Going to Investor Meetups

[Louisa Davis]

When you go to real estate investor meetups, what are you looking to get out of them?

And how has that changed with your experience level?

[Abel Curiel]

Quote from @Louisa Davis:

Quote from @Abel Curiel:

Quote from @Louisa Davis:

When you go to real estate investor meetups, what are you looking to get out of them?

And how has that changed with your experience level?

Hey Louisa!

At every meetup, I look for new contacts. The best contacts are those who also value growing their networks and who are clear on their business needs (e.g., funding, partnerships, access to deals, vendor recommendations, etc.). These are the best contacts, in my opinion, because I can find ways to add value to them.

As my experience level changes, I keep an eye/ear out for specific types of contacts. 

For example, I've recently encountered more potential 203K/renovation loan deals, which has led me to actively seek out HUD Consultant contacts. Other times, I've specifically gone to events looking for GCs and handymen who also invest or want to begin.

 Thank you. How do you use your time effectively to make sure you're drawing out each contact's specific skill set and approach? Instead of spending all your time on small talk?

 Great question... I'm a talker so I've definitely ended up in conversations longer than I needed to.

Sometimes, its not a bad thing. When you know you've made a new contact with good synergy, its not the worst thing to have a lengthy convo and limit time for more introductions.

What I do to bypass small talk is ask - "how did you hear of this event?" OR "what made you come to this event" instead of asking "what do you do?" or "hey, I'm Abel... hows it going?..how are you?..."

I find that asking those questions (in bold), I get higher quality/deeper answers. People still mention what they do or how they're involved in RE... BUT they go into what they're currently working on, what/who they're seeking at this event, and I get a good sense of where they're at along their journey.

One of the best books I read on the subject of effective networking/relationship building was Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazi. 

The book 'How to win friends and influence people' is also very good and more popular.