It is the bane of every professional.  Conferences.  Sometimes they are really neat. Informative. Enlightening.  Maybe even something new that will enhance your career.  For the most part, though, they are a way for people who enjoy public speaking to get paid and for people who have the next BIG thing to have a venue to sell their next BIG thing.

I’ve been to my share.  For Realtors, conferences come in two flavors.  One flavor provides continuing education credits we need to renew our real estate license every year.  The other provides hope.  No, you can’t make more money or help more people buy and sell houses on hope but that’s what they promise.

I have found that once people get tired of selling real estate or burned out or both, they tend to lean toward training or speaking. “Do some simple things I’ll teach you and your career will skyrocket to the next level.”  Unfortunately, it feels good for awhile and then it wears off.

A Good Place to Network

To be sure, many real estate conferences are a good place to network, especially for Realtors.  We get to catch up with people we know but haven’t seen in a year.  Or we get to meet some people who really have become successful doing x, y and z. Some of the conferences I’ve been to are a great way to hang out with my fellow Realtors at some really pleasant location and talk shop.  Many times, friendships are established or solidified at conferences.

Many times, it’s just an excuse to go to a big party.

The downside is that all real estate conferences cost money and, sometimes, they cost a lot of money. There is the registration fee, the air fare, the hotel, the food…and the stuff you buy at the exhibit hall or from a speaker.  Even when it’s a relatively short drive like the conference for the Maryland Association of Realtors in Ocean City it still costs a bundle. Of course, the MAR Conference provides the ever popular continuing education credits so it’s worth it…sort of.

My Resolution

Cut back….way back on real estate conferences.  this will accomplish two great objectives:

1. It’ll give me more time to dedicate to the business of real estate and helping home buyers and home sellers
2. It’ll help save money. Always a good thing.

I have four that I already booked this year and I’m committed to going to those.  I will resist signing up for any others no matter how much hope they want to sell me.

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