Derek Overbey, senior director of marketing and social media for real estate search site Roost.com, will share his views on lead conversion and online marketing during a session at a daylong Agent Reboot conference next week.
The Aug. 5 event in Los Angeles, which will be held on the campus of University of California, Los Angeles, is the second in a series of 12 events scheduled across the country through October that focus on the latest real estate-relevant technologies, social media strategies, and local housing market analyses.
Overbey will take to the stage with Jason Lopez, director of interactive marketing for San Diego, Calif.-based Century 21 Award, and Eric Stegemann, director of business development for Orange County, Calif.-based Tribus Group, a real estate technology company.
1. What is the most important business lesson you learned in the past year?
That genuine interaction can pay huge dividends both today and down the road.
2. What inspired you to pursue your current career path?
It just happened. I was working in high-tech public relations up in Portland, Ore., and I was recruited in 1999 for a marketing communications position at eHome in San Jose, Calif. Even though that company went defunct, it was a great turning point in my career. I realized I could mesh real estate and technology into the same path, and I have been doing it ever since. I learned a lot more about the real estate industry during my position as vice president of marketing at Intero Real Estate Services from 2003-08.
3. Share a personal experience or anecdote about buying, selling, owning or renting a home.
Like many people back in 2004-05, I so wanted to own my first home. My wife and I didn’t buy at the peak of the market, but it was too close to avoid the impact. If I had to do it all over again, I would have waited. But I have to say, I really do love my home.
4. What is the coolest technology you’ve discovered this year, and how are you using it?
Hootsuite is probably my most useful find this year. Even though it was out previously, I was using other tools. It has made my communication much easier and has provided me with much better control in my day-to-day business activities.
5. What is your advice for real estate industry professionals to thrive in this market?
Don’t be afraid of technology. It can really be your friend in this changing market. I really believe the social Web will influence the real estate industry more than most other industries. If you are not at least learning more, you could be impacted greatly in the near future.
6. What is your favorite non-work-related hobby?
Swimming with my family.
7. Who is your hero, and why?
My wife. She is a kindergarten teacher and does it for the love of teaching, not the paycheck. I see how much joy she gets out of expanding the minds of the next generation and it makes me so proud.
8. What do you view as the biggest problem facing the real estate industry today, and how would you fix it?
I think data control is still a big issue. People and organizations have to be forthcoming with data and not play the close-to-the-vest card. People will not interact with you moving forward if you use this tactic.
9.Tell us something we don’t already know about you.
I am a wine enthusiast.
The Agent Reboot schedule:
- Los Angeles: Aug. 5
- Seattle: Aug. 18
- San Diego: Aug. 25
- Denver: Sept. 8
- Las Vegas: Sept. 15
- Portland: Sept. 22
- Houston: Sept. 28
- Chicago: Oct. 6
- Boston: Oct. 13
- Ft. Lauderdale: Oct. 20
- Washington, D.C.: Oct. 27
