How I Network

I heard someone call networking “making friends for adults.” I like that definition.

Anyone will tell you networking is the most important thing in real estate. It’s the key to deals, partners, financing, and more. You have connect to be successful.

But, it can be awkward. It’s hard starting a conversation with strangers. It’s hard calling people out of the blue.

When I got into real estate a mentor told me that networking was the most important thing I could do. Eventually, I learned why he said that. I wrote about it here.

But how? How do I get over the awkwardness of approaching strangers? How do I consistently form new relationships that enrich my life and my business?

I think the answer is different for everyone. You need a strategy that you can consistently execute.

My “networking model” formed over time. I didn’t plan it, I just tried to find things that worked for me. I’m going to describe how I network. Hopefully it can give you some idea’s about how to make those essential connections your business needs.

Producing Content

Most people call this marketing. I’ve found that it’s the ultimate networking hack. It leaves a digital business card all over the internet. It’s building “digital real estate” for yourself.

I started writing research because I thought people might find it interesting. When I met Brian Trippe he encouraged me to do more. He was a major inspiration for me to start this blog. If you want marketing idea’s, he’ll blow your mind.

I don’t like talking about myself very much, I’m more of a listener. When I produce content, people can learn about who I am without me telling them. They can see what I’m about without ever meeting me.

There are two main pieces of content I produce:

Robdrum.us Blog– I like publishing things that most people wouldn’t share (i.e. real numbers, failures, etc.)  I write market research, stories from experience, and tips. My goal is always to be helpful.

ALAREIA Monthly Market Update Podcast – We keep our listeners updated on the most recent Birmingham market stats. These are short, but we try to keep them interesting. The main goal is to keep our pulse on the market. We want our listeners to know first if the market starts to pullback. We’ve started using Facebook live to publish a video version before the actual podcast comes out.

Digital Networking

Facebook and BiggerPockets are the main social networks I use to connect with other investors.

Facebook – I’ve met a lot of local investors on Facebook. Surprisingly, It’s a good way to build real-life relationships. I try to like and comment on other people’s posts. especially people in the real estate world. How do you find these people?

Groups. Join groups related to real estate investing. People will get to know you when you like, comment, and post in the group. There are a number of investors who I met just because they posted something cool on Facebook and we started a conversation. Say hi on Facebook!

BiggerPockets – Posting on BiggerPockets has helped me meet hundreds of investors from outside of Birmingham. About 35% of my readership lives outside of Alabama. There is huge national interest in our real estate market.

BiggerPockets is truly an environment where “the more you give, the more you get.” I try to regularly answer people’s questions and be helpful. It’s paid off in many ways. Let’s connect on BiggerPockets!

Meetings

They say real estate is a contact sport. Meetings are where a lot of contacts happen. It’s a great opportunity to connect with people face to face. I try to attend as many as I can.

ALAREIA – This is the meeting I don’t miss. The brokerage I work at is a sponsor, which puts me in a great position to meet people.

There are some other great real estate meetings in Birmingham. They’re each a little different. I try to attend these as often as I can.

I’ve noticed many new groups forming on meetup.com. I’m making it a point to visit each of these.

Multiple mentors have commented that starting a meetup is the most powerful thing they’ve done to build their network. I’ve considered it, but for now I just try to be a regular attender at other’s meetings.

Conversations

This is the end goal of everything else. One way or another you need to have meaningful conversations with other investors. Here are some ways I do it.

Text – This includes email, text message, social media messages. It’s an easy way to start a conversation. However, it can be tough to really connect this way. The next two methods are better.

Phone Calls – Cold calls are scary. I try to ask people for a time to talk. That way it’s on both of our schedules.

However, I’ve been trying to break out of my comfort zone. Don’t be surprised if I give you a cold call.

In Person – I try to meet people for coffee or lunch at least once per week. Every time I do it I learn something. When I meet with a really experienced investor I learn 100 things.

Areas of Improvement

My dream is to be more systematic about connecting with people. What I’m doing works for me. But I’d like to condition myself to execute on a more consistent basis.

It’s a work in progress. I’ll continue to share what I learn. I’d love to hear your thoughts or comments!