Post-pandemic, the real estate industry has experienced significant changes, presenting both opportunities and challenges for realtors. Those challenges include shifting market dynamics, regulatory changes, technological innovations, and economic uncertainty.
A real estate convention is important for professionals in this industry as they navigate the evolving competition from online platforms, legal changes, and demand for value-added services. Whether you’re showcasing a custom trade show exhibit or attending as a guest, these events are excellent opportunities for realtors to stay current by taking classes, networking with colleagues, and discovering the latest trends and strategies in real estate.
Whether you decide to attend a national real estate convention like NAR NXT, The Realtor Experience, or state events like the California Realtors Expo, these events provide invaluable insight into the industry.
What Types of Companies Exhibit at Real Estate Conventions?
For exhibitors, a real estate convention represents a one-stop shop to showcase their products and services to attendees. A wide range of companies exhibit at real estate trade shows, catering to various aspects of the industry. Here are some of the companies you might encounter:
Technology Providers:
- Property Management Software Companies: DoorLoop, Preno, Buildium, AppFolio
- Real Estate CRM Software Companies: Top Producer, Follow Up Boss, LionDesk, Hubspot, Salesforce
- Real Estate Marketing Software Companies: Inman Connect, Hootsuite, Constant Contact
- Virtual Tour and 3D Modeling Companies: ENGAGE, VHT Studios, Matterport, Archicgi
- AI and Machine Learning Companies: CoreLogic, Ylopo, Plunk, CS AI
Real Estate Brokerages and Franchises:
- Realtor Associations: National Association of Realtors (NAR), local and state associations
- Real Estate Franchises: Century 21, Berkshire Hathaway, Keller Williams, RE/MAX, Coldwell Banker
- Independent Brokerages: Local and regional brokerages
Financial Institutions:
- Mortgage Lenders: Quicken Loans, Wells Fargo, Bank of America
- Title Insurance Companies: Old Republic Title, Chicago Title
- Home Inspectors: National Home Inspector Examination Council (NHEC) certified inspectors
Real Estate Investors and Developers:
- Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): Publicly traded REITs
- Private Equity Firms: Firms specializing in real estate investments
- Developers: Construction companies and developers of residential and commercial properties
Other Service Providers:
- Appraisers: Certified appraisers
- Home Inspectors: Certified home inspectors
- Insurance Agents: Insurance providers for property and liability
- Attorneys: Real estate attorneys
- Home Stagers: Professional home stagers
- Moving Companies: Local and national moving companies
The specific companies exhibiting at a particular real estate convention can vary depending on the focus of the event. However, these categories provide a general overview of the types of companies you might encounter.
Planning Your Real Estate Trade Show Exhibit
If you are new to trade shows, the planning process can seem overwhelming, but it’s actually very manageable, particularly if you work with an exhibition professional. Start by choosing an exhibit designer. This article will help with that process. You’ll also need to create a checklist to manage the details and stay on schedule.
However, before you jump into designing the booth, reserving space at a real estate convention, or even Googling “trade show displays,” you need to define your trade show strategy and goals. Those, along with a budget, will drive every decision you make about the exhibit design, graphics, marketing, and even logistics. If you remember nothing else, remember that a successful trade show strategy requires careful planning and budgeting. Here are the basics of creating a winning strategy:
1. Define Your Goals
Most likely, someone in your organization said, “Let’s exhibit at Show Z so we can increase sales.” And while increasing sales is a worthy goal, it isn’t a strategy. Some other common goals are:
- Brand Awareness: Increase brand visibility and recognition.
- Lead Generation: Generate quality leads for future sales.
- Customer Relationship Building: Strengthen relationships with existing customers.
- Market Research: Gather insights into industry trends and competitor activities.
2. Identify Your Target Audience
Every company should periodically revisit their target audience. Many companies exhibit at a variety of trade shows and those audiences vary. For example, if your company sells event registration software, the museum fundraiser audience would be very different from the high school athletic director audience. There may be some overlap in the messaging, but the graphics and the onsite marketing will be very different.
- Demographics: Age, gender, income level, occupation.
- Psychographics: Interests, hobbies, values, lifestyle.
- Behavioral: Buying habits, brand loyalty, media consumption.
3. Create a Comprehensive, Yet Realistic Strategy
We all know the saying attributed to Benjamin Franklin, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” Yet, many exhibitors will create a comprehensive checklist of tasks but not a trade show marketing strategy. That’s like building a house on sand. It may look impressive at first but will soon start to lean and eventually collapse.
The strategy will be your touchstone as you develop graphics, create a pre-show marketing campaign, choose your show staff, determine your success measurements, and formalize your post-show follow-up guidelines. The strategy may change. It may evolve, but having a strategy that anchors your trade show marketing is essential to both setting and achieving your objectives.
4. Set Your Budget:
It’s easy to view a budget as a series of expenses. Some, like show labor and drayage, are not only expenses but also expensive. However, try to view other costs as potential revenue, like pre-show marketing and post-show follow-up. Those drive sales and should be seen as investments.
- Booth Space: Cost of renting booth space, including size and location.
- Booth Design and Construction: Costs of designing, building, and shipping the booth.
- Staffing: Salaries, travel expenses, and accommodations for booth staff.
- Marketing and Advertising: Costs of promoting the event, including print materials, digital marketing, and social media.
- Shipping and Logistics: Costs for shipping booth materials, products, and promotional items.
- Contingency Fund: A buffer for unexpected expenses.
Creative Real Estate Booth Ideas to Attract Attendees
Trade shows are a hyper-competitive sales area where attendees are bombarded with lights, colors, sounds, and smells. It’s a sensory overload where attendees may not remember who they visited 30 minutes ago, let alone a week later. Every exhibitor wants to be memorable. Their choices are: to have a product or service that solves a problem for the attendee or create an activity or a memorable event. Or, ideally, both. A real estate convention is no exception. Success at a real estate convention requires careful planning and execution to leave a lasting impression. Here are some recent examples:
Interactive Experiences:
- Virtual Reality Tours: Offer virtual tours of properties to give attendees an immersive experience.
- Interactive Quizzes: Create a fun real estate trends quiz to engage attendees and gather their contact info.
- DIY Home Staging Challenge: Set up a mini room and let attendees experiment with different staging techniques.
- Mortgage Calculator Challenge: Set up a friendly competition where attendees race to calculate the best mortgage options for different scenarios.
Unique Promotions:
- Mystery Box Giveaway: Offer a few mystery boxes with real estate-themed prizes like merch, gift cards, or discounts.
- Instant Win Scratch Cards: Give out scratch cards with instant prizes like discounts, free consultations, or small gifts.
- Social Media Contest: Have attendees share booth photos or videos with a hashtag for a chance to win a grand prize.
- Personalized Consultations: Offer one-on-one consultations with real estate experts to provide tailored advice.
Engaging Activities:
- Real Estate Trivia: Host a trivia contest with questions about real estate history, market trends, or famous properties.
- Home Buying/Selling Game Show: Host a quiz-style game where attendees answer questions about buying and selling homes.
- Live Property Auctions: Conduct simulated property auctions to generate excitement and engage attendees.
- Industry Expert Panels: Host panel discussions with industry leaders to provide valuable insights and generate buzz.
- Charitable Initiatives: Partner with a local charity and donate a portion of your proceeds to a good cause.
Getting it mostly right means the attendee associates the experience with your brand. Getting it perfect means the attendee remembers the experience, your brand, and how your product or service benefits them. It’s easy to be clever, but it’s hard to be smart at a trade show.
Real Estate Conventions & Trade Shows to Attend
Fortunately for real estate professionals, there’s a wide variety of national, specialized, and regional real estate convention events to attend.
General Real Estate Conventions:
- NAR NXT The REALTOR Experience Conference & Expo: Hosted by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), this is one of the largest real estate conventions in the U.S., offering a wide range of educational sessions, networking opportunities, and exhibits.
- Inman Connect: This influential conference series attracts industry leaders, agents, brokers, and tech innovators. It focuses on the latest trends, technologies, and strategies in real estate.
- Success Summit: Hosted by Tom Ferry, this conference is known for its high-energy atmosphere and focus on practical strategies to boost sales and productivity.
Specialized Real Estate Conventions:
- CREtech: This event focuses on the intersection of real estate and technology, showcasing the latest innovations in proptech.
- Inman Luxury Connect: This conference is specifically designed for luxury real estate agents, offering insights into high-end markets, marketing strategies, and client relationships.
- RETCon: This conference is geared towards real estate technology professionals, covering topics like AI, VR, and blockchain in real estate.
Regional Real Estate Conventions:
Many states and regions host their own real estate conventions, such as:
- California REALTORS Expo
- Florida Realtors Annual Convention & Trade Expo
- Texas REALTORS Annual Conference
- Washington State Realtors
- Oregon Realtors Association
These regional events offer opportunities to connect with local professionals, learn about state-specific regulations, and network with peers in your area.
Engaging with Prospects at Real Estate Trade Shows
Engaging attendees at a real estate trade show starts months before the show opens. In the past, trade show traffic was a given. However, exhibitors can no longer rely on attendees wandering the show floor nor can they count on show organizers driving traffic to the exhibition hall. Instead, exhibitors must have both pre-show marketing and onsite strategies to engage prospects. Trade show success isn’t random. The exhibitors plan and implement it with the same thoroughness as a social media campaign or website launch.
Pre-Show Strategies
Targeted Marketing:
- Direct and Email Marketing: Invite current clients and prospects to your booth by highlighting the benefits of attending. Your campaign should have a compelling call to action. Consider exclusive discounts or giveaways.
- Social Media: Use platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram to promote the event, share speaker information, and encourage attendees to share their excitement.
- Partner with Thought Leaders: Collaborate with industry thought leaders to promote the event and generate buzz.
On-Site Strategies
Attractive, Functional Booth Design:
- Dynamic Booth Design: Create a visually striking booth design that stands out from the crowd
- Interactive Elements: Incorporate interactive elements like touchscreens, virtual reality experiences, or live demos to engage attendees.
- Clear Branding: Ensure your branding is prominent and consistent throughout the booth. Your graphics should also state the problem you solve quickly and clearly.
Engaging, Knowledgeable Staff:
- Knowledgeable Staff: While your staff knows your products or services, certain individuals may be more knowledgeable about specific products, services, or processes. Have a process for funneling prospects to those experts.
- Friendly and Approachable: Encourage your staff to be friendly, approachable, and enthusiastic. Your staff can make or break your trade show success by not engaging with prospects or by treating the trade show experience as a vacation rather than a sales event.
Interactive Activities and Exclusive Offers:
- Contests and Giveaways: Host contests or raffles to attract attendees and collect contact information.
- Product Demos: Showcase your products or services through live demos.
- Networking Opportunities: Organize networking events or happy hours to foster connections among attendees.
- Limited-Time Discounts: Offer exclusive discounts or promotions to attendees.
- VIP Experiences: Create VIP experiences for high-value attendees.
By implementing these strategies, you are more likely to attract qualified attendees to your booth and create a memorable experience that will leave a lasting impression.
Maximize ROI at Real Estate Events with Classic Exhibits!
Imagine you’re selling your booth as a property. And the audience is other real estate professionals. It’s a tough audience. They know all about staging an open house, how to create the perfect listing and the importance of being at the top of your game. It requires a team to do it right, one with the right training and a commitment to excellence. At your showing, you’re not just opening a bag of Oreos. You’re baking chocolate chip cookies, serving apple cider, and showing them renovation ideas via a virtual reality tour.
Expect that level of professionalism from Classic Exhibits and the Classic Distributor Network. For over 30 years, Classic Exhibits has been designing and building creative custom solutions for our Distributor Partners and their clients. As North America’s largest private-label exhibit manufacturer, we have the unmatched capability, capacity, and creativity to create 3D projects ranging from 10 x 10 inline displays to 60 x 80 double-deck islands.