Dustin Terry eventually wants to invest in real estate, but for now, he’s learning as much as he can about the process.
Terry – who works in security at Plant Vogtle – attended a free networking event called Think Tank Tuesday on Aug. 31. “I come here to learn a lot,” he explains. “I’m trying to get into it.” Think Tank Tuesday – hosted by Auben Realty LLC – is an informal meeting of real estate professionals, investors, contractors, and business leaders that meets weekly at Ubora Coffee Roasters located at 1128 Jones St. in downtown Augusta at 8:30 a.m. Participants share ideas and discuss various real estate and investing topics.
Each week, Gary Kauffman – former editor-in-chief of Buzz on Biz and owner of Kauffman Coaching, which provides business coaching and consulting services – discusses a business topic. At this meeting, the topic was integrity, and he gave the example of his friend who works as a car salesman. Kauffman states his friend is reliable and always keeps his promises to his customers, even if that means working extra hours to serve them. “People will count on you to do the right thing,” he says. Kauffman also discussed the concept of seeking the good of others, which refers to placing others’ needs before your own. “Try to make your coworkers successful, and you’ll be more successful,” he explains. “When you do good, it will come back to you somehow.”
Janie Terrell Peel – Auben’s director of sales and commercial leasing and a licensed realtor in both Georgia and South Carolina – held similar meetings downtown for about 20 years in her role as founder of Prime Commercial Properties Inc. When she joined Auben about six months ago, Peel began coordinating the company’s three weekly meetings. Besides Think Tank Tuesday, the group meets at Sole Augusta on Broad Street Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. and at the BBQ Barn on Atomic Road in North Augusta Fridays at noon. “We never know who will be here,” she explains.
Terry hopes coming to these meetings will help him land his first real estate investment deal. “I like these meetings because they’re in person,” he states. “It’s a lot more personal.”
For more information about these networking meetings, contact Peel at 706-564-6231 or jpeel@aubenrealty.com.