That's a great conference to attend REI Tech Unlocked draws a solid crowd of active investors. The networking there is genuine; I'd recommend hitting the breakout sessions on your first day to find your people, then grab coffee with folks you click with. If you go in with a specific focus (wholesale, rentals, etc.), you'll have better conversations. Hope you connect with some good investors out there.
Englewood, NJ · Member since 2018 · 461 posts · 82 votes
3w
Khush - Josiah gave you solid networking advice. One thing that will make your conversations at REI Tech Unlocked stand out: bring actual deal data, not just business cards.
What I mean: before the conference, pull motivated seller data from your target county's public records. Three county offices produce records that identify distressed properties:
1. Tax Collector - tax delinquent properties (owner name, amount owed, years behind) 2. Code Enforcement - violation notices with dollar-amount repair costs documented by county inspectors 3. Clerk of Court / Register of Deeds - probate filings, lien recordings, pre-foreclosure notices
Cross-reference all three on the same property and you get what I call converged distress - a confirmed motivated seller. Since the conference is in Dallas, Dallas County has searchable public records you can pull for free.
When you meet cash buyers at the conference, instead of saying "I'm looking for deals," you can say "I have 12 properties that are tax delinquent AND have code enforcement violations AND probate filings - here are the repair costs documented by county inspectors." That is a completely different conversation.
I am not attending this year but I would be curious to hear what you learn about the tech tools they cover. Most of what I have found works best is free county data, not expensive software. Would love to connect if you are going - always good to compare notes on deal sourcing methods.