I have joined a number of Real Estate Investment Associations since 1987 and that was one of the best things I did for both myself and for my real estate investing company. It's been my honour and pleasure to be a member of a number of REIA's, and I'm also honoured to have been on a number of Boards of Directors for various investment clubs for a number of years.
Let me explain why I think every real estate investor, property owner, developer, other Association member, contractor and supplier should join Real Estate Investment Associations.
Whether you are interested in strengthening your investing network, educating yourself, furthering your real estate career or maybe just in need of a few more friends – professional networking organizations can be a great option for you.
In addition to providing information about your chosen field, professional organizations can enhance your personal and professional development and provide endless networking opportunities. Look around your community—there are bound to be a plethora of organizations (from small local start-ups to national chapters) for you to join.
Here are the Top 10 Reasons for Joining an Real Estate Investing Association
1. Broaden Your Knowledge: Associations offer courses, seminars and/or lectures to keep their members and the real estate community up to date on the latest industry innovations, certification, research and trends. Staying informed on your industry’s trends will only help you in the long run and will put you one step ahead of the competition.
2. Take Charge of Your Business: Take advantage of business resources, information and skills you may gain. Associations often have trade related information online or in print available only to their members. This is a great way to find targeted articles or up to date trade secrets related to real estate in your area of interest and in your area of investing.
3. Build a Better Resume: Associations offer many opportunities for members to volunteer to be on Boards and Committees. Being part of the Board of Directors or Committees will strengthen your business or negotiating skills. Listing your association membership on your resume is impressive to current or future employers as it shows that you are dedicated to staying connected in your profession.
4. Enhance Your Network: We all know that networking is key for the movers and shakers of the community! Making connections is critical, and joining The Association you join will offer you countless opportunities to connect on a local and sometimes even global levelFor most people, creating professional relationships is important, and joining a group allows you to have a sense of security and trust. From this, you are able to support and help one another in reaching your professional goals 5. Be a Leader: Professional associations give you an opportunity to develop your skills as a leader, and this is important not only for your personal growth, but for your growth in your company or firm.
6. Become a Mentor: Giving back can be the greatest reward and benefit. Participating in forums, chat groups or discussion boards sponsored by an association is also a great way to grow your network. This allows you to use your peers as sounding boards and often make some great friends with the same interests as you.
7. Make a New Friend: Use professional networking groups as an opportunity to escape the norm and meet new people that may give you a reason to come out of your shell a bit more and have fun.
8. Give Back to the Community: There are plenty of organizations that coordinate socially conscious initiatives to support community efforts. Associations have a number of Charitable events throughout the year, and they are always looking for volunteers to spear head their Charitable events and even come up with some new ideas. There are sure to be plenty of options for you to choose from if you are looking to give back. Many REIA's have been know to volunteer for Habitat For Humanity Projects.
9. Strength In Numbers: We live in a day and age where establishing a presence in any given career field often demands working long hours in the office and bringing work home when the doors close. At the end of the day, you may have ideas for cultivating partnerships, yet not feel up to shouldering all the responsibility to organize them.
In a real estate investment club organization, you have access to an established support system of experienced people who are motivated to get things done. The battle is half-won!
10. Stay Inspired and Stay Motivated: Learn to love what you do! You may not even know that you love something, but it’s important to be proactive about things you discover on the journey. Join a local or international Real Estate Investing Association and discover something new TODAY!
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