If you’re a real estate agent looking to grow your business this year, you might want to attend some of the conferences scheduled in the upcoming months.

Real estate conferences present great opportunities for agents to learn and grow. Full disclosure: I’m not an agent myself. However, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend last December’s TriplePlay conference in Atlantic City.

While at TriplePlay, I sat in on quite a few presentations, met agents from various brokerages, and took copious notes about the experience.

Today, I’m going to share you with you my five tips for getting the most out of any real estate conferences you might attend this year.

Take notes at presentations

For me, the highlight of TriplePlay 2019 was learning about the different strategies real estate professionals are using to grow their businesses. Some of these strategies were familiar, while others were brand new—and I’ll be sharing them on this blog throughout 2020.

One thing I noticed during the presentations was that only a few attendees seemed to be taking notes. Sure, lots of people were taking photos of the presentation slides with their phones. But, by not taking notes, they were missing out on a chance to record all the useful details and tidbits that the presenters were sharing.

Your smartphone has a note-taking app, and it’s perfect for taking down bits of information that will help you long after the conference. At the risk of sounding like a high school teacher, I’d strongly encourage you to take notes whichever presentations you attend this year!

Network with your peers

Your peers are not your competition—or, at least, they don’t have to be.

While it’s true that everyone is, to some degree, competing for the same commission dollars, the truth is that there is plenty of business to go around. Agents have a lot of opportunity to master different niches when they tap into their spheres of influence.

Rather than looking at other agents as your competition, consider them potential allies. They’re working toward many of the same goals you are, and you might even be able to exchange helpful information with one another.

Plus, if you get to know an agent from a nearby area, networking is setting yourself up for future success. After all, you never know when one of your clients is going to move out of town, and you’ll be happier if you’re at least able to collect that valuable referral fee.

Ask questions (and listen to questions others ask)

As mentioned above, conferences are amazing learning opportunities. That’s especially true if you’re in the room with someone who’s more successful or who has been in the industry for a long time.

While you’re watching someone present—and taking plenty of notes—don’t hesitate to ask follow-up questions. After all, you’re listening to an expert, and they definitely know even more about the topic at hand than what’s in the presentation.

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If no questions spring to mind, be sure to pay close attention to the questions your peers are asking. You might discover that you have some blind spots when it comes to certain aspects of your job. Alternatively, you could realize that you have more advanced knowledge on a topic than you realized—opening up the possibility for you to explore a new niche or even coaching opportunities.

Learn about tools that might help you

The expo floor at a real estate conference isn’t just a place to get branded swag—it’s also a chance for you to learn about helpful tools that could really make a difference in your business.

There are so many products out there that are aimed at helping real estate agents manage different aspects of their business. While you probably don’t have the budget to use all of them, it’s definitely worth your time to learn what’s out there. If nothing else, you’ll walk away with some free stuff!

It should go without saying, but … if ReminderMedia is at the conference you’re attending, we’d love for you to stop by and see us!

(In February alone, we’ll be attending Sell-a-bration, Keller Williams Family Reunion, Realty ONE SUMMIT, and The One21 Experience.)

Don’t forget to have fun!

Last, but not least, make the most out of your time at the conference!

There’s a good chance you’ll be traveling, and, quite possibly, staying overnight. If you’re able, why not book an extra night at your hotel? See what the town you’re staying in has to offer.

When you do this, you’re not only broadening your own horizons, you’re also making the conference seem like less of a “work event” and more like something that you actually want to be doing. That will put you in a better frame of mind for the rest of your stay, which will enable you to learn more and make more connections.

Plus, it’s good for the economy of the host town, which means they’re more likely to host future real estate conferences. It’s really a win-win.

At the end of the day, the time you spend at real estate conferences is like anything else—the more you put into it, the more you’ll get back. Hope you have a great time at your next one!