Seminars - Good Value or a Rip Off?

There are so many seminars on the topic of real estate investing and wealth building that if you wanted to, you could spend every day of the year at one.

Seminars can be extremely valuable for several reasons:

• My favorite reason for attending is the hands on learning approach. I personally am a visual learner. Just reading about something doesn’t always make sense. At most events the speakers often have real life examples of their deals, are accessible to you for questions on breaks, and some seminars even include field trips to make sure you are learning what you’re supposed to. The “class room” still is the ideal place to learn if the subject is either very new to you or very confusing.

• Networking is one of the main reason investors of all experience levels attend. What better place to make contact with people who are doing the same thing you want to do and love it as much as you do than at a paid for educational event. I always learn so much talking to the attendees and hearing about their experiences. I usually end up staying in touch with at least one or two people afterwards. Who knows, you could find your next partner or deal at one.

• They are just one more source of continuing education. Seminars come in all shapes and sizes. There’s sure to be one that fits your niche and your experience level in close proximity to your home town. Staying up to date on your area of expertise is always worth it.

Some people are unsure, however, how often should you have to go, and if the cost is worth what they'll get out of it.

Each person is different, but I find it beneficial to go once a year if I can afford to (click on the banner above to see the one I just got back from). I particularly like to go in the beginning of the year. It's very motivational! And if I haven't completely fine tuned my goals for the year, this is a great place to do that.

I tend to look for a topic that matches my current goals, perhaps on a strategy I'm thinking of adopting or having trouble with. Sometimes my only reason for going is just to hear the speaker since many well-known and reputable individuals host these events, or at least make an appearance where you have some kind of access to them.

Cost can be tricky since it depends on the location, number of days, amount of different topics covered, and what take home materials you are getting. But most run in the range of $750-2000. Some really popular programs command more. You just have to decide for yourself if you really need the education and whether you have it in your budget that particular year to go.

If you still can't decide, then try to get a referral from someone on a blog or forum. This could save you wasting a ton of time or money attending something that people think isn't worth it.

Seminars are just one more way to stay involved in real estate investing and keep growing as an investor, and that's always worth it!