There’s always something to howl about.

REBarcamp: It’s not just for Realtors anymore

Got any thoughts about REbarcamp? I’m not even sure how to spell it. But I went to REbarcamp in Columbus OH-I-O, and had a mahvelous time. The venue was nice, clean, easy for the navigationally challenged to navigate, no waiting lines at the Ladies Room. What more could we ask for? It was well-organized, and the organizers were accommodating.

A question came up while I was there: Would I go to another rebc? It gave me pause. I like to meet people, so I would certainly be looking for another opportunity to do that again. But rebc? I’m not so sure. I really dislike conferences in general, and on the drive home, just like I did after BHBU, I pondered what I would do to improve my rebc experience.

I did get it wrong about rebc sponsorships, btw. No one pays any attention to who is sponsoring anything, so that is a total non-issue. If you are using sponsorship as advertising, well, um, yeah. Of course the highlight was meeting people I only know online. Meeting face-to-face is one of the best reasons to go to most real estate functions, and rebc is no exception to the rule. What was so wonderful about rebc/OH-I-O is that the vast majority of people there were corn-fed Ohioans, just like me. My people. We have a common bond, we speak the same language, there is an ease and familiarity that follows. I really loved that more than I can express, so I would look for opportunities to get together locally and share ideas- that’s all barcamp is about, right? So here’s where it gets a little sticky to me. What is the big deal?

Call it Midwest practicality, but it’s local Realtors. And we are talking about local real estate. Think about it. When did this become hoopla-worthy? When did you need a name, an umbrella organization, a fancy venue, a nearby hotel, a website, a logo, sponsors, organizers, nationally known speakers, in order to share ideas about local real estate?

And so. Come with me to a little meeting with Jesus. I want to get together with other Realtors who are working in the same sort of conditions I am. I want to share things in an as efficient manner as possible. I want to learn as much as possible. That’s really all rebc is set up to do, isn’t it? Unless. Unless I have a product to promote. But if I don’t have anything to promote, then it’s not a big deal, right? I had a good time, but my brain didn’t explode, so would I take the time again? I don’t know.

Okay, untwist yer panties. I understand that several rebarcamps are Inman appendages of sorts, and they need to be a big deal, designed to accommodate a lot of people, and bless the organizers for getting those done so quickly and efficiently, but this is you and me, we are just folks, just Realtors out in flyover country, in little towns and small cities, no legends in our own minds. We don’t need a venue. What we need is to actively seek out a few like-minded folks in our area, a wifi, and the desire become better Realtors, because all the snazzy tools in the word don’t add up to squat if I’m not doing the best job I can. And here’s what I realized on the way home- I can do all this without months of frenzied organization, and corporate approval, and the beauty part is, the simpler it is, the more likely it will be to continue on a regular basis. So, little me is thinking that what I should be doing is contacting those local folks that “get it”, to use the cool kid’s vernacular, and say something along the lines of “Hey, we are both concerned about quality real estate, Panera has wifi, wanna do coffee? Cool. See ya then.” Done. Next.

Back to rebc, here’s the thing that has me flummoxed, whatever good intentions rebc started out with, something about it becoming a movement- an rebc in every town- doesn’t quite make sense, and in the back of my head I can’t shake this little bit of tin foil millinery: Either I really don’t get it, highly possible, or, maybe there is something being promoted that would require a captive audience. Because when you think about it, a local rebc is just real estate professionals talking about real estate, which really isn’t such a big deal after all.