What do the best agents do at events?
I got my then 10-year-old daughter involved at the event. She created this welcome board for people attending.
Hi Folks,
I thought the article below is well worth repeating.
It was originally posted more than 12 months ago.
But its key points are even more relevant today.
Especially if like many forward-thinking agencies you’re considering organising your own events – one that is working well is hosting a landlords’ information evenings.
Let’s get into it.
We hosted our first estate agent event at Brighton & Hove Albion FC’s (BHA) impressive American Express Stadium.
Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the best estate agents in the UK, and our line-up of speakers reflected that.
The fantastic five included Luke St Clair of Knightsbridge Estates, Asad Riaz and Vicky Bibiris of Location Location, Spencer Lawrence of Paramount Properties, mental health coach Rob Brady and BHA’s CEO Paul Barber OBE.
I was super anxious before the event as it was a venture into new territory.
But the post-event feedback has been brilliant, and we’re already planning a day up north for our northern clients.
Here are 16 things I learned from doing it that might help you or your agency when planning an event.
1) Pick the best possible venue and line-up; the rest looks after itself.
2) Have a good team helping you. Jess, Amanda and my daughter, Charlotte, were smiley little superstars on the day.
3) Running it as a not-for-profit and being willing to take a little financial hit is a big help and takes the pressure off. We donated £2,000 to five different charities suggested by our speakers.
4) Do things differently – we received great feedback about the event’s fast and focused format. It ran from 10 am – 2 pm. And people commented that it felt informal. On arrival, we gave out thank you cards rather than name badges, and my 10-year-old daughter wrote up the Welcome Board.
5) Plan the perfect day in your head. Imagine how you want it to happen, as this will help you spot areas you might not have thought about.
6) Stick to the schedule on the day. This requires discipline but is worth it, especially if you want to keep people fully engaged and switched on.
7) People will drop out, and often at the last minute – don’t sweat it.
8) Do a review a couple of days after the event. This gives time for the excitement to reduce, and improvements for the next event can be suggested.
9) Aim to genuinely sell out – we had a maximum of 50 people, which we sold out.
10) Pre-event nerves are normal – I found what worked well in reducing my anxiety was thinking, what’s the worst that can happen? Meth-fuelled zombie aliens carrying out a terrorist attack on a room of estate agents was pretty unlikely to happen.
11) Order more healthy food options – something a couple of people (including my daughter) flagged up.
12) The event needs to feel like a reflection of you and your agency. Ours was friendly, informal and fast-moving. If your agency doesn’t have a distinct feel, your culture and brand probably need work.
13) Collect feedback for the next event.
14) Enjoy it while it’s happening, not just after it’s done.
15) If you’ve got kids, probably best over 10 years old, bring them – it’s an excellent experience for them and introduces them to all different kinds of ‘clever’. I brought my daughter along (10 years-old) and she loved it.
16) The best take notes. Pages of them. I looked up and often saw the elite agents in the room furiously scribbling. I’ve often observed that those who are there to make up the numbers or kill time don’t take notes. It speaks volumes about their mindset and why some people win and others lose.
Finally, a big thank you to everyone who supported the event and those who took the time to send good luck messages.
The biggest thing I learned from the event was not to overthink things. Just do it.
By doing it once you’re much better positioned to do it again, whatever it is.
I’m working with my friends John Paul and Paul Long to host an event in London this spring – watch this space.
Thanks for reading.
Jerry