CR Magazine - Summer 2017

A GD T
THROWING YOUR
OWN HOMEBUYER
SEMINAR
Melanie Stone, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
FIrst-time homebuyers need our help. They don’t teach you
how to buy property in high school, college or the work force.
Truthfully, the only way to learn is by beginning the process.
herefore firsttime homebuers arent trained and the need
a REALTOR ® to guide them from consultation to closing.
launched m firsttime homebuer seminar o ou ant to u
a Condo, in October 2015. I had only been in the business about a
year, and I was 22 years old — still very much a rookie. I thought I
would teach it once and never do it again, but today, I’ve led over
25 seminars and taught at Chicago companies like Uber, GrubHub,
Deloitte, Hyatt and Salesforce.
The homebuyer seminar is not a new concept; I did not invent it.
All I did was put my own spin on it. Here’s how I did it.
STEP ONE: Find a Location
he ke to the location is finding somewhere people want to go
naturally. Bars and restaurants are easy, as long as it’s somewhat
uiet. or m first seminar rented out the back bar at Old own
Social. I’ve also hosted seminars at coworking spaces — low-key,
open places where people or small businesses can rent oces or
desks. nother option is to host the seminar at our oce providing
it’s a sleek space.
Next, consider bringing in a co-host. Early on, I started working
with a trusted lender and friend – he is a person who shares
m passion for serving firsttime homebuers. he idea of co
teaching this seminar made so much sense. It’s helpful to have
someone to pla off of when m presenting and love having the
moral support, too.
Last (but certainly not least), be yourself. Use examples and
stories from your years in the industry. Not only are you sharing
your knowledge, but you’re also selling yourself. You want to
present yourself as someone they want to work with.
STEP THREE: Promote Your Event
You can have the coolest location and killer content, but if you don’t
have bodies in the room, what’s the point? Promote your event to
get people in the door.
Social media has been key for me. I use Facebook, Instagram,
Snapchat, LinkedIn and my blog — you can’t possibly follow me
Continued on page 12
Don’t forget to provide something to get people in the door. They
want the free information and expertise, but it’s only going to help
you to provide snacks and refreshments. It can be as simple as beer
and pia or coffee and donuts.
STEP TWO: Write Your Content
This is just as important as securing a great location. You want your
information to be relevant and capture people’s attention. First,
keep it light. There’s no need to get into the nitty-gritty of earnest
money and attorney review. Save the juicy details for your initial
consultation. Instead, focus on giving a broad, gentle overview of
the process. Be realistic and set a fair expectation for what it’s like
going through the buying process.
MELANIE STONE
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
www.ChicagoREALTOR.com
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