When the trade show floor opened with gusto at the 2011 REALTORS® Conference & Expo in Anaheim, Calif., this past November, it became apparent that there was a commonality in the many options for education, forums and booths. Although there was substantial diversity available, there seemed to be a common underlying thread: how to connect with consumers with a more purposeful, interactive experience.
In case you missed the convention or some of the many booths and educational sessions, here are a few tips to get you up to speed:
• Videos played a large part in the bid for attention on the trade show floor. Big or small, exhibitors used engaging video presentations and “games” that encouraged crowd participation. Even the NAR Membership Information Services forum hosted tech experts who taught agents the best ways to connect and convert prospects to profits…and video dominated the discussion.
• Video rocks as long as the content fits into a context. Expert video guru Michael Krisa was one of the many talents who hosted several programs at the Kodak booth. He spoke on the effectiveness of good video content with top audio quality to engage today’s buyers and sellers. Kodak’s booth buzzed with activity as several lucky attendees won the ever-popular Kodak PlayTouch Video Camera. With great audio and an easy plug-in for external audio, and built-in editing capabilities, this camera was a convention favorite for taking and uploading videos.
• Cloud is king. Imagine being able to send documents to your printer via email and having them transferred to be printed in real time? With a printer that works “in the cloud,” this is possible. Kodak printers have full cloud printing capability, providing agents the ability to print photos, documents and emails from anywhere via smartphones, computers or tablets. One of my favorite printers is the Kodak Office Hero 6.1 All-In-One Printer, which combines convenience with economy. This printer can print from anywhere via the cloud, in addition to scan, copy and fax. Best of all, replacement cartridges are under $30. Visit www.kodak.com/go/redeal to get a 20 percent discount on the Kodak products shown in the booth.
• International anyone? One of the most popular booths was the International booth where the representatives from the many countries that were present converged. While the Internet has given us a global reach, with a hyper-local result, it’s crucial that real estate professionals use the right tools to connect with these groups. Working in the cloud becomes easier when using tools and systems like Dropbox or Skype to best support long distance connections. Cartavi.com was another super tool introduced at the convention. Cartavi.com offers a free service that allows for the storing, managing and sharing of your documents with everyone in a real estate transaction in your own “transaction” room on the Web. Cartavi’s mobile app makes sharing and storing documents simple, efficient and safe, especially with the complications of time zones and regular business hours. With the mobile app, you can receive real time text or email notifications the minute something happens, keeping you in the center of your transactions.
The convention always offers new information, and if you missed it, you can still secure some great videos, posts and handouts by visiting www.narconferencelive.com.
Terri Murphy is a licensed real estate broker, author, speaker, communication consultant, and e-strategist.
For more information, visit www.TerriMurphy.com.
