What does Todd Carpenter’s new job mean to RE BarCamp?

This week I’m starting a new and very exciting challenge. I’m the new Social Media Manager for the National Association of REALTORS. If you’ve followed me for a while, this shouldn’t come as that big of a surprise to you. I publicly petitioned for this job last fall in a post I wrote on Lenderama titled “If I were NAR’s Social Media Manager“. In it, I make mention of Re BarCamp.

“18. I’d get behind RE BarCamp in a BIG, BIG way. This is a massive opportunity to connect. I’d organize events in Chicago, Seattle, Denver, and New York. If someone else doesn’t do it first, I’d organize one before SXSW in Austin. RE BarCamp in San Diego, 2009 during the convention is a no-brainer.”

Since then, Seattle and New York have become a reality, Denver is set for May 22nd, Chicago is in the wings, and yes, NAR has offered up space at the annual convention in San Diego next fall. Thanks in huge part to Chris McKeever at CRT, NAR is offering up this space for an RE BarCamp with traditional values. Most importantly, free and open access to the event. You do not need to be a REALTOR, or buy a ticket to the annual convention to participate in RE BarCamp San Diego.

I’m one of the original volunteers for RE BarCamp, I’ve been on the ground at the San Francisco, New York and Virginia events. I built and hosted the blogs for most of the events. I helped Kristal and Vali launch RE BarCamp Denver. I’ve even started building out REBarCamp.com to be a resource for other folks who want to start an RE BarCamp of their own. I happen to think my resume as an RE BarCamp volunteer is pretty solid.

However, my new appointment is leading to concerns throughout RE.net that NAR is too close to RE BarCamp. I’ve heard this both directly and indirectly, and I think it’s time for a public discussion on the matter.

There have been many conference calls discussing the future of RE BarCamp. I’ve always been one that leans toward the “hands-off” camp. The three RE BarCamp events I’ve attended were all different. Not one of them was wrong. I’m of the opinion that the people primarily involved in planning RE BarCamps should be the ones who decide how they are structured, funded and branded.

This has been my approach on REBarCamp.com as well. I set up a blog, give the organizers admin (full control of the blog) status over it, and tell them they can do whatever they want with it. The only thing I’ve ever asked of any of them is to let me know when they are adding other admins to their blog. That’s only to help me know who to contact if the blog breaks. I also gave full admin status to Jay Thompson and Andy Kaufman for the root REBarCamp.com site. I purchased the URL, pay for the site’s hosting out of my pocket, and was one of the original paid sponsors for the first event. I want these events to flourish.

During the original conversations RE BarCamp volunteers had with NAR (long before I worked here), I was the one who asked for assurances from Chris that an RE BarCamp running under space donated by NAR should be able to run within the free and open standard that’s been established. Chris assured us that he wouldn’t want NAR to host the event if it couldn’t operate in such a fashion. So when Chris got this space approved, and with my new job here at NAR, I volunteered to take the point in organizing RE BarCamp San Diego.

RE BarCamp events have been organized, hosted and/or sponsored by Inman News, Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate, OnBoard Informatics, Zillow, Active Rain and the Virginia Association of REALTORS. Like I said all the way back in the post I wrote last year, NAR’s involvement is a no-brainer in my mind. NAR is the association that represents most of the attendees. Helping our members learn more about social media through these events is an affordable way to connect, teach and learn from these members. If we had both the time and budget for it, we would sponsor and attend every one of these events. As it is, I think more people will wish we were more involved than feeling like we’re too involved.

NAR wants to adopt social media as a tool for better communicating with its member base. We want to know if you think hosting an RE BarCamp is a problem, and if so, why? Let’s please talk about this in the open. I would very much appreciate your comments — the dissenting ones most of all.