Real Estate Blog

Last month, I attended the 2018 REALTOR Convention of the Dakotas. Hosted by the Minot Board of Realtors, I spent September 12th through 14th at the Grand Hotel in Minot, North Dakota. This is an annual event where like-minded realtors can network and learn from Realtors outside of their area. Information is exchanged about new and changing trends in the real estate industry while adding skills to continue helping customers on a daily basis. Vendors have products and are available to talk to about their application as well. 

To kick off the first day of the convention, I took a Code of Ethics class required for Realtors to take every two years. In this curriculum, 17 Code of Ethics rules are covered and explained. These are basic "dos and don'ts" presented to us that all Realtors should follow while working in this business. After brushing up on ethics, I attended another class called "Revolutionizing Your Real Estate Business the Nordstrom Way." The main points I pulled from this presentation were all about customer service and going above and beyond for my customers. The next day I took "Being as Professional as You Can Be," a session all about dressing the part, looking the part and being professional at all times. Of course, this comes very easily and naturally to some of us. But, we can all use a reminder every now and again. 

While learning is a large focus of the convention, networking and hearing from other Realtors is also very much encouraged. The first night featured the Ice Breaker Reception complete with a game show night for additional entertainment to help everyone unwind a little bit and have some fun. The convention also ended with entertainment by Deuces Wild dueling pianos - a must see if you ever have the chance. 

Other important things that took place during the convention including the REALTOR of the Year Award. All local Realtors of the year are eligible for the State Realtor of the Year honor. Tom Rau of Rapid City was South Dakota's winner this year. There was also a fantastic motivational speaker, Bob Upgren, who uses chalk art to help tell a story. It really is a captivating approach. One of the final aspects of the convention is the Officer Installation Banquet where the state officers are sworn into their positions for the next year. 

But what I was most excited about during this event, was the fundraiser we put on. It's for Spare Key, an organization focused on providing assistance to families in crisis with critically ill or seriously injured family members. They provide everything from grant payment assistance to engaged resource referral and advocacy. I'm proud to say this year, with a $15,000 Grant, we raised over $30,000 for the Spare Key cause. 

I took some time to chat with Eric Mische of Spare Key:

Overall, I hope to keep focused on supporting customers in the Brookings area who are looking for real estate. I hope to use what I learned from this conference to better my approach and implement some of those things learned on a daily basis. And if you are looking for a realtor to help buy or sell, you should ask if they attend these conventions every year. There are so many good things that come from the convention to keep realtors up-to-date on the current state of this industry, it would be a great benefit to you if they say they attend regularly. I know I benefitted from attending and am already looking forward to next year, which will be held in Deadwood SD in September.

Thinking of selling and/or moving to Brookings, Volga, or any surrounding areas? Got questions? I’m here to help! Visit BrookingsHomeTeam.com for more details!