REI Expo- Richardson, TX

Richardson Hosts The Second Annual Real Estate Investor Expo

There is considerable buzz surrounding real estate investing across the country. There seems to be mysticism surrounding the industry to those who know little about it. Late night television programs promise massive wealth if you “call now” and order someone’s DVD set. There are reality shows, magazines, radio shows, websites, blogs and any other form of media you can think up devoted to real estate investing. You want the inside scoop, but where do you get it?  The answer is simple, from the people that do it all the time. Last weekend those people assembled in Richardson, TX.

The second annual Real Estate Investor Expo, better known to savvy real estate investors as The REI Expo was held in the Richardson Events Center, Richardson, TX for a weekend of education, networking and skill building. When asked why he chose this venue Tim Herriage, Founder of the expo said, “I wanted the show to have an intimate setting where there would be real value exchange for sponsors, vendors and attendees alike”.

It was clear Herriage accomplished that vision as the expo unfolded. Attendees had a choice of 66 classes to attend during the two-day event with some of the biggest industry names in Texas. Even with so many choices the personal feeling was well maintained. Herriage compensated for so many classes by making an audio version of each class available so that attendees could hear every message presented.

 One of the speakers I personally had the pleasure of seeing was David Montelongo. He drew a large crowd I thought to attribute to his having been on the A&E television show “Flip This House”. He however was a very talented speaker and didn’t disappoint anyone in the audience as he confidently expounded on some of his career-building tricks of the trade. Although he has a new book coming out this summer and is building an education business, he keeps his primary focus in real estate. “Without keeping my ear to the street I wouldn’t be able to share accurate information because this business changes too quickly. Anyone who tells people how to do real estate but doesn’t do it actively is out of touch,” says Montelongo.

When asked about his impressions of the expo Montelongo said, “This group was more on the experienced side. They had good flow, communication and energy. I did some good business and will be back”.  

   

The speakers were asked specifically not to turn their presentation into a sales pitch which gave a comfortable environment between speakers and attendees. Herriage had been concerned about this from day one as most functions in a similar format become a “pitch fest” as he calls it. “People attend events like this because they want to learn how to get into that industry or get better at what they do. The last thing they want to do is sit through a week end of sales pitches.” 

Model My Home President, Jana Uselton spoke on staging homes to attract buyers. She and her team wrote up thousands of dollars in orders at the expo itself and said many more investors committed to work with her. “We didn’t have to do any selling. Once they saw the hard numbers of the results sellers are getting by staging homes it became a no-brainer for them.” Uselton staged nearly 400 homes last year and freely shared her knowledge and data with attendees holding nothing back.

When asked about her experience at the expo Uselton said, “Out of all the seminars, trade shows and expos we have attended, sponsored or exhibited, this was the absolute best event we have ever done.”    

Smiles appeared on the faces of those attending a class taught by Quincy Long, CEO of Quest IRA, inc. as he taught investors how to find funds for their projects. In a press interview Tuesday Long commented modestly, “I have been very pleased with the response to the workshop I taught. There was a high level of energy there that everyone could feel.” Long continues to open new offices and contributes much of the company’s success to freely educating the public through seminars. Long gained popularity amongst attendees as he took time to answer questions one on one after he spoke.

Attending Investors spoke highly of the value they received from the speakers. Local Investor Bryan Dodson commented, “Jillian Sidoti was my favorite speaker. I could have left after that and been happy with what I spent for admission”.

One of the hottest topics for attendees was the immense networking opportunity they found at the expo. Real Estate Investor Sennora Brown invests nationwide with a tight circle of associates. She commented, “I met some strong people that I will be able to do a lot of business with for a long time”.

Everyone I interviewed, in every capacity was in agreement with Tier One Investments President Eric Pollard as he commented, “I will definitely be back next year”. 

For more information about the REI Expo please visit: http;//www.reiexpo.com