This is part of our new ongoing series highlighting our Team’s favorite go-to resources, tips, and inspirations for continued learning, networking, and industry news.
In addition to staying current with our real estate licensing requirements, there's an abundance of local resources available to keep us savvy, present, and innovative in our professional and personal pursuits.
Local Learning: Tapping into our local offerings has always been a priority for our team. Our community has so much to offer and we are proud to call many of them friends and colleagues.
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Portland Chamber of Commerce - a favorite simply because their mission is to educate, organize, advocate, and be a united voice for Portland’s professional community at the local and state level. From their signature networking and learning events to the numerous free webinars they have put together during the pandemic and state-wide closures - including the initiative Pay It Forward Maine - they provide tremendous support to Portland. We are proud to be a member!
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Portland Press Herald: From their free access to COVID-19 coverage to their Business Breakfast forums, we rely on this online resource for information and virtual events to keep us in the know. We also worked closely with media consultant, Alan Connell, to place ads and stay visual during a time when we were unable to conduct “business as usual.” We’ll continue to be regular advertisers!
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MEREDA: This invaluable industry resource kept our team and colleagues informed and helped us navigate the ever-changing best practices, recommendations, and updates for real estate transactions updates during COVID-19. As an added value, MEREDA serves commercial real estate owners, developers, and related service providers, giving us a diverse range of resources and perspectives from all areas of our profession.
Tune In, Read On, and Get Immersed: There are several local online podcasts and webinars being produced regionally that we enjoy plugging into.Here are a few we enjoy:
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Boulos Beat podcast - national and regional info is great, but we love what Greg Boulos has done with his show. Super insightful to hear local developers discuss projects they've done right here in Portland.
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Greater Portland Board of Realtors: serve its members by providing and promoting services to enhance members’ abilities to conduct their businesses. Additionally they offer monthly webinars on a variety of topics.
“I strongly encourage our Team to attend these networking events when they are able. It is a great way to stay connected to our peers, share info, and hear about the market. I've gone to a few and have enjoyed being part of the conversations.”
- Brit, Principal, Designated Broker, Vitalius Real Estate Group
Keep Difficult Conversations Active: We recognize and celebrate that our learning goes beyond our development as real estate and business professionals. To support the values that guide us, and to demonstrate our commitment to support the #BlackLivesMatter movement, we have pledged to continue our conversations around racism against Black people and all people of color.-
If you are looking to learn more about Maine's black history, Maine Historical Society is an excellent local resource.
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You may also want to listen to this episode of All Things Considered on Maine Public, Why Is Maine So White? And What It Means To Ask The Question
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You can also explore more resources at Black Lives Matter Maine.
Serve and Be Members: Several members of our team serve on boards - some real estate and business related, while others are not. Either way, there is incredible value from participating and serving alongside other local Key Opinion Leaders.
“I serve on the Board of Directors for both the Maine Commercial Association of Realtors and Maine Association of Realtors. It's great insight into industry specific issues, both current and on the horizon, but it's also incredibly beneficial to have relationships with the other board members as part of my broader network.”
-Chris Sullivan
- Memberships to organizations like CCIM and MEREDA provide a tremendous pool of professional resources, networking and education opportunities and perspective on various topics related to real estate, and real estate brokerage.
Keep it Personal: We can’t stress enough how rewarding good old-fashioned phone conversations are for expanding knowledge and deepening relationships. As we mentioned in some of our earlier “pandemic blogs”, simply picking up the phone and dialing into friends, family, and business colleagues local and national kept us grounded and connected at a very stressful time. The value of this exchange can’t be measured. And don’t forget, outreach to former and current clients makes an impression. Checking in with them will never fail to remind you why you do what you do.
We hope this piece has motivated you to seek out fresh ways to expand your experiences and to reach out to the local organizations and people you admire, respect, and value. Let them know you are listening. Be authentic, share resources, support your favorite businesses ...because every interaction leads to something delightfully unexpected.
Be well.
