Long Beach Real Estate-Long Beach Condos

Inman Connect 2009 San Francisco - Long Beach Realtors Review

Industry trade shows are always interesting to attend.  You just never know what you what you are going to discover, who you are going to run into or exactly how the experience is going to turn out.  So I guess they are a bit of an adventure and help to keep life in your chosen industry interesting.

I've just returned from the Inman Connect trade show in San Francisco, a real estate industry event I attend each summer, which included  4 days and 3 nights of non-stop action.  I am exhausted!

The economy being what it is the event seemed to be a bit trimmed down, which is expected in these troubled economic times.  There were less soirees and after parties, fewer sponsor rooms, less toys distributed, smaller rooms utilized for many sessions, less creature comforts and many notables were...........well, just notably missing.  The times being what they are everybody is conserving resources.  None of this got in the way of networking, learning or having a good time.  It is amazing how resilient we humans really are.

This year I was closely examining new start up companies.  As a tech savvy Realtor in Long Beach CA, it is important to know what products and systems are coming available to best enhance both my business and my customers experience.  There were 16 start-ups being promoted at the show and a few others promoting themselves around the event.  My partner and myself were there on press passes and interviewed quite a few of these fledglings for upcoming articles.  Over the course of our interviews we made some very interesting and unexpected observations.

When we approached the owners of these companies to set up private interviews it was in the public arena, they were selling and exposing their products to the attending real estate industry.  Having observed the presentations being made to the crowd we were very concerned that none of the products were going to cut it and that these new business ventures were destined to fail, which the odds say, many likely will.  It was during the private interviews that we witnessed the passion, commitment and love that is poured into a new venture.  We listened to these young entrepreneurs tell of of the many hours, months and years of hard work spent to develop, fund raise and promote their ideas.  After the interviews were over we were discussing the difference that we witnessed in public and private and realized that these new business owners were just not salespeople or marketers.  They were not the best representatives of their own product.  Something to think about, huh?  Imagine spending all of that time and those resources only to fail because you are not the best representative of your own product!

There is a lesson in this.  Use some of the funds that you raise to hire top notch salespeople and marketers.  You have done your work, now let the professionals send the business in.  Business owners, salespeople and marketing professionals have different mind sets and function on different levels.  It is a wise business owner who knows when to step aside and let the professional do their thing.  That time was this trade show.

We wish all of the fledgling start ups the best of luck in their new ventures and want to thank them for their time.  Over the next week  we will be releasing reviews of the start up companies we  chose to interview, so stay tuned. 

Laurie Manny Long Beach Realtor® (562) 212-5420 244 Redondo Avenue Belmont Heights Long Beach, California 90803 Buyers/Sellers/Investors Homes Condos Income Properties 1031 Exchanges