Real estate panels can be very beneficial and offer valuable information to help agents grow their real estate business. Unfortunately, many agents walk into panels unprepared and fail to gain the benefits that prepared agents walk away with, giving them the upper hand. Never attend a panel unprepared again with these five tips.

1. Ask lots of questions – To get the most out of the panel, show up to the event with a list of prepared questions that are relevant to your experience. The panel might not answer all your questions, but being an engaged participant helps to maintain your focus on the discuss and shows your invested in learning more about the topic.
2. Take smart notes – Panels are meant to provide value to your business, so pay close attention and jot down notes when valuable information is shared. These are notes you can look back on after the panel and share with your colleagues as you determine how best to implement the new knowledge into your business.
3. Find out who else will be attending – Be proactive and find out who else will be attending the panel. If someone you’ve been looking forward to meeting plans to attend, consider sending them an introduction email before the conference inviting them for a quick chat over a cocktail or coffee at the event. Most events have a networking session built in either before or after the panel discussion, which is a great opportunity to connect with other real estate professionals.
4. Network and communicate effectively – Networking and communication don’t happen only at the panel – they also happen online via Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Find out what other attendees are saying about the event and share your own insights using the panel’s hashtag on Twitter and Instagram. Following the hashtag is also a great way to find out who is at a conference that you may want to connect with.
5. Post-panel follow up – You spend the entire networking session connecting with professionals who can help grow your business, but if you don’t follow up with them after the panel, those efforts will have little benefit for your business. Be sure to import any business cards you collect into your CRM, and connect with your new contacts on social media, especially on LinkedIn. Also consider sending a “thank you” or “nice to meet you” email to show the people you met that you wish to stay in touch.