An Inside Look at Inman Bloggers Connect NYC ‘08
January 22, 2008 | 3 Comments
Boy, it took me too long to get to this one. . .
In case you forgot, Inman RE Connect NYC ‘08 ended, oh, almost 2 weeks ago. No matter, I still have things I want to talk about from it, and videos I want to share. First and foremost among that content are the interviews that I was able to gather while taking video of the event for Inman News. Joel Burslem provided the Flip video camera and license to do pretty much whatever I wanted. I decided to get reactions from conference attendees while the event was going on.
In this montage of interviews, gathered during the 1st day of Inman Connect, you will hear from the following (very cool) people:
Brian Copeland from Village Real Estate in Nashville, TN
Alistair Haim who runs the largest real estate website in New Zealand
Maggie McDonald & Gahlord Dewald from Union Street Media Real Estate Website Developers
Also making an appearance, although not an interview, is a favorite “guy” of mine. . .
Jay Thompson, the Phoenix Real Estate Guy
I had a lot of fun getting to meet people, and everyone I met was very willing to go on camera and talk about their experience. Unfortunately, I lost some of the videos due to downloading errors (nothing is perfect), but I have a few more I will share later in the week.
ZebraTalk– An Enlightening Conversation
January 19, 2008 | 6 Comments
The latest episode of ZebraTalk was a success, if i do say so myself. This despite the fact that I made a major error that lead to about 4 minutes of silence to open the broadcast (after the Sinatra intro).
My original intent was to talk about InmanConnect NYC, but I had so many great guests that the conversation took us in all kinds of interesting directions.
On the show with me were:
Andy Kaufman, who promoted his RE.net BarCamp effort that will lead into Inman Connect San Francisco.
Michael Price, who offered his stellar insight on all things real estate and tech related.
Brad Coy, who kept the conversation going with his insights about Twitter and its potential applications.
Jeremy Hart, who talked about a very cool video he created showcasing a valuable feature of one of his listings.
The topics ranged from un-conferences, to twitter, to the state of the market. The show was an hour long, so you are sure to find something valuable in there. Just click below to play, or visit the ZebraTalk homepage.
I am indebted to all these fine gentleman for their impromptu participation, and for making this the best episode of ZebraTalk yet; and while this one was good, I will be striving to make the next one even better, so keep on the lookout for announcements of upcoming episodes and guests. Then, listen-in; and most importantly, PARTICIPATE!
In Case You Were One of the Many Who Missed the Last ZebraTalk
January 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The episode of ZebraTalk that I did live from Inman Connect NYC ‘08 didn’t quite go the way I planned. In fact, until very recently, I didn’t even know that the show had been recorded. In case you wanted to catch the show and didn’t, you can click on the player below to hear me in all my glory for half-an-hour. The show wasn’t quite as clean as I would have liked, as I was trying to record the audio from my cell phone while simultaneously working to reconnect my computer to the internet. It was a bit frenetic.
The next show will be much better.
ZebraTalk Disects Inman Connect NYC ‘08
January 17, 2008 | 2 Comments
The last episode I did of ZebraTalk, from Inman Connect ‘08, had some technical issues. Specifically, the internet connection at the Marriott Marquis Times Square is pathetic. This meant that my connection to my show host, BlogTalkRadio.com, was wonky- at best. Apparently, some people heard the show, some people didn’t, one person tried to call-in. . .
I’m hoping for a much better result this time around. . .
I’ll be doing the show again this Friday, January 18th, from 1-2pm EST. You can view the home page for more details.
Why an hour-long show, you ask? For starters, I did a half-hour show totally solo after just one day of Inman Connect. This time, I plan to have some callers, and there was a lot that went on at Inman that I think is worth covering, so it should be an eventful hour.
The thing that would make it most eventful is for people like YOU to call into the show and ask questions, offer insights, whatever. You can do that by calling: 718-664-6944. You can also use the chat function from the homepage to send me questions or comments while you listen.
Whatever you do, remember to visit www.BlogTalkRadio.com/RealEstateZebra at 1pm EST on Friday to listen in. Join the conversation!
Lessons Learned From Inman Connect NYC ‘08
January 15, 2008 | 7 Comments
My trip to Inman Real Estate Connect NYC ‘08 stretched my brain in all kinds of unexpected ways. The first day was filled mostly with the BloggersConnect panel sessions (one of which featured yours truly). After day 1, my head was filled with all kinds of thoughts about technology and how it intersects with the practice of real estate. I was also struck by the difference between Inman Connect and the NAR conference and expo. The overall feel of the two conferences was noticeably different.
With all of this banging around in my brain, I decided to take a minute (in Times Square, of all places) and put it to video. This is what I came up with:
Almost a week later, my opinion hasn’t changed. In fact, after attending the rest of Inman Connect, and having some time to think about it all, my opinion is even stronger than before. The two main points that I took away from day 1, and two of the most important points of the whole experience are:
1) You don’t have to implement every new technology in order to be effective. The Web 2.0 world can be a confusing, and even overwhelming, one. There are so many different tools and technologies out there from which to choose, that sometimes you can be paralyzed and choose to do nothing. That is not the right choice. Neither, however, is choosing to do them all. The point is to pick-and-choose. Give at least a look to whatever you can. You will know pretty quickly if it is something that you can use to your benefit. If it isn’t, let it go. Just because I’m doing something doesn’t mean you have to do it, too. There is also the issue of varying the use of these tools. The way I might implement a tool or technology might not be the same way you would do it, and that’s okay.
2) If you are going to go to a conference like Inman, don’t get too caught up in the sessions at the expense of ignoring other opportunities for learning. Some of the most valuable insights I gained came from stopping to talk with people either after the sessions or at the informal gatherings that take place throughout the conference. The amount of time that you have to learn during the sessions is strictly limited by the conference schedule. Why not take the opportunity to increase your learning by engaging with others. Collaborative learning can be a lot of fun, and you never know who you might meet.
All in all, Inman was a very valuable experience for a number of reasons, many of which I will talk about over the next few posts. The two that I talked about in the video happen to be the ones that I kept coming back to throughout the week.
Need a Reason to Attend Inman Connect? Try Beer With Bloggers
January 14, 2008 | 1 Comment
Some people are cynical about conferences. They say that they are a waste of time, and that nothing valuable ever comes from them, yada, yada, yada. . .
When it comes to Inman Connect NYC, I would have to disagree. I learned quite a bit just by going to the first event. The “Beer With Bloggers” get-together was hosted by Zillow, and it kicked-off the events at the Inman Real Estate Connect NYC ‘08.
Here is the video I took:
There were plenty of people there covering the event, and there has been plenty of blog coverage since. For more, check out David Harris’ post over at Geek Estate.
A great time was had by all, and I’ll be sharing some of what I learned and experienced in future posts.
Back from NYC, Much More To Come. . .
January 14, 2008 | 3 Comments
I’m back from a great week at Inman Real Estate Connect in New York. After a lot of conference, and a little sight-seeing, I’ve got plenty of posts coming up covering just about everything. The next week of posts is going to be pretty Inman-heavy, but it should be worth it.
ZebraTalk is BACK– Live from Inman Real Estate Connect
January 4, 2008 | 4 Comments
Ok, I hate to start with an apology, but. . .
In my last post before the New Year holiday, I told you about the impending overhaul of RealEstateZebra.com. I was hoping that my first post of 2008 would be the “reveal.” Alas. . .
Not to worry, the big reveal is still coming. I am about 75% of the way there.
In the meantime, I wanted to make an exciting announcement of another kind– ZebraTalk is BACK!
That’s right, I am going to be hosting a show on BlogTalkRadio.com once again (you may remember the first episode). The first show of 2008 will be on Wednesday, January 9th from 7:00pm-7:30pm EST. That coincides with the first day of Inman Real Estate Connect NYC. I’ll be doing the show live from my hotel room, or some such other suitable location. I should have plenty of show material from the first day of InmanConnect, but I encourage everyone to call-in and ask questions, offer comments, etc. If you want to listen-in, you can do so by visiting the ZebraTalk homepage. If you want to call-in to the show, the number is (718) 664-6944.
For more info, visit the show homepage, or just send me an email. I’m also looking for guests who might be interested in appearing on future shows, so let me know if you’re interested.
Oh, and keep your eyes open for the new-and-improved RealEstateZebra.com . . .
The Zebra Roams the Streets of the Big Apple at InmanConnect NYC
December 18, 2007 | Leave a Comment
I didn’t get a chance to go to InmanConnect in San Francisco earlier this year, so I went to the NAR convention instead. I didn’t want to miss the next Inman Real Estate Connect in New York City in January, so I committed myself to attending. As luck would have it, I was lucky enough to receive an invite to participate in one of the panels during the conference. That is pretty cool.
So, if you want to see the Zebra live and in the flesh (and talking about videoblogging) you can find me at Inman Connect NYC on Wednesday, January 9th on the panel, “Beyond the Written Word: Videoblogging and Podcasting.” I sorta mentioned this briefly last week. The discussion will be moderated by Jeff Turner, and I’m sitting on the panel with some great people:
Douglas Headings
Rachel Natalie Klein
Michael Price
It should be fun.
I’ll also be covering the entire conference via video, courtesy of Joel Burslem and the folks at InmanTv. They are allowing me and a few other bloggers use of Flip video cameras and charging us with getting whatever interesting video and interviews we can. THAT will most certainly be interesting. More details to come later.
So, if you haven’t signed up to attend Inman Real Estate Connect NYC yet, there is still time. And if you couldn’t think of a reason for attending before, perhaps the prospect of seeing a Zebra in the city will do it for you. 
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Disclaimer
My name is Daniel Rothamel. I am a licensed real estate agent in the Commonwealth of Virginia and a member of the National Association of REALTORS. As such, I adhere to a strict code of ethics and all laws with regard to equal housing, which is reflected in the content of this blog. My broker is Strong Team REALTORS, 86 Joshua Lane, Palmyra, VA 22963; (434) 589-5800. My VA Real Estate License number is 0225 077325. All of the opinions in this blog are mine, unless otherwise noted.
