Some REALTORS have no idea that NAR actually puts on TWO conventions every year. The one most of us know about is the Annual Conference and Expo (this year, it is in Orlando). Every year, though, NAR and real estate professionals from around the world gather in Washington, DC for the NAR Mid-Year Meetings and Expo.
What is NAR Mid-Year?
The Mid-Year Meetings are kinda like the annual convention, but different. For starters, it is on a smaller scale. There is still and expo, but not as many exhibitors, and there aren’t as many attendees overall. The other difference is that there is a lot more emphasis on organizational, administrative, and legislative meetings (what else what you expect from a meeting in DC?).
My Mid-Year Experience
This year was the first time I attended the Mid-Year Meetings. I figured that since it is only two hours away from me, I should try and make some time to check it out. That is exactly what I did on Tuesday. Unfortunately for me, Tuesday was the first full day of the event, so there wasn’t a whole lot going on. I found a way to keep busy, though. 🙂
The first thing I did was head straight to the Bloggers’ Lounge, hosted by the CRT. It is a great place for bloggers to hang out, so I wanted to see who was hanging around. The first person I met there was Keith Garner of CRT. Keith is a cool dude, and I was glad to see him again. Not long after arriving, I met fellow Agent Genius contributor Bill Lublin (@billlublin). We were hanging out, talking about the meetings when I asked if Bill wouldn’t mind sharing his experiences with me live for the folks at home via Ustream. Bill was kind enough to oblige, and we had a BLAST, along with everyone who watched the live stream from all around the country.
Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that Ustream doesn’t automatically record the live stream. So I can’t share with you the time Bill and I spent dazzling people with our banter and insight. 😉
Mid-Year Live-Streaming Goodness
When I came back to the Bloggers’ Lounge a bit later, I ran into Monika McGillicuddy (@monimcg). Since I had already had success with Ustream and Bill, I asked Monika if she would share her experiences. She did, along with her husband, Jay (@acemaker), who came by a little later. This time, I was smart enough to record the stream, so here it is (you can probably skip the first minute or two, since it was just set-up):
Follow Along at Home
As you can see, I had a lot of fun at Mid-Year. My only regret is that I couldn’t stay longer. Lucky for me (and you, too), fellow Genius Matt Rathbun has offered up some of his own wall-to-wall coverage of Mid-Year. Way to go, Matt!
So, if you hadn’t heard of Mid-Year before, now you have. And if you have never gone to Mid-Year before, maybe you will decide to come to the one next year. Since it is always held at the same location, planning is a whole lot easier than going to Annual.
Hope to see you there!
