What is a RE BarCamp?

Bar Camp events bring together anyone using technology who wants to share and learn. The Real Estate BarCamps are specifically geared toward technology and education for real estate professionals.

The RE BarCamp website explains it well:

RE BarCamp is a BarCamp for Real Estate (R.E. BarCamp). What that means- the event is not structured like a typical planned conference. Every session is not planned out in advance. Nobody is paid to deliver a session. Anybody can deliver a session and attendees are strongly encouraged to participate.

How does that happen?

When you arrive at the event, you will have the opportunity to put your name in a slot to facilitate a session. The number of sessions delivered at any given time depends on the venue and number of attendees. After registration is over, a board will be put up that details each session and what room they are located in throughout the day. The length of the sessions varies at each RE BarCamp event.

If anyone can deliver a session, won’t some of the presentations be terrible?
Possibly, but it it not typical. Some of the best and brightest minds attend these events. They lead sessions and they sit in on sessions. RE BarCamp sessions are group sessions. They are not meant to be presentations by a single individual. Because the audience participates, sessions that may start out a little rocky often adjust and get redirected by the participation and collaboration of the audience. Presentations promoting specific commercial products or companies are discouraged. If you feel like you’re being sold, or if a session is really bad and your participation can’t turn it around, practice the rule of two feet- get up and walk out.

That sounds like chaos. How is that productive?
It can be a little chaotic, but some of the best ideas and invention are derived out of chaos. If you go in looking for a very structured day, you will be disappointed. What you get out of an RE BarCamp event is what you put into it.

What topics are covered in the sessions?
This depends completely on who volunteers to lead a session. The sessions are frequently related to technology usage in real estate but cover any topic from mortgages, to photography to philanthropy. If you want to hear a specific session, facilitate it!

Check out this video of a San Francisco RE BarCamp. Keep in mind that every event will look a bit different depending on the venue. Come with an open mind, prepared to go with the flow and to meet new people, and you’ll have a great time.

Should You Attend RE BarCamp St. Louis?

If you work in any facet of real estate, then you should attend RE BarCamp St. Louis!

While many of the attendees will be real estate agents, we expect to have lots of people in real estate related industries too.

• Lenders
• Title companies
• Appraisers
• Inspectors
• Rehabbers
• Investors
• Property managers
• Real estate technology vendors

You should also consider attending if you work in a business that could benefit real estate agents. Maybe you sell office supplies. Maybe you design websites. Maybe you have a restaurant where an agent might sit with clients to write a contract while grabbing lunch.

Get creative.

How could your business benefit by being connected to real estate agents? How could you benefit real estate professionals by sharing your skills with them?

Maybe you don’t work in real estate or have a product that real estate agents need. That’s ok. If you like houses, commercial properties, technology, social media, free training or great networking, then you should join us!

Just remember, all of the training sessions will have a real estate spin to them!

Selling Not Allowed:

I know I just suggested that if you have a service or product that could be a benefit to real estate agents, then you should consider attending.

Just remember, the format and culture of a BarCamp means that this is about networking and education and sharing. If you do a presentation and it is about your specific product, rather than how your industry as a whole can add value, you will probably have people walk out on your session and might just lose more business than you gain.

BarCamp etiquette is that there is no pitching your services or selling your product. You are welcome to tell people what you do, and if someone asks you about your services, then go for it. The best way to get business from attending a BarCamp is to simply network. Bring lots of business cards. Show people your smarts. Show them how helpful you can be. Show them that you are someone they want to work with.

Still trying to figure out how you can get your literature into REBCSTL so everyone will want to hire you?

Sign up to be a sponsor.

We’ll talk about who you are on this website, you’ll get recognized at the event AND there will be a table where you can leave some literature for people to pick up. Sponsorships start at $100.

Or offer us some door prize giveaways. Everyone seems to stop and listen when freebies are being given away.

Restaurant gift certificates, free social media/blogging training, computer tune-ups, graphic design, photo shoots…all GREAT giveaways!

Social Playlist Suggestions

What makes you groove? What tunes inspire you and excite you?  We want to know.

We plan on keeping things moving at RE Barcamp St. Louis and will have a DJ spinning a killer playlist, but since barcamps are about YOU, then we need to know what YOU want.

You Pick The Music.

(or someone with no musical taste will)

MC Hammer or Nine Inch Nails?  Steven Tyler or Taylor Swift?  Nickelback or 50 Cent?

Next time you tap your foot to a cool song, let us know! Three Easy ways to build the REBCSTL Social Playlist:

A) Tweet your song suggestions to the hashtag #REBCSTL

B) Drop your suggestions via the form below

C) Or let everyone know by leaving your suggestion in the comments and we’ll add YOUR music to the queue.

*Yes, you may enter more than one suggestion.

**Yes, we are looking for someone to Sponsor the DJ – know someone in St. Louis Radio?

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