Reflections of REBarCamp 2008 from Teresa Boardman

Teresa Boardman graciously shares her impressions of REBarCamp. Teresa is no stranger to blogging, as author of St. Paul Real Estate Blog, she’s attended Inman, NAR, REBlogWorld and several boards to not just listen but speak to huge audiences about her success in connecting with her audience in St. Paul, MN. If there were rock stars in blogging, Teresa is one of them!

We love to hear what Teresa has to say because of her global view of real estate, social media and how so many tend to follow leaders for the wrong reasons.

It’s my pleasure to welcome Teresa to REBarCamp Denver Blog:

I would love to attend the Denver ReBar camp.  I attended my first camp last July in San Francisco. It was the best I have attended and I want to share what I liked about it.

ReBar camps are less formal than conferences. There were many sessions.  They were short, relevant and instead of being presented by professional speakers they were presented by my peers who actually practice what they preach and understand my business.  I came away with new ideas and learned from what others are doing.  I was asked to give a presentation on Flickr. I was amazed at how many people attended and at the questions they had. It was a wonderful learning experience for me, and it led to other presenttions on the same topic.

Rebar camp has a kind of energy that I have not experienced at most conferences.  The people who present are excited about their topics and the people who attend the sessions are totally engaged. It was also wonderful to have the chance to talk to people that I have contact with through the internet but rarely get to see, like Kristal.

Rebar camps are a great source of information and energy and a great opportunity for networking with peers.

Social Media Trainer Evangelist Derec Shuler Looks Forward to REBC in May

REBC Denver welcomes Derec Shuler to the blog site today. Derec has been busy lately helping many in his office and around Denver learn more about social networking.  Considering he has a technology background this is a natural fit for him.

How long have you been selling real estate?

I’ve been involved in the Denver real estate industry for number of years and started off as an investor before making the switch to becoming a real estate broker about two and half years ago.  Both my parents are also REALTORS®, which has provided a great background and insight into the industry.

What made you decide to get into the business? What were you doing before real estate?

I had one of those “ah-ha” events in my life several years ago that caused me to step back and reevaluate the path I was going down.  I left a successful career in the technical contracting world to be a business owner and have more control over my life.  It’s been a huge change but extremely rewarding!  It’s kind of ironic that I’ve been coming back around to helping people in the industry apply technology and systems in their business to leverage their time, money, and energy.

We first met at REBlog World in Las Vegas or was it on Twitter? How long had you been blogging at that point in time?

The funny things about social networking is that the lines of people connecting start blurring.  Is it when you meet in person of start replying to tweet?  We definitely met in Vegas though.  When we met at REBlog World in Las Vegas in 2008, I’d probably been blogging for about a year and a half with various levels of commitment.  I’d committed myself a couple months prior to start blogging as a cornerstone of my online marketing strategy.

Social media has become so popular in the real estate industry. Can you tell us what it has done for your business?

I’d say social media is still a buzz word in the real estate industry.  More and more real estate agents are talking about it but few are actively doing it and even fewer are doing it effectively.  I still see a lot of agents connecting on social networks and start selling themselves as real estate experts.  The whole point of social media is to connect and build relationships, not to give you a free audience to push your marketing message.  I’m not sure if that’s where you were going with that question but it’s worth mentioning!

Social media, especially blogging, has given me a great tool to help position myself as a niche expert.  I’m a big fan of books like “The Longer Long Tail” by Chris Anderson and “The Four Hour Workweek” by Tim Ferriss.  They’ve really changed my attitude on real estate marketing and social media has provided the tools to focus on niches and leverage my knowledge using a platform that’s available to consumers 24 hours a day.

On the social network side, I love Facebook.  It’s a potentially dangerous sinkhole that will consume all your time but it’s a great way to connect and reconnect with people as well as expand your network by finding people with common interests.  By commenting on things going on in my life and business, I’m able to touch my sphere more consistently and have been getting referrals and leads to build my business.

If you could pick only one aspect of social media, what would that be.  By that I mean you must choose from Active Rain, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and any of the hundreds available, which one would you use and why?

That’s a tough one and I’d say it would be between Facebook and blogging.  Ok, I’ll go with Facebook.  I like being able to be where my sphere is and where I can easily find people that share common interest.  Facebook is full of people who self identify and place themselves in demographics that no other platform or tools could effectively do.  Again, I’m able to connect and have a personal relationship with people I may not otherwise think to pick up the phone and call as consistently.  By making intelligent contributions to the Facebook community, it also helps build my credibility as a real estate expert.

Are you coming to REBarCamp Denver?  Would you like to present a topic? If so what would that be?

I wouldn’t miss REBarCamp Denver!  This is going to be a great event!   Based on the great feedback I’ve heard from other REBarCamps across this country, we’re positioned to having a great time and contribute to the growth of our industry and each other.  I plan on presenting a topic if they’re brave enough to give me a microphone.  I have so much course content I’ve been putting together lately, I’ll have to reach into my bag and see what I feel most passionate about so stay tuned!

Be sure to learn more about Derec on his blog at Mile High Urban Living .  Be sure to RSVP for REBarCamp where you can meet Derec in person!

Working Behind the Scenes is Larry McGee

Larry McGee has been active in Denver real estate for quite awhile, he’s been President of the Aurora Board of REALTORS®, Chairman of the Board at Metro List, Immediate Past President of the Colorado CRB Chapter and is currently a Director on the Residential Brokerage Council (CRB).

Larry most recently found fame at NARlando as KK’s hubby!  I noticed it was about the same time you took an interest in social networking, please tell us more:

How long have you been selling real estate?

Since 1978

What made you decide to get into the business?  What did you do before joining this industry?

I was a police officer.

I became a Realtor because I wanted to assist people in a positive way, to create flexibility in my schedule, and to increase my income.

You author two blogs.  Tell us how and why you decided to blog?

Blogging as a core to a social media prospecting system is an excellent way to project a voice to both people we know and don’t know.

Social media has become popular in the business world.  Can you tell us when and why you decided to join the social media revolution?

I first start blogging in August of 2008, and became very serious about the entire blog-social media project in late 2008.

If you could pick only one aspect of social media, what would that be, by that I mean you must choose from Active Rain, LinkedIn, FaceBook, Twitter and any of the hundreds available, which one would you use and why?

Twitter. The platform forces brevity and gives me access to referrals from REALTORS® on the cutting edge.

You have been very instrumental in helping organize REBarCamp, you were the person who figured out the location. I know you plan to attend, what do you hope to learn?

I expect to learn ways to improve the use of the SM platforms to better access and increase my sphere of influence, and to share the latest in technology with both leaders and peers.

Is there a topic you would like covered or one you would like to present?

Developing and refining a strategic plan for blogging and social media is on the top of my list.

Thank you Larry and thank you for all the support you are providing for REBarCamp.  Thanks to you we have some very nice sponsors!

Anyone who wishes to check out Larry’s Blogs can find them at Denver IQ and Brokerisms.

kk

REBarCamp Denver Welcomes the Zealot Mark Eibner

Mark Eibner is an icon in the Denver Real Estate Industry, he has been highly visible in Internet marketing and now he’s blazing the video trail.  Last week Mark asked me to be interviewed for his TV Show!  Ha! How many brokers do we know that actually have a TV Show?

As much as I dislike being on the business side of camera, I accepted, because I realized Mark was offering me a huge opportunity to “get the REBarCamp Denver word out!”

Thanks for all your help Mark, now please tell us more about yourself.

How long have you been selling real estate?

I got licensed some 24 years ago.  Economy was terrible…14% interest rates, over 9% unemployment in Colorado and 16% inflation.  No one was in real estate school!   The big cycle is back.  Back then, President Reagan  was going to fix the Economy form some other President named Jimmy Carter.  I recall things went quite well.

What made you decide to get into the business? What were you doing before real estate?

I was doing Fix and Flips and was quite unimpressed with the skill set of most Real Estate Brokers I was involved with.

You are involved on the Internet well beyond the average broker, can you tell us briefly about some of your real estate projects?

Well I feel most satisfied with the software tools I have made available to hundreds of brokers over the last several years and thus resulting in their success. We have now moved into the tools of the trade for the broker’s of today with custom blogging platforms and video production, hosting and flash video player development.

Social media has become so popular in the real estate industry. Can you tell us what it has done for your business?

Well, in the last three years,  100% of my business is Internet or electronically based…including all communication with my sphere database.  I have not mailed or printed one piece of marketing material of any type other than Brochures outside of a listing.  Products such as Facebook-Twitter-RSS and basic email have allowed me to keep  in touch in a far more personal and intimate format.

If you could pick only one aspect of social media, what would that be.  By that I mean you must choose from Active Rain, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and any of the hundreds available, which one would you use and why?

The use of a personal blog with cellular produced video.  Cellular produced video allows spur of the moment rants-inspirations-thoughts-ideas-interviews-without writing and delivers the real true self to the world.

Are you coming to REBarCamp Denver?  Would you like to present a topic? If so what would that be?

Yes, I will be coming to REbarCamp Denver, I think I was one of the first to sign up.  I would love to present on the use of traditional video, but more specifically  live video… how it can make your blogging more effective, provide true transparency and perhaps more consistent .   I could cover acceptable phones, recording platforms and recording ideas.

Thank you Mark!  We can see you are a leader in the industry and one many will enjoy learning from at REBarCamp Denver! Our readers will be delighted to know they will be able to watch REBC Denver on Broker IPTV, this will probably be the most professional filmed Real Estate BarCamp ever!

For those who what to check out Mark’s website he can be found at BrokerIPTV .

RE Bar Camp Blog welcomes Sam Basel from Estes Park

Today’s interview comes to us from the wonderful mountain resort town of Estes Park.  Sam Basel who just recently implemented social media into his business plan has RSVP’ed to attend Real Estate BarCamp Denver to expand his growing knowledge.  Sam impressed me very much when he flew to Las Vegas to attend the REBlog World Conference last September.  At the time Sam was just learning about blogging.  His commitment to being a successful REALTOR was very obvious.

By the way, when Sam submitted his photo, he said, “That’s not a fake background!”  Yes, we know how beautiful Estes Park is, and we are envious!  Let’s talk about you now…

How long have you been selling real estate?

First of all, thank you for interviewing me, Kristal. It’s definitely an honor and I’m very much looking forward to REBarCamp Denver in May.

I am a real estate agent in Estes Park, Colorado at Estes Park Realty and have been selling real estate since 2004 in one capacity or another. I specialize in second homes and condominiums for clients who come from all over the country.

What made you decide to get into the business? What were you doing before real estate?

I usually tell people I fell into the real estate world by accident. I landed in Estes Park, Colorado straight out of college pursuing a career in Recreation and Tourism. My first job was managing vacation homes and I was encouraged to get a get a real estate license to sell the vacation homes that we managed.

Real Estate has turned out to be a great fit for me. I enjoy helping people and I enjoy real estate. The challenge and freedom that comes with running my own business is very exciting.

We first met at REBlogWorld in Las Vegas, how long had you been blogging at that point in time?

I was introduced to the world of social media at the Denver Realtor Rally in March of 2008. After lurking on many blogs and social media sites to get to know how it worked, I began to blog for myself in July of last year. Honestly, I really didn’t know what I was doing and I still have a lot to learn.

REBlogWorld was extremely influential in my education about social media and how to blog. Most of it was way over my head but I learned a great deal and met a lot of great people.

Social media has become so popular in the real estate industry. Can you tell us what it has done for your business?

The biggest benefit I have gained from Social media has been the huge boost in my credibility in the eyes of my past, present and future clients. It is so easy to find a real estate agent online these days. Standing out among the competition can be difficult. My blog and my web site gave me a chance to show off my expertise and gain credibility in a non-intrusive way. I would say it complements my Sphere of Influence focused business strategy quite well.

If you could pick only one aspect of social media, what would that be.  By that I mean you must choose from Active Rain, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and any of the hundreds available, which one would you use and why?

While there are benefits each of the social media sites you mentioned, the goal is interaction with people in your market place. I think Twitter and Facebook are two of the best ways to accomplish that.

Facebook is a ton of fun to use to connect to people but I’m having a hard time finding the balance of how much real estate information I throw in front of my close friends and family.

There is a lot of value in Twitter to find what people are saying about your local area in regards to real estate. I use Tweetdeck to follow local conversations about Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. I contribute when I have something to offer as another way to interact in my community.

Are you coming to REBarCamp Denver?  What topics would you like to see presented?

REBarCamp Denver is definitely in my schedule. If I still used a paper calendar, I would put it in ink. I think it has the potential to be the most important social media and technology event in Colorado in 2009.

I am looking forward to the round table discussions and brainstorming with other real estate agents and technology wizards about how to take the endless social media avenues available online and turn them into one cohesive strategy to serve my clients and grow my business.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Sam!

For our readers, Sam’s blog is Estes Park Homes for Sale I’m sure he would love for everyone to stop by and leave a comment!

REBarCamp Denver Welcomes Bob Schenkenberger

In the first of a series of interviews, I’d like to welcome local Denver Broker, Bob Schenkenberger.  Bob was one of the first people to register for RE Bar Camp Denver less than two weeks ago when we first announced the event on Twitter.  I asked Bob if he would be interested in sharing some personal facts about himself and what he thinks of social media.

How long have you been selling real estate?

18 years

What made you decide to get into the business? What were you doing before real estate?

I got my real estate license after I bought my first house. I felt I didn’t know what I had just done, so in an effort to educate myself, I went to RE school, and got my license.  At the time I had a good job, and didn’t plan on changing.  Then, less than a year later, I got laid off.  So, while I was taking some time to figure out what I wanted to do next, I realized I truly love looking at properties.  I already had my license, and it was a great fit!

We first met in person at a TweetUp, but we had known each other from Twitter.  How long had you been blogging at that point in time?

I started my first blog in October 2007, using the blogger platform.  I grew out of it pretty quick, and and my wordpress version was kicked off in Jan. 2008.

Social media has become so popular in the real estate industry. Can you tell us what it has done for your business?

Social media has had a huge impact on my business model.  The Get Home Denver Team Blog has taken our internet presence from a do nothing website, to a lead generation tool.  My old site got less than 50 hits per month, the blog gets 50-100 hits per day.  Social networking has allowed me to connect with my database in a whole different way than before.  Rather than a monthly newsletter, or an email, I am actually able to see what many of these people are doing on a daily basis.  How their kids are, etc.  This allows me to interact on a more personal level.  In terms of actual business, I closed 3 deals last year as a direct result of my social media efforts.  I anticipate that to triple this year.

If you could pick only one aspect of social media, what would that be.  By that I mean you must choose from Active Rain, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and any of the hundreds available, which one would you use and why?

No question, for social networking it’s Facebook.  That’s where the people are!

Are you coming to REBarCamp Denver?  Would you like to present a topic? If so what would that be?

I will be in attendance, and would be willing to help present a topic.  I’m becoming more and more interested in Hyper-Local stuff, so I think that would be a great topic.

Thanks for sharing your successes with us Bob!

If you would like to visit Bob’s Blog he can be found Selling Greenwood Village and Denver Area Real Estate at GetHomeDenver.com !

If you haven’t RSVP’ed for the REBarCamp Denver please do so now! Just click on the RSVP link on the top navigation bar and reserve your seat today.

What is a REBarCamp?

BarCamp is usually described as an “ad hoc” meeting or an unconference.  It consists of a serendipitous group of folks who can allow themselves to relax without a specific agenda.

The mere thought of such an event sends chills of  trepidation down the spine of normally organized people!

Oddly enough it works.

My first experience at an REBarCamp came last July in San Francisco.  Cleverly scheduled the day prior the to popular Inman Connect conference this REBC was the first of it’s kind for the real estate industry.

The actual planning came months in advance of the date. It was pulled together by Andy Kaufman a Bay Area Realtor along with long distance help from across the country.  We had an organizational meeting via conference call on Yugma, while everyone talked, I took notes on Mindjet with everyone watching as I created a flow chart.

The entire process was electrifying!

Bringing the best minds of social media together in one call nearly rendered my fingers paralyzed.  Correct spelling was optional, not guaranteed.  The best thing for me, nobody cared or if they did, they didn’t mention it.

We answered the question, “Who is really good at teaching xyz? Let’s invite them.”  And so it began.

Since that date REBC’s have been held across the country, each in their own style followed by success and a commitment to do more.

The success of this event will depend on the people.  We need people to come, be present and share what they know.  If you have a topic you would like to offer up, please do so.

If you have a topic and a presenter you would like to hear, please speak up.  Invite them.  If you are too bashful, tell me, I’ll invite them.

Guess right now what I am asking for is to hear from you.

Speak to me.

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