The Bengel Blog

As promised earlier this week, here are the Allegiance Convention and Expo breakout session descriptions, times and ballrooms. While subject to change, you may use this schedule to begin to plan your day. See you on October 29!

Breakout Sessions Group I
12:15-1:15

Use RE/MAX Benefits to Capture More Business
Sellier Ballroom
Instructor: Kelly Contos
In a difficult market, consumers recognize the need for professionals with a strong brand behind them and the tools to assist them with market niches. Learn how to implement the tools and utilize the power of the brand to grow your business and understand why you, and your clients, need RE/MAX.

Business Concepts for REALTORS
Korman Ballroom
Instructor: Bob Fredericks
This seminar will address legal concepts affecting the business of real estate practice. This course will focus on being in business as a REALTOR and how to safely and effectively handle the situations below while protecting yourself from individual liability and avoiding claims against your company. Specific subject areas include the following:

Taking a commission in a deferred Note,
Selling a FSBO, Discounting Commissions / Giving credits from Commissions,
Buying a prospective listing,
Borrowing from or Lending to clients,
Privacy issues and Disclosure,
Partnerships and LLC’s ,
Using contracts for deed for your personal deals,
1031 Exchanges,
Business ventures with clients,
Partnerships and Business Ventures with other agents,
Entities and Liability Protection – LLC/Corporation/Partnership  Insurance,
Family dealings – buying, borrowing, lending and selling with family members

Realigning Self for a Changing Market – A New Path for the Road Ahead
Singleton Ballroom
Instructor: Gee Dunsten
Learn the art of strategic positioning so your listings will not only be noticed, they’ll created urgency and excitement in the mind of today’s consumer.  Through the use of podcasts, blogs, YouTube, and Buzz discover techniques to get buyers off the fence and into a new home.  Leave with a road map, detailed directions, and a spring in your step!

Panel: Short Sale and Foreclosure Secrets
Miller Ballroom
Panelists: Alan Kroll, Frank Prindle, Abuzar Waleed
Moderator: Davidson Lunger
It’s not too late to get into the distressed property niche. Join this panel of your fellow Associates to learn their secrets to closing millions of dollars in foreclosure and short sales listings.

Facebook for Fun and Profit
Von Sternberg
Instructor: Brad Hanks
Learn how the world’s largest social network can be used for business.  In this session we’ll cover:
- Understanding the style and personality of Facebook
-  It’s not all throwing sheep and Mafia Wars
-  Profile basics & tweakage
-  The art of connection and engagement
-  8 tips for getting business with Facebook

Breakout Sessions Group II
1:25-2:25

Generate Income with Your Website
Sellier Ballroom
Instructor: Samantha Tino
Allegiance is rolling out brand new websites and here’s your opportunity to learn how to use them most effectively. Learn how to use your site most effectively and learn:
- Quick set up tips
- How to utilize SEO Listing Tools & SEO Website Tools
- How to drive traffic to your website
- How to manage Drip Marketing and Leads

While this session deals specifically with Allegiance sites, much of the content shared may be applied to any website.

If you have yet to sign up for your new site or are on the fence, you’ll have an opportunity to do so at this session.

The Short Sale Solution
Korman Ballroom
Instructors: Steve Weiss and Scott Coloney
Foreclosure Response Team, an Allegiance partner, introduces a short sale solution that all Associates can use to obtain and close more distressed properties. Even if you’ve avoided short sales in the past because you see them as a hassle, you still have an opportunity to earn income from this market niche.

Baby Boomers: From Woodstock to Wall Street
Singleton Ballroom
Instructor: Gee Dunsten
A research overview of the demographics of The Baby Boom generation and their potential impact on the real estate market over the next 15 years. Uncover the top key home features that Boomers want and the top housing priorities of Baby Boomers. Program includes the hottest new prospecting ideas from real estates Mega-Agents.

Building a Successful and Profitable Team
Miller Ballroom
Instructor: Pam Ermen
If you think you have no interest in building a real estate team, are you interested in growth?  The Real Estate Team business model is the most practical vehicle for growing your business to the next level in today’s market. However, growing a team without the proper knowledge, guidance or experience can turn it into one of the greatest distractions you’ll ever experience in your business and an emotional drain on you personally and financially.  What could possibly make such a big difference in the outcome of your team income? Even if you currently have a team, make sure to join us and learn all about the five stages of growing a successful team today!!

Panel: Boost Your Business Using Social Media
Von Sternberg Ballroom
Panelists: Brian Block, Cindy Jones
Moderator: Brad Hanks

Learn from RE/MAX Associates whose tools and networks yield the most results and pick up valuable tips in how to use Web 2.0 to build business. Session topics include all types of social media from blogging to youtube to facebook and twitter.

Breakout Sessions Group III
2:35-3:35

Success in Negotiation Through Behavior Profiling
Sellier Ballroom
Instructor: Kathy Baker
Discover the top 3 ways to determine when your buyer will make the decision to buy.  You will walk away with a better understanding of your personality and behavior profile which will enable you to not only negotiate from a stronger perspective but also better armed to negotiate inspections and any challenges you face with successfully close a higher percentage of transactions!

Give Your Marketing a Boost with Video
Korman Ballroom
Instructor: Alan Pendley
Become a marketing specialist to the MAX, and building your business like a real estate professional, by harnessing the power of video in your business. Learn what to expect for the rest of 2009 and what’s to come for 2010.

Generation X and Y – The Emerging Buyer of Today
Singleton Ballroom
Instructor: Gee Dunsten
Let’s face it- today’s REALTOR® is an average 55 years old and today’s typical buyer is approximately 33 years old (a member of generation X).  Come and discover specific things you can do to appeal to this important market segment.  The Generation X and Y buyers have different buying habits, needs and wants.  Do you know what they are?  Attend this session and learn important steps to increasing your awareness of how to attract and service today’s new generations of buyers, the tools you will need, and 3 things to include in your presentation.

Panel: Platinum Club and Beyond
Miller Ballroom
Panelists: Linda Fox Jarvis, June La Marca, Jennifer Myers
Moderator: Brian Sivak
An Allegiance Favorite! Join this forum to learn the secrets of RE/MAX Allegiance’s top Associates – those that earned in excess of $250,000 in commissions in 2008.

Creating Your Marketing Vortex with Web 2.0
Von Sternberg Ballroom
Instructor: Brad Hanks
It’s one thing to have a blog and a presence on social networks.  It’s another to drive business using these tools.  In this session learn:

- The importance of multiplicity
- Cross promoting and cross pollinating your social spaces
- Establishing an ROI for your social media efforts
- 5 strategies for becoming ubiquitous

Breakout Sessions Group IV
3:45-4:45

Create a Buyer Orientation
Sellier Ballroom
Instructor: Robyn Burdett
Convert your buyer leads to purchasers by taking the extra step of conducting a Buyer Orientation!  Over 70% of Robyn Burdett’s business in the early to mid 1990′s was working with buyers.  She created a multi-step approach to turn buyers into purchasers.  Take the buyer from the open house lead to a qualified, signed buyer using these steps.  She will share with you her extensive Buyer Orientation Manual that she developed to educate the buyer and handle their objections upfront.

Home Staging to You Stand Out From the Competition
Korman Ballroom
Instructor: Michelle Morris
Learn about the different levels of home staging from consultations to updating outdated cluttered homes or furnishing vacant homes.  See hundreds of “before staging” and “after staging” photos and learn about the “art” and the “science” of home staging.  Focus will be put on the importance of updating the literal condition of the property itself, as well as traditional home staging with rental furniture and accessories.

The session will go beyond explaining what staging is by teaching our Realtors how to use home staging to gain more business.  The reciprocal teaming approach will be explained as home stagers procure their own customers and are in a unique position to refer to Realtors.

Negotiating: Powerful or Pushover?
Singleton Ballroom
Instructor: Gee Dunsten
This strategy-oriented program brings you the necessary negotiating know-how to make you a powerful and effective negotiator. From the critical elements of every negotiation, ways to win before ever meeting your prospect, to positioning strategies and ways to develop your personal power that will indeed make you a powerful negotiator.

Life Changing Business Planning!
Miller Ballroom
Instructor: Pam Ermen
As much as you may LOVE real estate, I’m sure there are days when you question whether there’s an easier way to make a living, especially with the challenges in today’s market!  Discover your love for real estate all over again!  This lively session will help you discover 5 practical business planning principles necessary to prosper in real estate.

LinkedIn Essentials for Real Estate
Von Sternberg Ballroom
Instructor: Brad Hanks
Many people only use one tenth of this powerful business tool.  Learn how this professional social network can drive business as we explore:

- Building your profile – it’s more than a resume
- Connecting with influencers
- Getting recommendations that sell you
- How Q&A drives connections and business
- Key groups to join or own

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