Networking Works by Ronald A. Lanzo Sr. MBA

Done Well it’s Your Recipe for Sales Success

This book is about how networking can enhance sales by helping build solid business relationships which takes connections or contacts from casual acquaintances to solid business referral partners. Networking is key to helping salespeople and business owners increase the size of their referral sources.

The author shares his secrets from five decades in direct sales on how to navigate from making connections to building relationships. He also shares many tips from other major league networking authorities on how they’ve used networking to increase sales.

Networking Works takes you through the options and shows you how so many experts have used this to enhance their connections, grow their relationships and increase sales. Networking done right is your bridge to relationship building and sales success. Learn tips from other networking experts who have perfected this subtle skill of converting connections into referral partnerships.

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Excerpt from Networking Works © Copyright 2025 Ronald A. Lanzo Sr. MBA

Chapter Ten

NYC Real Estate Expo
One National Real Estate, LLC.
Anthony Kazazis Founder & Director

Among one of the newest virtual networking groups or companies is none other than Anthony Kazazis, who’s the founder of NYC Real Estate Expo and now also One National Real Estate, LLC. Anthony founded the NYC Real Estate Expo, originally as the Queens Real Estate Expo around 20 years ago. He closed them and rebranded at the new launch of The NYC Real Estate Expo. His first couple of live on-premises trade shows were held the Roosevelt Hotel on West 45^th Street. As the show grew throughout the years, he moved to the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, and then to the Hilton on 6^th Avenue at 53^rdStreet. I remember participating in several of these trade shows while at AFR Furniture Rental. We always had lots of traffic, and in a recent conversation and interview with Mr. Kazazis, he mentioned they usually had 500 attendees per hour pouring through the space. I was told they issued some 3,000 badges in total, so you get some idea of how the attendance flowed. It was never promoted as a conference, but rather as an event or seminar because this way there was no requirement to supply food. Typically conference styled trade shows serve lunch, and even periodic snack breaks of coffee, tea soda and pastries. In addition to manning our booth at the EXPO, AFR Furniture would supply some event lounge seating in the form of sofas, lounge chairs and a variety of event specific furnishings. This was provided as an accommodation in lieu of a much lower charge for our booth space. Anthony was very clever in terms of how he marketed his programs to the real estate community. All the big players in both commercial and residential real estate attended every year. As I recalled, the major industry publications always attended and exhibited. These included The New York Real Estate Journal, a publication that I’d submitted articles on for several years in my “What Have You Rented Lately” columns. I’d see Kristine Wolfe the editor of The New York Real Estate Journal every year and we could catch up. Other publications that exhibited included Real Estate Weekly and the Real Deal.

When the COVID-19 Pandemic struck of course it had a profoundly negative effect on the entire Trade Show industry. Due to the serious and contagious nature of this disease, it simply wasn’t possible to attempt any live-in person events, and for the most part the governments had implemented mandatory lock downs. Anthony very cleverly went into a virtual mode. He continued to do what he’d always done over 15 years of running a live event, he networked his way back to the top with an entirely virtual program. The 16^thand 17^th NYC Real Estate Expo were held virtually! discussions on all things real estate related. At one event, The Apartment Queen, Kaylee McMahon, whose real estate venture operates for Dallas, TX. This area is growing exponentially with many companies moving from high tax states like California to business-friendly states like Texas. Nearly all the employees who would be hired would need places to live, and the younger crowds much preferred apartments to single family homes. Since this was both a networking venue as well to continue promoting his NYC Real Estate Expo,Anthony moved quickly into this webinar series with his NYC Networking Group. They held webinars frequently as often as three to four times per month. I had the pleasure to sit in on several of his earlier webinars during the spring of 2021 and into the summer as well. They developed an interesting series of group panel discussions.

In addition to Ms. McMahon, a few other industry executives from private equity finance to major multi-family residential development firms attended. I always went away from these sessions in awe as to how Anthony was able to pivot so successfully, seemingly not to have missed a beat. I had seen firsthand while employed at American Furniture Rentals which had a Trade Show & Event segment had taken a major hit. We too were doing some pivoting, and in the commercial office furniture segment, we still had markets that were open like the modular trailer and construction industries. There were no concerts being held by Live Nation, our largest event customer. There were a few trade show companies who did succeed in moving to a virtual experience, but certainly on a hand full.

This new direction Anthony chose was called NYC Networking Group, now known as One National Real Estate LLC., which has been his primary focus over the past two years. He did tell me that in November of this year, 2022, he did plan to go live with his NYC Real Estate Expo once again although no firm date has been set yet. There is for sure some crossover between networking and business development. Anthony quickly saw networking could help build relationships and expand his reach with his trade show business as well. In fact, I suspect he sees a bigger opportunity going forward with networking because of the enormously successful companies like BNI, Business Networking International.

One can quickly see the connection of both businesses, and see how they help each other grow, develop, and prosper. It will be exciting to see how the 18^th NYC Real Estate Expo does next November, but I’m sure with Anthony’s solid grasp for promotion, that he’ll once again fill the hall. Stay tuned folks to see how his venture into big leagues networking will pan out as he moves his NYC Real Estate Expo to the next level. From his website you can see that he calls this Virtual Networking. Make Connections, Gain Leads & Collaborate. These virtual webinars are now formally scheduled twice a month or every two weeks!

I must admit Mr. Kazazis is on to something here because networking is the foundation for business development and the key to relationship building. Now that COVID-19 has sufficiently been under control he’s going live on May 10, 2023, at Citi Field with his next NYC Real Estate Event. In fact the event was a huge success as 10,000 people attended, and nearly all of the exhibitors were in attendance. I’m sure some of this was the fact that the COVID-19 locked down the country and kept many real estate professionals isolated. Everyone was anxious to get back to doing business face-to-face and of course to networking once again in person! His next live Real Estate EXPO is now being planned for 2024 in NYC again & Greenville, South Carolina too. Mr. Kazizis has plans to roll out shows in both North Carolina and Atlanta Georgia as a Tri State Event.