If I had to narrow down the real estate industry to just one word, I would have to choose the word people.
 
When you boil it all down (and I know it’s been said many times) real estate really is all about people. And to make a living in the industry, agents have to go to where the people are.
 
I know some agents are having a rough time these days because their potential customers are starting to find new – and sometimes obscure – places to hang out. It used to be Realtors could just pick up the phone and talk to friends of their neighbors or others, or meet people at church or school functions (and yes, certainly that still happens), but more and more people are socializing on the Internet. That means that’s where agents (at least those agents who want to continue working) should be, too. You have to get to the end user, the customer, to make sales. It’s just that simple.
 
One new tool that’s begun to make a splash on the Internet social networking scene is Twitter (www.twitter.com). If you just said twhat? Don’t feel alone.
 
In a recent poll I read, 22 percent of people interviewed said Twitter was a “great networking tool.” But another 36 percent asked simply, “What’s Twitter?”
 
But don’t get me wrong, it’s growing like a Saint Bernard puppy. From February 2008 to February 2009, the number of visitors to twitter.com grew from under one million to over nine million.
 
Twitter is basically a funny name for a way people can share their thoughts (on just about any topic imaginable) via instant messages sent over the Internet or cell phones. It’s free and those who “twit” type what they’re doing or thinking in 140 characters or less. And if you’re selective about who you follow, it can become a kind of readable radio show of the thoughts on whatever industry you are interested in. 
So how can agents use Twitter to boost their business? Three ways come to mind:
 
1. It can open up your network. As you can tell from what I’ve said so far about Twitter, you can obviously see it as a networking tool. And you might find some people who twit right in your own city or state. Find them, meet them in person and expand your network. You already have Twitter in common.  
 
2. It can teach you. One reason humans have made it this far is that we learn from each other. If you think there are agents out there who are more successful than you who are twittering, follow them and learn. And if you feel you have something valuable to share, use Twitter to share it and build a reputation as the real estate expert.   
 
3. It can help your manage your relationships with customers. Consider asking your clients to get on Twitter so you can follow each other with information and ideas. You can share new listings, open houses, community news, useful Internet links – anything. Build your own Twitter real estate community. You can even set up a separate account just for clients.
 
 
So you can see this is as much about connecting with people as anything. And that’s a key point I want you to remember. Because this is a people business, it’s also a service business. Take a minute and visit my Web site and read “Ways to Turn Clients Into Raving Fans” 
 
Thank you for reading and best of luck to you!
 
Bob Corcoran is a nationally recognized speaker and author who is founder and president of Corcoran Consulting Inc. (CorcoranCoaching.com, 800-957-8353), an international consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and the implementation of sound business systems into the residential or commercial broker or agent’s existing practice.