You go to these to meet others and to network, not to necessarily hear the speaker.

I'd recommend starting to network with local REIA and joining community groups or online forums related to real estate.

Network with investor-friendly professionals and find a mentor or accountability partner.

Lean on your network for advice—don’t hesitate to ask questions!

Network with some investor friendly agents that might be able to help you - they should be able find you deals and get you resources that you'll need to be successful.

But... the market is very, very tough right now, and what I tell everyone in your position is: if you're serious about it, you have to pick a market, go to it in person, and be willing to spend time in it in person, building a network and getting to know it. 

They promise to walk you through two flips the first year, get into an LTR the second year, help set up all your systems, and give you access to their databases and network.

Network with active investors or seek representation from service professionals where fees aren’t tied to the completion  of transactions.

Connecting with local and out-of-state investors, as well as lenders and agents, is a smart move, as building a solid network is always a great strategy.

I have tried to find potential syndicators by literally tracking down who bought apartments that I see clearly have new owners... but in each case, to date, the new owner appears to not be open to outside investors (and so far no local outfits), so that's not working out.Kurt, due to my industry expertise, I have a very wide network, and work with hundreds of syndicators nationwide.