The Best of NAR 2009 Expo - Real Estate Technology
NAR each year is always packed with great sessions, speakers, topics and presenters. There's no way to see and do it all! One of my favorite parts of the Convention is walking around, meeting people in the hallways, hugging old friends and shaking hands with new ones. This year, William Shatner was one of the special guests at NAR, but unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to sign him up on ActiveRain.
My absolute favorite is "cruisin" the EXPO and seeing all the "NEW" stuff that's being displayed. Many of the tools and services presented will have an affect and impact on the ways business will get done now, and in the future.
To See the more than 375 Booths and vendors that were there, here's an interactive floor-plan you can visit.
NAR always brings back some of the same vendors you see year after year, but I still like to stop by and see them, and how their products have changed or improved. Then there's all the new technology stuff I haven't seen or heard of yet. When I found a booth or vendor with a name I didn't recognize, or if they that had something I hadn't heard of, I'd ask them, "In a sentence, tell me who you are, what you do, and what does your company provide?"
So if you were unable to make it to NAR 2009 in San Diego this year, I hope you'll take a moment to let me be your eyes, your ears, and your feet at NAR, and enjoy this condensed version of "A Day with Brad at the NAR EXPO" and see a few of the "highlights" that I thought were some of the "Best of the NAR Expo."
Fujitsu.com * PreListing.com * AlaMode.com * AgentOfficeHQ.com * Txt2Look.com * RealtyPilot.com * TheBoom.com * RealBiz360.com * MarketLeader.com * HomeOnTheTube.com * IDXBroker.com * VisualTour.com * PlanetRE.com * LoneWolf.com * PostYourListings.com * AdWriter.com * ListHub.net * GoPaperless.com * Closing.com * PreviewFirst.com * ForeclosureRadar.com * RealtyLog.com * RealAgile.com * LoopNet.com * HillsideSoftware.com * Boopsie.com
THE NAR 2009 "RAINCAMP" DRAWING WINNER!
We collected Business Cards and had a drawing at NAR for 2 RainCamp tickets and $100.00 American Express Card and the winner was....drumroll...Tamara Dorris from Sacramento, CA. Congratulations Tamara, we're looking forward to seeing you at RainCamp.
Brad - I visited some of those booths too - I bought "the Boom" noise canceling headset - because I don't like the idea of a blue tooth & microwave energy next to my skull. That was a fun video-tour through the expo! Thanks for creating the ActiveRain lounge - it was fun visiting and meeting you.
I wish I could have been. It's hard to leave a 3 and 7 month old behind. I bet William was a riot. Thanks for sharing this.
I'm so flagging this for feature. ;)
ohhh looked like such a fabulous time - next year I'm coming! :)
Thanks, Brad! This is great for those of us who could not be there this year.
So sad I missed out! Looks like a great expo== Kathy
Wish I had been able to make it. But your post is the next best thing! Thanks for taking us along Brad. =)
Brad-Thanks for sharing that fun tour video. So glad we have you as our eyes, ears and walking shoes to learn all the latest on what is happening in the Real Estate World. If I would have had the size you could have been sportin your new Stetson at the NAR Expo.
Who needs to go. We have it all in one place. Thank you for capturning that, Brad. I'm sorry, but it's got to be Boopsie.com for me. Who can resist and I don't even know what they do.
Brad,
It looks like fun. Maybe next year.
There were so many great things at NAR this year, unfortunately the greatest thing of all that might not have been there was YOU! When I thought about how many folks couldn't make it this year, it was kinda sad, that's when I decided to spend the entire day walking around the EXPO and making this video. It really did take me the entire day Sunday to put this all together.
All my rainer friends and family here are totally worth it... blisters and all!! :-))
Hi Brad..Wish I could have gone to NAR again...thanks for being our Eyes and Ears...
Love to see some of the New Stuff:O))
Brad, Dang, This is a good video. That's why you get the big bucks.
Great video Brad, although I had problems loading it. Looks like a great time at N.A.R. Just couldn;t work it into the schedule. It was fun seeing you briefly at RE Bar Camp SD.
Jeff
Thanks for sharing your experience. Sounds like you met several AR members while you were there. Look forward to future posts on how to use some of the new technology.
Brad:
I just got in from the trade show. We arrived yesterday morning and came back this evening so we had 2 days of intense trade show. I was somewhat disappointed. This was the smallest trade show that I can remember and I've been going since 1997. There were way too many REO and short sale booths. Some of the old standards weren't there. I was shocked that Microsoft pulled out at the last minute. I got a lot of thumb drives and lots of balls for my new dog. I will post in the next few days my opinion on what technology stuff we found on my blog. The video you did was great.
It was a good time Brad and you are right the best part is "cruisin" the EXPO and seeing all the "NEW" stuff.
I was only there Monday and saw the whole floor except the last aisle and a half...are you sure there were ONLY 350 booths...seems like 10 times that
Gosh, Brad -
I feel like I've been there. Thanks a lot.
Brad ~ Thank you far all the hard work and blisters you endured. The video is great with lots of good info. I've bookmaket this and off I go.
I so need to get to an upcoming NAR convention. Thanks for keeping us in the loop on what went on there. I knew that having you there as our eye in the sky would be the next best thing to attending ourselves!
Brad,
Very cool. I'm actually using the products of about six of those interviewed. They work.
Rich
Brad,
I wish I could go to all the NAR national conventions. I also loved to go on "the floor" and see all the new software and hardware and how I could implement it to make me more efficent.
Wanted to be there, just couldn't this year. Love the video, I feel like I am walking the floor! Where is it going to be next year? Never to early to start planning!
Brad - Great idea with the video - thanks for taking the time to put it all together. I'll have to watch them once the cobwebs have cleared this morning. Also great to see that Tamara won - she's a great women and I love reading her blog, so I hope this will spur her on to more!
Brad, what a great idea. And how typically "Rainy" of you to do something for us. I wish I could have been there but my daughter, Amy Hahn, tells me that the highlight of the convention for her was getting to meet you.
Brad:
Sorry I missed you, I am glad that we had spectacular weather for everyone to enjoy.
Hey Brad! Thanks for the "Best of" video! That was awesome and I liked how you got them to tell you in one sentence what they were all about. Quick and efficient! I wasn't able to make it out so I enjoyed being able to be there virtually! Thanks Brad!
This was great, I really do ALMOST feel like Iwas there. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Brad -- The tech stuff is what I am most interested in. I've been wrestling with going totally paperless but haven't gotten to that point yet, mainly due to the problems with electronic signatures.
Brad ~ Thanks for the highlights of the NAR convention. I wrote some of the company's down to check out on the web.
What a great video!!! This is a one stop shop to go look at all these amazing technologies. What a great way to summarize it in one nice video. Thanks for taking the time to do this.
Jean Richer
Ottawa, ON
Hey thanks so much for the great post/ and video. I sure have bookmarked it for future reference.
Patricia/Seacoast NH
Love the video; I feel like I was there. There were a couple companies I had not heard of before. Excellent!
Brad - Great Video. Thanks for doing this and I am very interested in that BOOM headset. I been going through blue tooths like toilet paper....gotta get something new and improved. It sounds like you all had a great time!!
I appreciate you posting this video tour. It was great to see some of the innovative products and services that were being shown. Thanks for the time you invested into this!
Thanks for another post that provides great information. The video was excellent - you can hear the snapshots of each seller plus see their website address! Great variety of products & services. Thanks Brad!
Brad, Excellent post, and I am so excited that I got picked (must have been those 400 cards I dropped in the bowl--JUST KIDDING!).
Thanks for making Active Rain such a fun place to hang out and such a great way for us agents to increase our businesses!
Hugs,
Tamara
That was AWESOME! It was almost like being there minus aching feet, crowded aisles and annoying people! LOL!! Thanks for sharing the video with us and I am looking forward to NAR 2010!
My daughter & I just returned from NAR 2009 last night. We were there to support our exhibit for AREU. But we made sure to walk the convention and found invaluable marketing strategies and LEADS! Tried to find you Brad but kept missing you! Thanks for all your hard work.
Carol Heap & Tara Jones
Thanks for bringing us up to date and my congratulations to Tamara on the RainCamp drawing. I'm away during this one, but want to catch one soon in the west or southwest somewhere.
Have small babies at home so I missed it this year. Catch up with all next time round.
Brad,
Shatner would be a gem for AR. He'd blog about mortgage and real estate practices as they are done on distant planets. We here could use some new ideas, you know.
Brad, I missed Shatner too. I would have liked that.
I going to have to disagree that the best part was the expo. That was the only part I was disappointed in. I thought the expo seemed at lease 1/2 of the usual. Does anyone know how many exibitors there ususally are?
The classes were my favorite. I went to so many fabulous classes! There is always so much new information. I left with lots of new ideas and applications and almost as many questions. But it least now I know the questions I want to ask.
Thanks Brad.
I couldn't make this year but wanted to go. Thanks for the quick overview of the vendors. Lot's of good stuff here.
Cool video. I took a few sites and will be exploring them. Thank you.
I go every year and it is such an experience to have all those booths and so little time to visit. Now I'm home and wish I had taken better notes. Thanks for the reminder.
Brad, great summary video! It became my first Re-blog so thank you! I learn so much from the Expo booths that I have gone many years strictly for that exposure. Boopsie.com was a pretty cool feature taking the schedules and pushing them to cell phones and PDA's. Next year, they will have it available to download your private schedule and push it to friends too.
I was hoping to buy a new Tablet PC from the HP booth, but learned they only showcase their "business line" and the Tablet they had started at about $1500 and I had been looking at the consumer versions for only about $800. Oh well, off to look at the refurbished ones on their website I guess.
Brad,
Great video thanks, after having been to many trade shows that was an excellent idea on your part. I really appreciate it since I could not make it
It was great to see innovative companies and products that can help push our industry forward...Thanks for the video...hopefully i can make it there next year!!
One of the most amazing features of being a Real Estate agent in this time is that you can virtually be at a conference. Brad, your video took me to the heart of the NAR event.
I was really sad I couldn't make it to meet you- it is just so intense here in the real estate world!
Anyways, thanks for the spam today, it was exactly what I wanted! :belch:
You brought NAR to us! Thanks Brad!
Brad,
I loved the virtual tour of the vendors - great job.
This was SUPER! Shows how much we MISSED, but we all appreciate what YOU did to bring it right in front of our faces while we were in our jammies!
Thanks for the time you put in in doing this!
Brad, you have some of my favorite products there - thanks for taking the time to put this video together. Hope to see you somewhere in 2010 - NAR or RainCamp or both!
Sharon - happy to do it. The blisters on my feet have all since gone. haha~ See ya in 2010.
Steve - ya'll come back yahear? :-))
I've been visiting the NAR expo for a gazillion years. The expo was smaller than normal but I still enjoyed it. I do some of my best networking on the expo floor. It's always good to see what companies have survived or merged. And of course, the most popular booth in terms of crowds and lines once again is Kathy's Acessories from Georgia. A girl can never have too much jewelry.
Hi Brad -
Hey...I had blisters too:( Thanks for the GREAT overview and highlights of NAR's 09 Expo! My first year attending...GREAT Conference & Expo. Stopped by to introduce myself and you always had fans :) You are very popular - I'll catch you next time :)
The video was GREAT - as always, enjoy reading your blog. Cheers and Happy Day!
PS - Carol Pease - I agree....tons of Short Sale Exhibitors! Every time I turned the corner - another :)
Linda - lol~
I almost included her in this video post, but then how could I tie that into RE Technology? haha~ So what did you buy from her? :-)
Angel - I'm sorry we didn't get to meet or chat, I'm really not popular, I've just made lots of great friends here on AR. I have to agree about the Short Sale Exhibitors, they were like starbucks...one on every corner.
I'm sorry I missed this... perhaps next year.
Hey Brad,
Great job being my eyes and ears at that expo and what a wealth of info you provided! Thumbs up!
Thanks for being our eyes, ears, and legs at NAR, we all sure appreciate you doing this for us.
Great recap/info for those of us who couldn't be at NAR this year. Great info.