the law of the harvest: you reap what you sow. Did you do enough research on the special guests? Did you go with the right mindset? Did you take advantage of the various opportunities real estate events can offer?

In short, whether a real estate conference is or isn’t worth your time and money comes down to you — conferences can be a wealth of opportunity for the engaged, hungry agent. Here are three reasons you should absolutely go to that conference you’re thinking about — and two reasons to stay home.

Go Big: Learning From Industry Leaders

There are only so many opportunities to hear your real estate heroes explain their systems, processes, and tips for success. If you’ve done your research and know the track record behind the presenters and special guests at your conference of choice, the information and inspiration you gain could be invaluable. Go to that conference and benefit from the experience of industry giants who actually know what they’re talking about.

Workman Success Systems recently commissioned a national study on real estate teams which revealed that 62% of agents want more specialized training than they’re getting right now. Keeping yourself sharp and learning in this industry is necessary if you want to grow a successful real estate business. The right conventions can be an excellent source for this training — if you’re careful to do your research.

A word of caution: watch out for experts who make big claims but can’t back them up with their own experience. There are a lot of also-rans out there that take advantage of big reputations and the uninformed masses to continue building their unearned reputations. This is the biggest part of why I recommend you do your research: you should know who you’re spending time and money to see.

Stay Home: Just Looking For A Vacation

Traveling to new places for real estate conventions, conferences, and events can be understandably fun. If you’re going somewhere new, you may as well take advantage of the trip and enjoy it. But your real estate conference shouldn’t just be a vacation.

If you want to go on a vacation, you should go on a vacation. If you’re not at your real estate convention to grow your business and learn from the best in the industry, you’re there for the wrong reasons. If you’re just looking to write off your latest vacation, there are better ways to enjoy yourself than to spend your time at a real estate conference.

Treating real estate events as nothing more than a fun trip will ensure you don’t make the most of the business-growing opportunities available at good conferences. Your mindset matters; how you approach the conference will be what you get out of it. Don’t waste your money by going to relax — that’s what a real vacation is for.

Go Big: Building Your Network

Real estate conventions offer a rare opportunity to meet other like-minded professionals in your industry. You can make contacts that prove useful professionally and personally, connect with mentors who can help you level up, and make friends who can contribute to your community and success. Networking is the name of the game at any real estate event.

Workman’s national team study shows a marked interest in collaboration and community among agents. Leveraging the wisdom of the crowd is invaluable in shifting markets, so using your time at real estate conferences to grow your network is more than wise — it’s helping future-proof your career. 

Stay Home: Trade Shows That Are Glorified Vendor Rooms

If you have a hard time controlling your wallet, there are many real estate conventions you should avoid. A number of real estate trade shows end up being thinly-veiled sales floors that target agents and brokers. Instead of adding value to your business, many of these companies can be predatory. Remember that your big reasons for going to any conference or convention are to keep yourself up-to-date, increase your knowledge by learning from the best, and grow your community of real estate professionals. While there are certainly some real estate products that are worth spending money on, be extra cautious about hard sales at conventions; they may not have your best interest at heart.

Go Big: Lighting A Fire Under Your Business

It’s surprising to some agents that a relatively small amount of information can become career-changing, but it’s the reality for thousands of realtors every year. Many high-performing agents are just one or two steps away from going nuclear — and those final steps can become clear at real estate conferences.

Real estate events are great ways to keep yourself abreast of the changing industry and maintain a firm grip on the pulse of the market. They can also be a fantastic resource for motivation and morale. The right presenter can light fires in you and your team that can burn for months or years. Leverage the real estate conferences you attend to make bold and explosive business decisions that elevate your business and help you grow past where you are right now. 

If you’re successful in real estate, you’re busy. It may seem too much to ask to have you spend money and time to add more to your schedule. If you leverage the right real estate conferences, you’ll come to find that the skills they teach, the network they help you build, and the motivation and knowledge they bring you will ultimately save you time and make you more money than if you just stayed home and worked your regular grind. Get out there, research the right conferences and events for you or your team, sow the right kinds of seeds, and reap the benefits.

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