Expo Features Educational Seminars, Speakers, and Over 200 Exhibitors

Over two hundred exhibitors and speakers from all over the country will converge on York College’s Jamaica campus on Sunday, September 30 for the second annual Queens Real Estate Expo (QREE). According to QREE Executive Director, Anthony Kazazis, this year’s event couldn’t come at a better time as the current real estate market is a source of confusion and presents many challenges for home-owners, potential home-buyers, investors, and real estate professionals alike.
The QREE kicks off at 10 a.m. in the College’s Academic building with exhibitors stationed on both the lower level and the main floor. There will be lectures in the classrooms on the lower level, main floor, and third floor, and in the lecture hall on the second floor. Additionally, four exhibitors will host their own mini expos in the private rooms on the main floor. While entrance to the Academic building is $5 for adults and $4 for senior citizens (it is free for children under 15 accompanied by an adult) there will be free educational seminars across the way in the Performing Arts Building’s 1,500 hundred-seat auditorium and 200-seat theater beginning at 10 a.m. and lasting throughout the day.
The free seminars scheduled for the Performing Arts building will educate visitors about topics such as buying and selling a home, what to expect when you go to a real estate or mortgage broker, and credit repair and violations removal, among others. Guest speakers will include the Honorable Thomas White Jr., NYC Councilmember and Chair of the Economic Development Corporation; Derek Bratton, President/CEO of World Financial Enterprises; and Reverend Mitchell G. Taylor of the East River Development Alliance, in addition to many others in real estate-related fields. “All day you can hop from classroom to classroom. It’s like going to college and it’s free,” exclaimed Kazazis.
While the free events in the Performing Arts building are geared toward consumers, the QREE exhibition space in the Academic building was designed with the consumer and the professional in mind. Tickets can be purchased in the Performing Arts building and include many giveaways like the Snoopy dolls at the MetLife booth and chances to win prizes such as a bed from 2sleeptoo.com or iPods, plasma TVs, DVDs, and Mets tickets. “For $5 you can walk away with $150 worth of goodies but forget about the goodies, the education is priceless,” said Kazazis. He explained that the QREE presents the chance for people to learn from and network with bankers, builders, architects, real estate brokers and other professionals, as all exhibitors will be at the Expo to teach and many will be there to hire.
Among the many exhibitors are author Anita John who will discuss real estate investment strategies; representatives from Wells Fargo and Washington Mutual, who will be on hand to answer questions about mortgages and loans; and representatives from LendAmerica, who may provide some clarity about the real estate market to come with a lecture titled Life After Subprime.
Because of the Expo’s central location in Jamaica - an apt site considering the City Council’s recent approval of a large-scale rezoning project in the community - it is easily accessible by car (Grand Central Parkway, exit 16; Van Wyck Expressway, exit 4; Long Island Expressway, exit 23), subway (E, J, and Z lines to Parsons-Archer/Jamaica Center), bus (Q4, Q5, Q25/34, Q30, Q31, Q42, Q44, Q54, Q65, Q83, Q84, Q85, Q110, Q111, Q112, Q113, N4 to Parsons-Archer/Jamaica Center), or railroad (any LIRR train or AirTrain to Jamaica Station).
According to an excited Kazazis, “There’s no comparison [to last year’s Expo]. Last year was a starter. This will get headlines.”
Visit www.QueensRealEstateExpo.com or contact Anthony Kazazis at (914) 763-8008 for more information on the upcoming Expo.