Real Estate Agent Highlights New Technologies by Bicycling 700 Miles to Mid-Winter Conference

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Feb.9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --  Having sold houses for a living for 24 years, Vick Dyer has faithfully attended his company's international conferences for 14 years. This year, though, he'll be making the trip of more than 700 miles under his own power ­– simply to make a point about technology.

On Monday at 10 a.m., Dyer, 58, sets out from his Knoxville, Tennessee, office on his bicycle, pedaling some 40 pounds of gear and clothing 13 days on a mid-winter ride to the New Orleans Convention Center.

His route takes him across the breadth of four states and through 12 overnight stops, ending on stage before an expected 4,000 attendees of the Coldwell Banker Real Estate's International Business Conference.

Dyer aims to use a 150-year-old transportation technology to focus attention on the newest communications technologies and their rising importance in real estate services, an integral part of this year's conference theme, "Generation Blue Experience."

Along the way, he plans to conduct business with clients from his bike, using a smart phone and an iPad. Dyer will also document his ride electronically, tracking progress with a GPS signal and a blog. In addition, he will stop at eight Coldwell Banker offices en route to exchange ideas on how technology can help colleagues become better real estate agents.

"The business tools we use now change every year, from online video to mobile marketing and cloud computing," Dyer said. "My business has weathered the economic downturn well in part because I learned about these new tools and techniques at past conferences.

"I believe home ownership is the key to better times ahead. Now that the housing market is starting to rebound, this ride is my way of helping home buyers and sellers take advantage of new opportunities."

The public is invited to see Dyer's start at 10 a.m. on February 13 at the Bearden office of Coldwell Banker Wallace & Wallace REALTORS®, 140 Major Reynolds Place, Knoxville, Tenn. For more information, call 865-584-4000.

Dyer's route: Athens, Cleveland, and Chattanooga, Tennessee; Fort Payne, Ashville, Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, and Livingston, Alabama; Meridian, Laurel, Hattiesburg, Popularville and Picayune, Mississippi; Slidell, Louisiana.

SOURCE Coldwell Banker Wallace & Wallace