Cruise Testimonials

Don’t miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime

By Thomas Zeeb

I want to encourage you all to attend the next National Real Estate Investors Association conference, which is aboard the Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship “Voyager of the Seas” February 6 through the 13th. This will be my sixth year attending and I can’t say enough about what it has done for my real estate career.

I know that many people will not take you seriously when you tell them you’re actually going on a ‘business trip’ that is aboard a cruise ship, but don’t let that bother you. Remember, only take advice from people who are already where you want to be, not from the dream-stealers who speak from their own fears. I struggled with the same thing the first year I went, but I learned so much and met so many great people that afterwards I promised I’d go every year.

You will get to hear many national gurus speak about all manner of topics. You’ll meet investors from all over the country (and a few from around the world). You’ll also meet many investors who can and will become your buyers, team members and friends. I personally owe my friendships with at least seven local investors to the time we spent together on the cruise.

It is a rare opportunity to really spend quality time with your colleagues without the interruptions of cell phones, family schedules and other interruptions. With all of these great people in one place, you will get to rub shoulders with them, eat meals with them and sit in the hot tub and discuss real estate with them. I remember fondly being able to spend a couple hours with Lou Brown at the midnight pizza buffet discussing everything from real estate to family life. The knowledge and positive energy that flows at this conference is phenomenal.

It is also very cost effective. The cruise includes your cabin and all-you-can-eat meals as well as three great ports-of-call: Cozumel, Mexico, Roatan, Honduras, and Belize City, Belize, not to mention the conference with all its great speakers, nightly roundtable discussions, and fabulous networking and knowledge. Figuring an additional $250 for the flight to Galveston, TX, it works out to roughly $175 per day, which is less than what most local hotel rooms cost without food and transportation! The cruise is structured so that business is conducted everyday and therefore qualifies with the IRS to be totally tax deductible for your business. Hard to beat.

Take your spouse or significant other and enjoy yourselves. Just as a vacation it is a great break. Even if they aren’t involved in real estate, the cruise will show them all the potential that real estate has and it will make them a better supporter as they understand more how the business works.

• “Loved, loved, loved the cruise. I would have never made the networking connections and had the learning at the same time at a boot camp.”
• “I believe and tell others that attending a National REIA cruise is best investment someone can make if they’re contemplating a career in real estate.”
• “The folks that have not attended one of these events are certainly missing more than they realize. We are fortunate to have so many helpful and generous people in this business that are more than willing to help those that are interested in getting wealthy.”
• “I would have paid double the cruise price and it still would have been a cheap learning experience. The thing that makes these cruises so great is not only the real estate knowledge on the ship but everyone’s willingness to share”
• “What I learned on that ship in seven days would have taken me three years to learn at my local investment group. If you are serious about moving your investing career along on the fast track this cruise is a must.”
• “I learned my lesson this year. Don’t wait until the last minute to register. The ship sold out a month before leaving. I was lucky to find a cabin on the internet and then had to pay to attend the seminars. It was still worth it but I will sign up early for the next cruise.”
• “We found that they were highly motivational and organized in each of their respective areas. Each one was very generous with their time and information both during the lecture format as well as afterwards.”
• “The Q and A sessions were exceptional both from the information provided by the speakers as well as the people that were present in the audience. Many of the members that are listeners have as much to offer as the speakers. They were all very willing to offer & share information.”
• “The National REIA Board of Directors once again made a week of education with a vacation just fly by. All meetings were well organized, the ship was beautiful, food and shows excellent and the networking just unbelievable.”
• “Someone from my group told me that if I attended a National REIA cruise it would change my life. I wasn’t sure I was ready to change my life so put off attending for a few years. I’m kicking myself now that I didn’t go sooner because a week with 400 fellow investors from all over the country has me so motivated with new ideas I can’t wait to get home and put them to use. I know the information I learned will change my life! See you next year”

by Mike Rodetsky

“NO THANKS, not for me, not my style.” They were my thoughts exactly when I read that National REIA was sponsoring an investor cruise. I said, “Not me. The beaches of St. Petersburg are just fine. The white sands of Clearwater Beach are as good as anything in the Caribbean. I might get sea sick. I might even get bored. Who knows what the food will be, and I don’t like vacations anyway.”

BOY, WAS I WRONG. Thanks to some friends who had told me what a great time they had, I signed up. And thank you, thank you, thank you to those who convinced me how great it could be. It was even better than I expected.

There seemed to be programs going on all the time. There were sessions covering the nuts and bolts of expansion and growth for our REIA groups, sessions on our days at sea with phenomenal presenters and after dinner Q & A for all those who hadn’t got enough. We left each session with pages of notes and new ideas to bring back to our business and our group at home.

We experienced great food, and the opportunity to spend time with folks who do what I do, think like I think, and want what I want, was just wonderful. Sure, we did some sightseeing. But even in the little bus we hired, we shared ideas and developed new friends, new financial contacts and new ways to make our lives easier, more comfortable and very possibly more profitable. What more could anyone ask from a “vacation?!!”

Where will you be in February 2010? Sitting back and waiting for something to happen or on board Royal Caribbean’s new ship “Voyager of the Seas” with us sharing, learning, partying, dancing, touring and whatever.