There was this mother of one of my son’s preschool classmates (no names, please). She was that mother — the one who had to have the biggest car, fanciest house, most toys, and so on.

We all detested her.

One afternoon, as we were waiting to pick up our kids, she was talking to bunch of us about this purchase or that purchase as we gave her the tight little smiles of those who can’t get away.

But then she made a mistake: She commented about something at Wal-Mart. Then she made another mistake: She asked me about it.

“We don’t shop at Wal-Mart,” I said. “We shop at Target.” You could hear the brakes slamming on.

Ah, the power of subtext. Target is the high-end bargain store. Wal-Mart… well, Wal-Mart is the other kind.

Target didn’t get that caché by accident. It was a carefully, deliberately cultivated image, one brought to fruition by the keynote speaker at VAR’s 2008 Convention and Expo, Robyn Waters.

(Come on, you knew this was going to tie into VAR somehow, didn’t you?)

Anyway, here’s what Fast Company had to say about her:

It was Waters’s job to guarantee that the company’s many brands — from clothing to housewares to paper products to gardening supplies — hewed to the same high standard in all 1,249 Target stores. Overseeing a team of 120 industrial, surface, and technical designers, she drove the look and feel that caught the media’s attention and helped Target morph from dowdy Midwestern discounter to the trendy “Tar-zhay.”

She’ll be keynoting the first day of the convention, and you won’t want to miss it — Friday, September 26 at 10 a.m.

First things first: Yes, it’s more than a little ironic that the Virginia Association of REALTORS® is holding its annual convention in Baltimore instead of, say, New Baltimore, Virginia. Go ahead: shake your head and chuckle. But there’s a ton to love about VAR’s Convention & Expo 2008:

1. If you love to shop at Target stores, our opening keynoter is largely responsible for your affection. If you call the store “Tar-zhay,” thank Robyn Waters. Under her leadership as Target’s VP of Trend, Design and Product Development, Waters helped transform the retailer from an unremarkable, low-cost, low-service, low-profit retailer to an upscale discount shopping mecca. There was no such thing as an upscale discount store at the time Target started its turnaround. Discover how embracing paradoxes can help you make more money by developing a niche nobody else has thought of.
2. Calling all real estate bloggers! Virginia Real Estate BloggerCon continues its streak as the longest-running series of peer-to-peer learning experiences specifically for REALTOR® bloggers. You know that once you get to a certain point, the so-called “blogging experts” can’t help you anymore. To truly grow, you need to learn from those who are blogging alongside you day in and day out. This four hour session is your opportunity to learn from those very people.
3. Wall-to-wall Lem Marshall. Need we say more? Not really, but we will anyway… Nobody knows real estate ethics and law like VAR’s Special Counsel, and we have four sessions with Lem. You can get nearly eight hours’ worth of Virginia real estate ethics and legal updates from the undisputed expert at VAR’s Convention & Expo 2008.
4. So much networking that even the most outgoing extrovert will need to take a little “me time.” Our host hotel is big enough to accommodate all attendees, so you’re sure to bump into fellow attendees in the halls, the bar, the gym, the indoor pool. And of course, VAR is known for its remarkable hospitality, and this year’s convention is no exception. You’ll make new contacts and reconnect with long-time friends at the Opening Reception and Inaugural Party. Even if you’re a little shy, we have a speed networking session to kick-start your schmoozing.
5. You get the full conference experience for one low price. If you resent paying several hundred dollars for a conference only to find that the receptions and meals aren’t included, we feel for you. That’s why all breakfasts, lunches and receptions are included in the price of admission to VAR’s Convention & Expo.

And that’s far from everything. Baltimore is a scenic, historic and exciting city, and our host hotel is right on the Inner Harbor, right in the epicenter of the action. You’ll be informed by the substantive education. You’ll grow your contact list through the networking. You’ll be inspired by the experience.

This is a perfect opportunity to prepare yourself for the inevitable market rebound. Don’t miss it! Registration is open now.

Tips on short sales, getting the VAR publications you need in a click, new economic development in Virginia, and help on helping sellers in Todays market; these are just a few reasons to check out the April edition of Commonwealth Online. Check your mailbox for your customized version or view it online to see it all. Either way, don’t miss this chance to tap into the relevant information you need as your business starts to heat up.

View Commonwealth Online

I participated today in VAR’s second BloggerCon today at the Dulles Area Association of REALTORS(R), and man what an event. Besides the topics - which included subjects like choosing a blog platform, how to determine what features to include, and discussion about how to track where your online leads are coming from - just having the opportunity get together meet and work with such talented folks from around the state was inspiring.

I wrote a few months ago at the Legislative & Education Conference that I was impressed with what VAR was doing, and that I was a converted cynic. I mean that more than ever, and I hope you’ll find opportunities to get involved with VAR as well. And maybe we’ll see you at the next BloggerCon, scheduled for the state conference scheduled for September 24-28!

Online BloggerCon registration is now open. 

Thanks to the Dulles Area Association of REALTORS® (DAAR) we are pleased to announce that the second Virginia Real Estate BloggerCon, a full day of peer-to-peer learning with your fellow real estate bloggers, will be held in Leesburg, Virginia on Friday, April 4, 2008. Bring your laptop, connect to DAAR’s free WiFi hotspot, and learn from tech-savvy REALTORS® just like you who run their businesses with a technology flair. The event is FREE, but we are requesting a $10 donation to Habitat for Humanity to be paid when you register.

Date: Friday, April 4, 2008
Time: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: Dulles Area Association of REALTORS® (DAAR)
Street: 803 Sycolin Road, Ste. 222 in Leesburg, VA

In true unconference form, the agenda will be set at the beginning of the day by the participants, but some prospective topics are…

• Stupid blog tricks (set up roundtables for Wordpress, Typepad, Blogger and Active Rain blogging platforms, and learn from your peers about how to trick out your blog)
• Widgets that work (from Plugoo to Vyew, Meebo to Wufoo and every crazy Web 2.0 company name in between, what widgets deliver real value?)
• How to write for SEO and not come across like a robot
• Book reports (Wikinomics, Here Comes Everybody, Freakonomics, whatever’s hot on your reading list)
• Legal, ethical and regulatory implications for REALTORS® using social media
• Integrating other social networking sites (Linkedin, Facebook, etc.) into your blogging efforts

Plus, I am very excited to announce that Keith Garner, Managing Director of NAR’s Center for REALTOR® Technology (CRT), will prepare a presentation and join us for lunch. As CRT’s managing director, Keith is at the epicenter of NAR’s member-facing technology efforts, including RETS. Of special note to the blogging crowd, he is one of two people at NAR responsible for instituting the Blogger’s Lounge at NAR’s mid-year and annual meetings.

As a reminder, seating for this event is EXTREMELY limited. There is space for 30, and there are only 21… make that 20 15 12 seats left! Register now!

Thanks to the Dulles Area Association of REALTORS®, we are pleased to announce that a second Virginia Real Estate BloggerCon will be held in Leesburg, Virginia on Friday, April 4, 2008. Beyond this, details are a bit sketchy, but save the date for a full day of peer-to-peer learning with your fellow real estate bloggers. Here are the details, sketchy as they are:

• Date: Friday, April 4, 2008
• Location: Dulles Area Association of REALTORS® | 803 Sycolin Rd, Suite 222, Leesburg, VA
• Time: Roughly 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (optional happy hour and dinner on Thursday evening)
• Cost: FREE, but at registration we are considering asking for a $10 charitable donation to: 1) ensure registrants are serious about coming and 2) support a good cause.

Now, don’t let the “Virginia” part of the name fool you. Even if you’re not fortunate enough to be a Virginia REALTOR®, we are inviting REALTORS® from around the globe to attend. Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), United Airlines’ hub in the mid-Atlantic, is just a few miles away from the Dulles Area Association of REALTORS® offices in Leesburg, so this is definitely a fly-in type of event. We will be giving Virginia REALTORS® the right of first refusal, but once they’ve been given an opportunity to register, we’ll open it up to other attendees. Attendance will be limited to the first 30 registrants.

Agenda will be set by the registrants, but some prospective topics are…

• Stupid blog tricks (set up roundtables for Wordpress, Typepad, Blogger and Active Rain blogging platforms, and learn from your peers about how to trick out your blog)
• Widgets that Work (from Plugoo to Vyew, Meebo to Wufoo and every crazy Web 2.0 company name in between, what widgets deliver real value?)
• How to write for SEO and not come across like a robot
• Book reports (Wikinomics, Here Comes Everybody, Freakonomics, whatever’s hot on your reading list)
• Legal, ethical and regulatory implications for REALTORS® using social media
• Integrating other social networking sites (Linkedin, Facebook, etc.) into your blogging efforts.

So, those are the early, admittedly sketchy, details. If you’re interested, please raise your hand by leaving a comment.

Read about and see pictures of the first Virginia Real Estate BloggerCon.

The only way NOT to get anything from a REALTOR event is to NOT show up…

At the close of the week of meetings, well attended and less attended sessions, CE and more I wanted to offer an observation about the best aspect of Legislative & Conference and REALTORS in my view.

Of all things that have impressed me about the Virginia Association of REALTORS and this conference, their connectivity is what stands out the most. Whether through blog-talk or conversations at the dinner table, I don’t think I’ve seen a group ‘conference’ so ‘effectively.’

Some groups convene for the sake of having a get together; but, this week I watched the largest trade association in Virginia convene and offer every attendee (REALTOR or not) something valuable to take away. From sessions on getting your website attention to AE2AE where a small group offered candid feedback on how state assn actions affect locals, the whole event was like a flood of useful information. So much so that I was on overload by day two.

I’m not a REALTOR and I walked away with feedback (both criticism and praise) that helps me perfect my craft, a new contact for graphic design, and information on RE and contacts that will never lose their value.

This made me think about President Pat Jensen’s Inaugural speech back in November. When I first watched it, it seemed like another well-written script with a great mantra at its close “Together We Can.”

But after meeting VAR members, local AE’s and other conference participants, I‘ve realized this organization isn’t just phenomenal on paper because of it’s size, but it’s also practically impressive in that whenever it assembles every attendee benefits.

Examples: At the blogger happy hour Candy Lynn taught me about ‘tumblers’, hanging out with Ben & Jim I learned a ton about the MLS proposed evolution and the ripple affect it could have on Realtors and consumers, and last but not least Tony & Danillo taught me that bloggers are most impressive (and maybe even most dangerous) when they come from behind the keyboard.

The smallest bullet in the brochure and simplest aspect of an event like this is perhaps the most powerful part of it all; Networking.

Maybe we should make a bigger deal about this in the marketing?