Here's Some of My Best Tips on Building Connections
With a membership as large and diverse as we have here at Mid-America Association of Real Estate Investors, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the information available—from the meetings, the library, and the blog, to all the social media groups MAREI supports. There’s a ton of great content and opportunity, and sometimes it’s hard to know where to start.
So whether you’re brand new to MAREI, or you’ve been with us for a while but haven’t quite tapped into everything we offer, here’s an easy-to-follow guide with eight action steps to help you get the most out of your membership—and maybe even close a few deals along the way. I know in my own business, once we started partnering with other people, everything changed. We went from doing a few deals here and there to doing a lot more, simply because we started connecting with the right people.
Here’s how you can do the same.
You Have to Participate
Every day I see activity on social media. We have a Facebook Group with more than 15,500 people, but only about 20 post regularly and maybe 10 jump in to comment. You know who’s doing deals? The ones who are engaging.
It’s the same at our in-person meetings. Out of nearly 700 members, maybe 90 show up each month, with another 20–30 guests. Of those, 40 people are actively networking, having real conversations. The rest come in late, sit quietly, or chat with their friends. It’s always the folks surrounded by 10 others who are the ones doing deals—because they’re putting themselves out there.
So get involved. Visit the MAREI blog. Join us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Meetup, and Instagram. Ask questions. Share wins. Answer questions. Build credibility and visibility. People will start to see you as the go-to person in your space.
Meet with Local People for Coffee or Lunch
Want to find the movers and shakers? Look for the people who are mobbed at meetings—they’re the ones who share openly. Strike up a conversation and ask how best to connect. Maybe they host their own weekly meetup. Maybe they’ll invite you to a current rehab project or just out for lunch.
Don’t overlook the quiet ones either. I’ve had some of my best conversations with people sitting alone waiting for the meeting to start. Many of them are doing deals, they’re just not loud about it.
Ask them what they’re working on or where they could use help. Then follow up. Relationships are built in the follow-up.
And don’t forget our Saturday Master Classes. They’re virtual and nationwide, and even in the chat, connections are made. I have made lots of great connections sharing in the chat with people reaching out from all over. I’ve even received help . . . the moderator of the class on some other subject was actually a Note Investor, he helped me figure out a problem on a note deal I had . . . all in the chat.
Get Involved in the Monthly Meeting
If you’re shy, volunteering is the perfect way to ease into networking. Help with set-up or take-down—many of our busiest, most successful members show up early or stay late. Or work the check-in table and meet everyone coming through the door. Be an ambassador. You’ll have quick conversations, collect business cards, and create follow-up opportunities.
What can you do to get involved: Check In Help, Ambassadors, Set up, Take Down, Video Conversations, Post to Social Media Key Parts, what are you good at, there’s pobably a way to donate a few minutes a month and get involved.
Activate Your Profile & Free Website
Did you know that you even had a member profile? Fill out some basic information so others can find you on the member list. And while you are doing that, Activate Your FREE Website to market your properties.
Members get a free website to market properties. When you post a property, it not only shows up on the MAREI site, but it also goes out to our full email list—around 5,000 people—through our Leads email and the MAREI Briefing. Always include a call to action to join your buyer’s list.
The Facebook Group
Our Facebook Group is the hub for local investors. Share your questions. Give referrals. Ask for feedback. Chime in when you have advice. This is how people get to know you and want to work with you.
The people that are active in the group are doing deals.
Join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/kcrei
Guest Blog Posts
Already blogging? Great—send us some of your content to share with the MAREI audience. Not a blogger? No problem. Share a deal story, record a short video, or send us something you’ve posted on LinkedIn or Facebook. We can help turn it into an article that gets seen by others. It’s a great way to establish your expertise and give back to the community.
Expose Yourself (Professionally!)
When you put yourself out there—on stage, in meetings, on social media—people notice.
Back in 2008-2009, when funding was tight and buyers were even harder to find, someone walked into our office and said, “I’ve been watching your business grow. I want to invest with you.” We went on to do several deals together—just because we were visible.
One mobile home investor I knew gave a presentation at MAREI, and I referred quite a few deals his way. Another investor who shared how she creatively structured deals ended up building a huge portfolio—mostly from referrals. A high-end rehabber I met at a MAREI meeting now gpot a lot of my high-end wholesale leads.
Deals happen because people know who you are.
Pick Up the Phone
One investor called me out of the blue. He’d seen me speak and wanted to buy houses. Said he needed five. I thought, “Yeah right,” but sent him my REO list anyway. He bought two. Then two more. The phone was his one and only way to find deals. He called Realtors, Wholesalers, and other Investors to see what they had available.
Over the next few years, he probably bought 20. Why? Because he picked up the phone and followed up.
Nothing beats a good old-fashioned phone call.
There you have it—8 real ways to make the most of your time at MAREI and have a more profitable year.
What are your favorite tips?
Drop a comment below and share how YOU are using MAREI to grow your business.
Kim Tucker
Kim Tucker is a local real estate investor who, along with her family at kcmohomebuyer.com buys houses and notes. Have a house or note to sell, submit it today at kcmohomebuyer.
