Real Estate in Northeast Florida and Around the World

I have recently returned from the National Association of Realtors convention, held in New Orleans this year.  What an experience!  This is my second convention, so I am somewhat of a newbie to the table, and have yet to learn how to temper my appetite for new information and new contacts.  I always come home with my head spinning from all of the information, and a to do list that wears me out just looking at it!

Since my professional focus is on the global community, I spent at least 50% of my time in activities learning how to best serve my customers, whether they are inbound to the United States, or looking for properties outside of the U.S.  Before I became a Certified International Property Specialist, I had very little knowledge of not only how to work with a global customer, but also very little knowledge of the risks involved.  My husband and I are seasoned travelers, but this alone does not prepare one for working on transactions with an international flair.  Thank you NAR for providing excellent resources and education!  The international networking area with in the expo is an amazing opportunity to meet face to face with real estate professionals around the world.  This year there were over 1,200 international delegates representing more than 50 countries.  While it was not possible to network with 100% of them, I am happy to say that I did get to visit with delegates from over 25 countries, exchanging marketing materials and lovely conversations about our respective areas.  In addition, there was a fabulous presentation by the delegates within Europe, discussing their real estate practices, customs and laws.  To hear real estate professionals from Great Britain, France, Austria, Poland, Germany etc., discussing how they transact business compared to the U. S. was worth the entire trip - and yet it was only one small part.

As I am very involved with my local and state Women's Council of Realtors chapters, I also participate in the national meetings when there is an occasion such as the NAR convention.  The biggest challenge is balancing all of the meetings and education sessions so that you see everything that you want to see.  The members of WCR are truly leaders in the industry, and boy do these people know and understand the value of networking and referrals. 

I did get to see a little of The Big Easy, and definitely enjoyed the food.  but all in all, I was a REALTOR on a mission - to learn more to bring value to my customers!  It was great to get back into my community in Jacksonville, and to my office in Ponte Vedra Beach.  The old saying "it's good to go and great to come home" really still does ring true!