This week I attended the Real Estate BarCamp here in Sacramento, an event centered around social media for real estate professionals. It was a day long event with events scheduled each hour and it was great! There was an incredible mix of people new to social media and those that have been using it for a while. And each session was more like a discussion, so everyone was able to participate and share their thoughts.
I attended sessions on How to build a good reputation online, HyperLocal blogging, Useful WordPress plugins, and Search Engine Optimization. I learned something in each one both from the leader of the session and from the people attending.
There was a really good turnout, but considering the number of realtors and real estate professionals in the Sacramento area, I believe more should have attended. Especially since it was free! I think it shows that people are still slow to adopt social media in their real estate business. I am not sure if it is lack of interest, lack of time, or just lack of knowledge. If it is lack of knowledge, than an event like REBarCamp is a great place to start. There were 101 sessions all day on blogging, Twitter, Facebook and more. Between the sessions and the attendees, there was plenty of information available!
I thought the whole event was worthwhile and full of value. If you have a REBarCamp in your area, try to make it. No matter what stage you are in – beginner or big time social media player, it will be well worth your time!
