COVID19 has forced many aspects of the world to go virtual , especially businesses and educational institutions . No longer it is safe , or in some places even legal , for masses of people to gather at conferences or conventions . What does this mean for the real estate industry ? More and more events are going on virtual platforms such as Zoom , which according to three experts interviewed by Realty411 have benefits as well as disadvantages .
One advantage of virtual conferences , conventions , and webinars is the ability to reach far more people than an inperson event , according to HomWork Founder and CEO Desirée Doubroux . Doubroux ’ s company is headquartered in the Los Angeles area and offers a variety of live , work , and share options . Doubroux herself has been involved in the real estate industry for 31 years . She is a speaker , broker , investor , and the creator of a seminar series entitled “ From Babies & Bills to Riches in Real Estate .”
Before the COVID19 crisis , Doubroux said webinars were gaining popularity in the industry but now pretty much everything has to be done online .
“ Now , you ' re able to engage more people from all around the world ,” Doubroux said . “ Also , online events are more economical since you do not have to pay for locations , travel , meals , team , and AV ( audiovisual ) equipment and services .”
Kaaren Hall , CEO of uDirect IRA Services in Irvine , Calif , added : “ Additionally , people don ’ t have to dress up or drive long distances to attend . There are no parking fees , etc .”
Doubroux , Hall , and Dave Grimm ( Founder and Systems Architect of End 2 End Results in Arizona ), all emphasized the importance of ensuring the security of online events and having compelling content .
“ Practice , practice , practice ; a practice session with all presenters is mandatory ,” Grimm advised .
“ Also , have a written plan ; have a plan to get back on when a speaker runs over their allotted time ; have a plan to ask the speaker if they want
Image by Jagrit Parajuli from Pixabay live Q and A and when to interrupt them to start it .
“ Above all , be engaging ! The number one killer of live events is flat speakers . Reading a PowerPoint or ‘ chasing squirrels ’ will kill an event and it will drop the attendance for the next speaker .”
The potential reach of an online event is massive , Hall noted .
“ At an inperson event , we see typically 50100 people ,” she said . “ We have had as many as 350 join us online so more people are benefitting from the information we have to share .”
However , there are disadvantages even with the bigger numbers in the virtual seats .
Online Events
By Stephanie Mojica
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