1st Meet-Up

[Chelsea Morrissette]

Tonight at 6:00pm I will be attending my first real estate meet-up in Denver, Colorado. To say I'm excited would be an understatement, however, I'm a little nervous as well. I don't know what to expect going into the event or what to take from. The only thing I am sure of is that this is one step closer in the right direction. I think I need to act as a professional and get some inexpensive business cards to hand out for potential networking opportunities to collaborate. I'm definitely taking own and paper but any words of what to expect from a meet-up (I know it varies, but generally speaking).

[Connor Swalm]

People at any REIA are generally generous people and will be willing to talk with you. That being said, go with the mindset of just having fun and connecting with new people. You would be surprised how many people at a meet up do not know how to network correctly, and, in a sense, they are the reason they don't have connections. Personally, I have purposefully not developed relationships with newer investors because I get this sense of desperation and neediness from them. Newer members of REIA's have a habit of dominating conversations and it becomes clear they do not want to add value to you; they only want to take value from you. In everything you do, make sure everyone gains the same amount of value. You gain expert advice and a new connection, but make sure you provide something in return (this could be as small as giving them the opportunity to help out someone that is young and new to the investing scene). When I was brand new to real-estate investing, I knew I couldn't add any value to an experienced investor, so I took them out to lunch and to get coffee. You just need to find a way to give value back, then you will be able to network effectively.