Networking is the art and science of meeting people and building relationships that can benefit your apartment community and your career. You don’t want to waste your opportunities or anybody’s time (especially your own), so when considering whether to attend a networking event, it’s worth taking a few minutes to think about what you want to get out of it, how you want to work the room and ways to leverage what you learn.

Identify your objective

There’s no sense in attending a networking event if you’re going just for the sake of going. If the other attendees aren’t your peers — or if the organization is one that’s on the fringe of your job scope — why waste your time? Figure out beforehand what you want to get from attending; that may include business contacts, renter leads, marketing advice, or some other knowledge or tool to improve your marketing or community.

Consider your targets

Find out who will be attending from an online RSVP list, comments on the organization’s social media pages or by asking around. If you see the name of someone you’ve been meaning to call, note that they’ll be at the event and jot down the questions you have for them. If there’s a keynote speaker you want to chat with, ask the event coordinator how you can get a few minutes of that person’s time then craft some industry questions or issues to discuss. Make sure it’s clear why you’ve pinpointed them specifically for conversation.

If there are several people you’d like to connect with at an event, remember that you might not get to them all. It’s more important to have a few quality moments to make true connections than to have several potshot conversations you won’t remember later. You can connect with some of the people you missed at a future event.

Map out your social media strategy

If you plan to use social media to share your participation in a networking event, plot a few ideas for posts and note when they should go live. Attending professional events can help expand your network, and social media is an effective way to let others know how you continue to improve your knowledge and services.

Be sure to exchange social media handles; as soon as possible, like and follow the people you met — and invite them to follow you too.

Find the wallflower

Ask that person flying solo why they attended: You might discover that they showed up for a completely different reason than you, giving you a new way to think about the event or host organization.

Start a conversation

Try a conversational ice breaker — what do you do? How did you get started? What are your biggest challenges? What’s your typical day like? — to find a commonality on which to build a relationship with a new contact.

Be yourself

You’ll gain more respect and make better connections by being yourself than by adopting some persona that you think people will like better. Genuine connections can spark long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships.

Listen and learn

Instead of expounding on your trials and tribulations, make it all about the other person. Ask them about their residents and communities, what ideas they have for lead generation, advice on daily operations, etc., and then listen to what they say. You’ll gain some practical tips and maybe meet someone you want to work with in the future.

Pay it forward

Networking is about meeting people, learning something from them and then paying it forward by connecting them with others, whether that’s someone else you met at the event or someone in your own network.

Follow up right away

When the networking event is over, you’re not necessarily done yet. Make a great impression on the people you met by following up with a thank-you email or post on their social media page.

If you promised someone a follow-up task — e.g., sending them a contact, emailing them the title of that book you recommended, etc. — carry it out immediately.

In the end, networking is about making connections. Part of that is being prepared to be a good conversationalist, an excellent listener and to respect everyone’s brief time together. While you’re there, you might learn something new about how to be a better marketer or make your communities more visible to prospective renters. Maybe you’ll learn about something that’s not business-related — like music, sports or a hobby. And maybe you’ll just meet a new friend.