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How to get an invitation to speak about real estate

Which is greater, your fear of speaking in front of a crowd or your desire to increase your business? If the latter outweighs the former, you can greatly increase your sphere of contacts through public speaking.

Numerous organizations in your area have an ongiong need for experts to speak to their members. And you know plenty about a topic that interests almost everyone in one way or another: real estate.

To line up engagements, ask your friends and contacts what groups they belong to, and find out the name of the president or other person who schedules programs for each organization. Give that person your bio and a list of topics you can address. Be sure to tailor the topics to the probable interests of that group. For instance, an organization whose members are mostly older than 60 is probably more suited to a talk on vacation properties or retirement housing options than a presentation for first-time homeowners.

Here is a list to get you thinking about the types of topics you may be qualified to present (some may be better-suited to you teaming up with another professional):

• How to buy your first home
• Real estate as a profession
• Investing in real estate
• Home improvements that add the most value
• Local real estate market conditions
• Downsizing when the nest is empty
• Making your home attractive to sell
• Pros and cons of renting and owning

The list of potential audiences includes professional groups, schools, continuing-education programs, cultural and religious organizations, garden clubs, investment clubs, civic organizations, and homeowners associations.

If the promise of new potential clients and referrals still doesn’t allay your fear of public speaking, you can find out if any organizations that publish newsletters or magazines would be interested in having you write an article.

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