Strategic Conference Networking

A story about how a real estate investor named Will became the most popular person at a conference through strategic use of humility and connection-making.

"I went to Reconvene, a real estate conference, and met this guy who became everyone's favorite person there. He owns student housing properties in South Carolina - frat houses, sorority houses, student rentals. He was bootstrapped, no outside investors.

He implemented advice from when Hasan Minhaj came on our podcast about comedy being a low-status art form. Will would introduce himself by saying 'I do the hardest form of real estate that will pay you the least amount of money, so you don't even want to talk to me.' He'd always make it about others or make fun of himself.

On Twitter, while everyone bragged about their returns, he'd post things like 'Today I'm some 19-year-old's handyman, gotta go fix a toilet in a frat house.' He'd shine a light on the worst parts and uncertainties of his business.

At the conference, he became a master connector. He'd introduce people to each other with hyperbolic intros, like 'This is Sean, he'll never tell you this but his podcast is huge' or 'This is the multifamily king of Dallas.' He'd give people two ways to intersect, saying things like 'You guys will get along because you're both really into X.'

Because people felt they could be real with him, they formed genuine connections. He ended up being the high-status guy that everybody loved, all by taking this low-status approach."