Facebook Tools & Tricks at Virtual Real Estate Bar Camp January 4th
December 22, 2009 by Stacey Harmon · 3 Comments
On January 4th, 2010 Virtual Real Estate Bar Camp will have a repeat performance with a new lineup of speakers, and Harmon Enterprises is participating. Our topic is Facebook Tools and Tricks – Separating Personal from Professional. Here is the session description from the event website:
Control who sees what! @StaceyHarmon will orient you to the Facebook tools that allow you separate your personal from your professional life and effectively use Facebook for business development as a Realtor. The session will cover applying Facebook’s newly updated privacy settings to your profile; grouping your friends, clients, and prospects into lists; and assigning permissions to status updates and photos. She’ll also show you the basics on how to create a Business Fan Page in order to further build your professional persona on Facebook.
It is free to attend Virtual Real Estate Bar Camp which is a full day of webinar presentations by some of the movers and shakers in the national real estate social media scene. There will be four separate webinars, or “rooms”, running concurrently and each presentation lasts 45 minutes. All you need to do is have internet access and pre-register in order to get the login information for each of the rooms. The full schedule can be found here and if you have an interest in hearing more about how social media can help build your business, you are encouraged to attend. What better way to kick off a productive business year?!
Virtual RE BarCamp Summary:
Website: www.VirtualREBarCamp.com
When: January 4, 2010 from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm PST
Cost: Free but you must register to receive webinar login information
Schedule: As speakers are confirmed, the event calendar is updated
RE BarCamp SD – It's Almost Here!
November 7, 2009 by Stacey Harmon · Leave a Comment
I’m in the midst of last minute preparations for RE BarCamp San Diego…hard to believe it is almost here! Next Thursday, at the Stingaree in San Diego, the largest RE BarCamp yet will take place (we’re expecting over 500!). And next Friday, my life will return to normal :). Amongst the chaos and stress of planning for the event, I have great anticipation for the friends and colleagues, both new and old, I will see Thursday. If we haven’t yet met face to face and you will be at RE BarCamp or the NAR Convention following, please do stop and say hello. The greatest value I find in RE BarCamps is the people I get to interact with face to face.
We’ll be posting last minute event details on the RE BarCamp website this week, so keep an eye on http://www.rebarcampsd.com for the latest scoop. Back to attending to the last minute details for me. See you Thursday!
Will You Be at RE Blog World? Come See Me Speak!
September 26, 2009 by Stacey Harmon · 8 Comments
I’m excited to announce that I have been asked to speak at Real Estate Blog World, the one day industry vertical partner program preceding the Blog World and New Media Expo in Las Vegas. I will be part of a panel discussing Business to Business marketing in real estate using social media (full conference schedule here). My social media strategy and execution experience over the past year with Pango Group and their affiliated companies has given me much hands on experience with this topic and I look forward to sharing my perspective with those in attendance. And I hope that includes you! Have you registered yet?
If you are trying to decide if the expense is worth it for you, let me share my experience from attending last year. I got talked into attending RE Blog World and Blog World at the last minute by Rob Hahn, and I was very hesitant to make the investment. However, I am so grateful I did. The conference was outstanding for me for several reasons. First, at RE BlogWorld I met many of the people who are the movers and shakers in the RE.net. Those introductions helped set the stage for the fun, fast paced, and successful year I’ve had since. My work and social networks expanded in ways I didn’t anticipate. I also learned a lot - from the practical (Derek Overbey taught me about @replies and Tweet Deck for goodness sake!) to the theoretical. Also, the main Blog World & Social Media Expo was filled with social media superstars. The pioneers who influenced me and I watch on-line (people such as Lee LeFever and Guy Kawasaki) were sitting there, right next to me in sessions learning right along with me. Others like Tim Ferriss and Mike Shinoda gave fascinating keynotes on stage opening my eyes to the power of social media in businesses unlike mine. And, as Jeff Turner so eloquently reminded us at Inman Connect in San Francisco last month, innovation always comes from outside our industry. Blog World provides access to social media applications and issues across industries and is presented by the biggest names out there. For this reason alone, the conference is not to be missed.
The world of social media moves so fast. The evolution of social media within real estate has been tremendous over the past year – I’ve seen it grow immensely from one RE BarCamp to the next, and one Inman Conference to the next. RE Blog World will help those of us focused on the real estate industry to get a pulse on where things are at, what are the challenges, and help shed light on the opportunities. And, I’m fascinated to see how social media has evolved outside the real estate industry in the past year and hear the impressions and creativity of those who drive social media in their business. I’m honored to be contributing this year to RE Blog World and am very excited to see the other speakers lined up for the entire event. I got so much out of blog world last year and can’t wait for this year. I’ll see you there!
Conference Details:
- When: October 15-17, 2009
- Where: Las Vegas, NV
- Conference Websites:
- RE Blog World
- Blog World & New Media Expo
- Registration
- RE Blog World Program Schedule (I’m part of the Track 1 panel on B2B Social Media from 2:00 – 3:15)
- RE Blog World Speakers (including me!)
San Jose – Here I Come!
September 21, 2009 by Stacey Harmon · Leave a Comment
I’m headed to San Jose the first week of October for several major real estate events that should be on the radar of any Realtor or person interested in technology, social media, and real estate:
- California Realtor Expo 2009 (The annual CAR Convention)
- Tech Tuesday (Day long technology training preceding the official CAR Expo)
- RE BarCamp Silicon Valley (A free un-conference attracting the technology progressive and interested in the Real Estate business)
Here is a rundown of the great opportunities these events provide as well as some auxiliary activities I’ll be participating in. If you’re in San Jose, hopefully we’ll cross paths while I’m there (join me at a Tweetup?!):
Friday, October 1st, 2009:
- Social Media Success for Realtors Presentation: Anyone a member of SAMCAR (San Mateo Association of Realtors)? If so, come hear me speak for free (thanks to Pango Group for sponsoring me to speak)! Registration starts at 10:30. Presentation is from 11:00-12:30. It you would like to attend, RSVP via email to Julie Ziemelis, Director of Public Affairs for SAMCAR.
Monday, October 5th, 2009:
- RE BarCamp Silicon Valley: This is a free, day long event, born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment. There is no set schedule or topics. Instead, the day is shaped by the passionate real estate professionals who gather and discuss how technology and social media can benefit the real estate business. Any forward thinking Realtor who is interested in applying technology to their business should attend. It is an outstanding way to network with industry elite and add be engaged in discussions that can truly transform your business. If there is interest, Andy Kaufman and I will be facilitating a session that day discussing how to use Twitter to enhance your conference going experience. Hope you can join in. The event is free, but you do have to RSVP hereto attend. Twitter hashtag for the event is #rebcsv.
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009:
- Tech Tuesday: An add-on day to the CAR Expo, Tech Tuesday is full of technology training and tips to help Realtors in their business. The twitter hashtag for Tech Tuesday is #TTCarExpo. There are some great techie agents presenting – including Ted Makel of Keller Williams, Simi Valley who is part of the opening panel titled “Text, Tweet, and Sell: A Dialogue on Tech’s Possibilities for Today’s Agents”. Other great sessions include:
- The Benefits of Blogging
- Media is the New Marketing: How to Attract the Right Attention
- Best Practices for Building an Online Presence
- Social Media and Social Networking: A Guide for REALTORS
- Tweetup at Tanq Bar (San Jose Marriott) starting at 5:15 pm: Within walking distance of the Tech Tuesday I’m hosting a tweetup. Come mingle with fellow Tech Tuesday attendees over a drink (everyone is responsible for their own food/drinks…just to be clear!). Tech Tuesday attendance is not required to join in on this one though…if you want to come on out and say hi, please do! @candacecapella, @ericstegemann, and @andykaufman will be there too. More info and RSVP list is here.
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009:
- CAR Expo 2009: California’s largest real estate trade show which draws “thousands of California’s key franchise executives, top producers and movers and shakers every year for educational networking, and professional development opportunities”. The Expo runs for 3 days (Wed the 7th – Fri the 9th). I’ll be there on Wednesday in order to check things out and see what’s hot this year at the vendor show. Twitter hashtag for the conference is #CARExpo.
A Labor of Social Media Love
June 14, 2009 by Stacey Harmon · Leave a Comment
Last year I caught wind of this free event called RE BarCamp that was being held the day before the Inman Real Estate Connect conference in San Francisco. I had no idea really what it was. I didn’t know any of the people attending. But I had seen enough discussion about it on Twitter and Facebook from those voices that I watched, that I knew I had to be there.
That day changed my professional life. I was introduced to a whole RE.net world filled with smart, curious people who are interested in technology, social media, and the real estate industry. The room was filled with Realtors and pioneers who were trying new things and discussing new ways to succeed in real estate. These people saw hope and opportunity in an otherwise dismal and depressing real estate market. I was hooked. I’d found my crowd.
In the 10 months since that first RE BarCamp, I have traveled around the country to attend 4 more. Those events have taught me so much and connected me with such great people, that when I saw an opportunity to bring this movement to Orange County, I took it. I could think of no better way to give back to the RE.net community than to facilitate here in my city the event that has brought so much to me. RE BarCamp Orange County is scheduled for June 25th, 2009. I couldn’t be more excited about the collegues (many of who I now consider friends) who will be coming from near and far to participate and contribute to this event. It promises to be a great day filled with great conversations, learning opportunities, and fun. I can’t wait!
For more information on the event, or to register and attend, check out the website at www.REBarCampOC.com.
I'll be at RE BarCamp Los Angeles on April 2nd…will you?
March 4, 2009 by Stacey Harmon · 2 Comments
On April 2nd, 2009 from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Real Estate Bar Camp Los Angeles (RE BarCamp LA) will be held at the Pasadena Hilton. RE Barcamp’s are my favorite RE.net events. I learn so much. This will be the 4th Bar Camp that I have attended and for anyone interested in being around other real estate people who are passionate about social media, technology, and web 2.0, this is the place to be. It is one unstructured day of learning and discussion with the industries best and brightest and most curious. Any Realtor who is interested in finding out more about how they can survive in this changing economy should attend. This group sees opportunity in this changing landscape. You will hear about how to apply technology to grow your business, market yourself, promote your properties, and interact with buyers. Topics and sessions from past RE BarCamp’s include: Social Media, Selling with Statistics, Blogging, Twitter, Targeting Niche Markets, Why Your Real Estate Website Sucks, and Search Engine Optimization. Those in attendance are guaranteed to learn something. Attendance is expected to exceed 200 people and, it’s FREE to attend (but you do need to register). You can see a list of who is registered here (and there are some GREAT people attending!).
More general details about the conference can be found here: http://rebarcamp.com/losangeles/
The twitter conversation for the conference can be followed at #rebcla (if you don’t know what this sentence means, you should DEFINITELY attend the conference)
So, this is where I will be on April 2nd. I hope to see you there!
New folks, old folks, and GaryVee – My takeaways from RE Connect New York
January 18, 2009 by Stacey Harmon · Leave a Comment
So the problem with waiting a week after a conference to write a post about your perspective on a conference, is that in this ultra fast web 2.0 world, all kinds of impressions and opinions have already been posted, discussed, and put to rest. So, not sure that this post is adding anything new, but its my blog, so I’m going to write about it anyways.
For me, the value in attending the Inman Real Estate Connect conference in New York was truly in the networking. I’m not the most “social” of the RE.net community in terms of participation (I’m certainly there, but don’t for example, hold a candle to the wit of a Kelley Koehler who I am repetitively entertained by on twitter nor do I have the eloquence or clarity of Rob Hahn, writer and critic extraordinaire). I actually find it challenging to forge new friendships purely through the web 2.0 world. I like to watch though. I can certainly see who the influencers are. I can see whose style I like. I can see whose style I don’t like. I develop a curiosity about some. I learn a lot. But it isn’t until I meet the face behind the avatar that the web 2.0 world really does wonders for me. And this is the true value of Inman. To meet in person those people who shape these online social communities is awesome. And there are many I’m glad I had the chance to meet (or re-meet) and interact with. People like Jay Thompson, Matt Fagioli, Matt Goyer, Rob Hahn, Ginger Wilcox, Heather Elias, Jeff Corbett, Jon Washburn, Pill Thomas Di Guilio, Daniel Rothemel, Mike Simonsen, Kristin Mohan, Todd Carpenter, Rudy Bachraty, Kris Berg, Joeseph Ferrara, Ines Hegedus-Garcia, Jeff Turner, Pat Kitano, Gaylord Dewald, Guy Johnson, Scott Sambucci, Kelly Koehler, Dustin Luther, Megan Murphy, Liam Dayan, Dale Chumbley, Perri Feldman, Drew Myers, Stacey Ret, Poppy Dinsey, Jim Cronin, Morgan Brown, Christian Sterner, Dan Green, Mary McKnight, Mike Price, Gerry Bourgeois, Andy Kaufman, Joel Burslem, Jeff Bogert, Hillary Marsh, and last but certainly not least, Derek Overbey. I look forward to continuing the conversations both on, and off, line.
As for the conference content, the only speaker that truly made an impact on me was Gary Vaynerchuk. After a dismal first day of conference speakers rambling on about how bad the economy is and how bad the real estate market is, Gary was a welcomed relief of enthusiasm, energy, and optimism. I made a note to myself that if I’m every feeling discourage in 2009, I need to watch a Gary video – it will adjust my perspective and cheer me right up. Here was a guy who is thriving. And, he was discussing what I want to know – where the opportunity is today. And the perspective in his speech was that of personal branding…he says that to build your personal brand online – own yourself. I was very pleased to hear this since just the week before, I had set up this website based on my personal url. Gary seems to think I’m on the right track and made me feel progressive in my purchase of my personal domain back in 2004. I wasn’t sure what I would ever use my personal URL for, but I just had a hunch that I would want it. Social media seems to be finally making that hunch a reality. He also reminded me that people respect and appreciate effort – a lesson I (someone who may demonstrate perfectionistic tendencies on occasion) am well served to remember every once and a while. Here is a video of his entire presentation (hang in there…first 15 seconds are a bit woozy but it improves):
I don’t believe that all he says is perfectly practical for the working Realtor today (the Brandie Young article on Agent Genius well articulates one of my concerns from his talk) and there has been good discussion and debate in the RE.net world about this…I’ll let you read about it here and here and here. But all in all, it was a great speech and one of the best parts of RE Connect, and I’m glad I was there to see it.
Also, Derek Overbey and Morgan Brown did a great post-presentation interview with Gary. Enjoy: