Networking, although nothing new, has reached new heights in recent years with the development of online networking; can you say LinkedIn? Using networking, both in the physical and online world, proves to be beneficial – increasing your business connections and spreading your name. Unfortunately many business personnel do not use this business tool to their full advantage.

In hopes of spreading awareness of the benefits to networking, we’ve outlined our top reasons why you should incorporate it into your business life.

• Knowledge Expansion: Hearing, discussing, and conversing about various business opportunities and new developments in the industry can help expand your business horizons. This can increase your awareness of up-and-coming technology, marketing techniques, etc.
• Business Connections: Through networking, you will create business relationships that can help you connect with other businesses, clients, etc. This can form bonds and allies with various companies in which you can work with and associate yourself with.
• Future Referrals: These business connections that are formed, can help aid in the future success of your business. With business personnel from various industries knowing your name, your referrals will increase.
• Marketing Experience: When networking, it is beneficial to network yourself. Explaining who you are, your business, values, etc. will provide you with the necessary experience in marketing yourself and business to future clients.
• Positive Influence/ Motivation: Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals, who are all striving for success, can help instill a desire for success inside you. This can motivate you to pursue, and develop, numerous business tactics which will aid in the success of you as a Realtor.
• Develops Confidence: Having to converse with business personnel and marketing yourself to form connections, helps develop confidence in one’s self. This confidence will be brought into all aspects of your life, but specifically will help in the formation of relationships with clients in your professional career.
• Forms Relationships: Not only will business connections be made, but being surrounded by these like-minded individuals will increase the chances of you building personal friendships.
• Creates Opportunities: The opportunities developed through networking are broad and many. All the benefits listed above are examples of opportunities that can be formed. Whether opportunities are formed by creating new and interesting relationships, or new unique opportunities in which to market yourself or meet new clients – either way networking can develop and expand horizons in the business world.