Building a strong real estate network does not happen on its own. In order to build a real estate network that can help you achieve your real estate goals, you must be proactive in seeking out connections. The two easiest mediums to do this are social media and real estate events.
Social Media
Today, the average American spends an average of 5.4 hours a day on their phone. With easy access to social media platforms, you can leverage your real estate network for little to no cost. First, you can start by searching groups on Facebook that are similar to your real estate interests. Facebook will then list similar groups that might interest you, making it easier to find even more groups.
Keep in mind that the groups with less people are often more active and beneficial than the groups with thousands of people. After joining some groups, try to figure out what your goal is with them. Having a clear and concise goal in mind will help you navigate the different groups accordingly.
When chatting with others, you can figure out where they are in their real estate process. Some of these groups cater to the first-time flipper, whereas others in the group have been in the business for various years and can provide useful information to others. For beginners, it is smart to refer them to content like “A First-Timer's Guide to Getting First Deal Funded," which provides helpful tips on how to start and grow your real estate business successfully. Many people in these groups do not know where to start, and offering content to help them out can be a good way to nurture this connection.
Furthermore, when trying to grow your real estate network, it is essential to actively engage with the people in your network. Whether it is a “like” on their post or a comment on a photo, this shows them that you are looking at and valuing their content. It will also increase the likelihood that they will engage with your content, boosting the value of your account.
Providing useful content for these groups can also help you stand out. If you can find an interesting news article that pertains to the group you are in, you can spark conversation and create a dialogue in the community. The best social media outlet to do this on is LinkedIn. In addition to regularly posting updates, you can also join LinkedIn groups that have similar interests to you, similar to Facebook.
Events
Local and national events are another way to continually build your real estate network. For the established real estate investor, it is a good idea to see if they would be interested in attending a local networking event. Chatting in person can be an opportunity to take these relationships to the next level and turn these connections into business partners. This can also go both ways, as you can tell other people at the events to join various Facebook or LinkedIn groups with you to stay in touch.
National events can be a chance to broaden and diversify your network, meeting numerous people who you may have not connected with otherwise. They can also give you interesting industry insights to better equip you to make the most of your newly built real estate network. Here is a quick list of national real estate events that should be on your radar in 2020:
- March 21st - 22nd - | Think Realty Conference - Baltimore, Maryland
- April 3rd - 5th | Real Estate Investors Conference - Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- April 23rd - 24th | IMN Real Estate Private Equity Forum on Land & Homebuilding - Miami, FL
- May 12th - 14th | IMN Single Family Rental Forum - Miami, FL
- May 20th | National Private Lender Expo - Melville, NY
- September 17th | Brooklyn Real Estate Summit - Brooklyn, New York
- October 5th - 6th | BiggerPockets Real Estate Conference - New Orleans, Louisiana
- December 2nd - 4th | IMN Single Family Rental Forum - Scottsdale, Arizona
After creating these valuable connections, it is important that you remain close to the contacts you've made. Whether it is following up on how their project is going or sending them a blog post that made you think of them, reminding them that you are interested will only make them inclined to work with you.
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