How to Make the Most of your Local REIA Membership

Follow some or all of these simple steps.

Show up on a consistent basis. This does not mean you have to go to every meeting on the calendar. Try to go to all the main meetings at a minimum. When at the main meeting make sure you visit all the vendors and introduce yourself and give each a card. Some of the vendors have a great blog and you can get valuable information for free. Go to all the county and focus group meetings that you can and see which meeting is most useful to your goals. Then put this meeting on your must attend list.

I once bought 17 houses on the same street because of a relationship with a hard money lender who had an in with an asset manager at a local bank.

When at any meeting, make sure to ask if there is a meeting after the meeting. You can have something to eat or a nice cocktail and get to know other members on a more personal level. This is where you might meet your new best friend, future partner or private lender.

According to Todd Hutcheson, founder of ibuyhomes.com and owner of 386Buyer.com and two time President of Central Florida Realty Investors Association in Orlando, the best way to get your name out in the real estate investing community is to volunteer. Volunteering at your REIA is a great way to meet new people and get involved. At some local groups you get a discount on your membership or special rates on classes.

If your association has a Board of Directors, your goal should be to serve at least one term. It is great exposure and builds trust that you are a serious investor. Many organizations have special shirts for board members and this makes you stand out even more to any visiting or new member.

Be helpful to others - especially newbies. If your club has a facebook or social page where questions are asked then visit regularly and chime in with helpful answers. Take pictures at your meeting and post to your social media so your friends see that you are involved in real estate investing actively. The owner of the REIA or organizers will be thankful for you promoting their events.

If you are new yourself, you might also ask experienced investors if they need any help with their business that you could do for free to gain experience. You might make cold calls, put up bandit signs, take pictures or tour a potential deal in your city or do demo work on a flip. Get in the trenches and learn. You will gain respect for your willingness to help and karma will repay you in the near future.

Become a niche expert. If you are the go to person at your local REIA you will make money off that expertise. Experienced and inexperienced investors will seek you out. Some examples might be a 1031 expert, short sales, fire damaged homes, Search Engine Optimization, note buying and selling, clearing bad titles, probate, land use changes or clearing bad titles. Be creative and make sure to put your expertise right on your business card and website.

Teach a class. Most REIA’s are always looking for good content for meetings and paid training. Start with a subgroup or county meeting if you have never spoken before a live audience. Ask for feedback from the leader of the group on how you could have done better. You always become better when you become a teacher and many times you will learn from the students.

Wear a shirt with a logo to all REIA meetings. It is your uniform. It is helpful in getting people to remember you when they need your service. You can possibly write off the shirt and even dry cleaning

One final tip if you are a wholesaler. Advertise that you will send an email for wholesale deals to your large buyers list. You can charge a small fee or just do it for free. You will see deals before anyone else and may be able to JV or buy yourself.