RealTown's RealTalk

I use MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Plaxo regularly. In my opinion, most agents have the wrong idea about how they work for business. Here's my take:

When ever I make a new contact, I search to see if I can find them on each social network. If I do, I ask them to "be my friend." My pages have personal info as well as business info. I update  my status regualry -whether it's "Steph is going Chistmas shopping", Steph is headed to a closing/listing appointment" Steph is off to hula hoop class"....whatever it is I may be doing. That way the person gets to know and trust me on a social level AND keeps me top-of-mind in real estate matters.

I also have a "homes I've sold section" a link to my website and blog and I plan to house future videos on the site. "Friends" will also get those updates if they have their own setting applied to receive them.

If you are expecting stragers to contact you on a social networking site - it's NEVER going to happen. The only strangers that will contact you are other agents. I also accept their requests too and I place them in a separate group. You never know when you might get a great idea or possibly a referral from one of them.

Bottom line is that social networking is a tool to keep you top-of-mind for people who already know you or have at least provided you with some type of contact information at some point. They are NOT a direct selling tool.

I have read post on social networking on numerous sites. How do you agent have the time to use myspac, fasebood, utube, and many others. By the time I follow up on listings, do ads, respond to buyers wanting information, phone calls I do not have time to do all of them.

Do you really feel that much business comes from the time you spend entering informatin and responses, jus asking as I tried it and became swamped with the regular work and 6 other sites simular as mentioned above.

Glory Bee Costa ABR, CRS, GRI, E-PRO, SRES 410-310-9081-Cell 410-763-6001 EXT 107  Gen. Office 
Maryland-WaterFront-Homes.com     Glory@GloryBeeCosta.com     Re/Max Gold Realty, LLC- Easton, MD  

I don't spend too much time on my networks. Maybe 15-30 minutes a day - and usually in the evenings with my laptop while watching tv. Of course, I enjoy the networks. I like to see what friend are up to, look at their new pics, comment on them, etc.

Facebook is especially intuitive and easy to use quickly. All you have to do is glance down your home page to see new activity. I never participate in any of the "applications" (poke, super poke, mafia, snowball, gifts, ornaments, etc.). They do take up unnecessary time - people do not take offense when you don't accept their applications requests - they go out in bulk anyway.

If all you do is update your "status" every once in awhile, it'll help you stay top-of-mind for people. For instance, I just updated that Steph is..."working on her website" on my profiles. That might help someone remember that I have a great real estate website:

www.NestingInNashville.com

Oh, I also have links to my social networks on the main page of my website. If I were a potential buyer or seller, I'd appreciate this - I'd feel more comfotable reaching out to someone I already know a little bit about.

Stephanie & Glory Bee

Yes, you should be updating your SocNet pages, especially with new
listings, if they are configured to post it. The links back to your
site alone are worth the effort. It also shows your listing clients
that you are working hard for the money, and makes a nice point in a
listing presentation.

However, it should be easy, or at least easier, to do it. So.....

We are working on a SocialNetworking Account Manager. It will:

- Lead you to the top SocNet sites, so you may create accounts
easily, if you do not yet have one.

- Allow you to log in to them, in an organized, queued manner. Start
the queue, log in, do your work, and move to the next in the queue.

- The tool will allow you to create listing information into
pre-formed HTML blocks, or you can add other blocks of content that
you can post easily to these sites using the tool, if they allow it.

- It will create a block of HTML code that you can place on your own
site, or elsewhere, with links to your SocNet pages. This helps with
getting them indexed, as well.

We're thinking that it will be in the $29 per year range, for access
to it. I'd appreciate to hear the level of interest. The more we
hear, the sooner we'll have this ready to go.

Best regards,

Dirk Johnson
Partner - Operations
DomainDrivers LLC
djohnson@domaindrivers.com
703-406-4698
http://domaindrivers.realtown.com
We're an approved RealTalk/RealTown vendor:
http://DomainDrivers.InternetCrusade.com

I have to agree with Stephanie 100%....I have acctounts with twitter, utterli, myspace, facebook, youtube, plaxco,linkedin, and i write a blog....on my blog(http://devine.thewrittenblog.com/) alone i get 2000 reads a month...on 01-01-08 those reads were 800, a month now can i trace a sale or listing directly to my blog..not yet...but i have to hav e faith that social networking is the way of the future.

I spend more time on mine than Steph...i spend about 2 hours a day on all of mine. It all comes down to time blocking....why watch TV...it has no value....spend  an hour a day at home on social networking and  not watching the idiot box.....now i love my certain  TV shows....but i make time to network.

This was not easy, in the beginning my 2 hours were spent on just Facebook, then the learing curve got shorter and i added myspace, and linkedin and so forth,,,so now in 2 hours a day i can network on all my sites.

Also, on each site join a group...maybe not even a real estate group, but something you like....boating, cigars, gardening, knitting, drinking only home made beer...find something and join that group. Contribute to that group...like I am now....

If you went to a knitting party at a strangers home and their were a dozen people there to knit, and it was your turn to contribute to the group, the first thing from your mouth would not be" HI, I'm Alice, who here wants to buy or sell real estate and use me as their Realtor"

Editor's Note
Way to go, Dana. As Web2.0 takes hold, more and more relationship building and marketing will take place via social networking sites. Anyone who is interested in organizing their own specialty group, please go over to http://RealTown.com and click the Groups tab -- you'll find and easy to create/maintain Groups platform at no charge.John

12/16/2008 @ 10:39 AM HST

>>

Dirk Johnson asks:

We're thinking that it will be in the $29 per year range, for access to it. I'd appreciate to hear the level of interest. The more we  hear, the sooner we'll have this ready to go.

<<

Aloha Dirk:

I'm all for anything that would make it easier. 

My suggestion about the $29 fee: I would make it free...at least at first or at least a free test drive. I will never forget that one of the first websites I signed up for (I still use their system today) was a result of being able to take a test drive for free...no credit card, no obligation. Today many companies do that, but 7-8 years ago it was  not common.
 

With Warmest Aloha,

Bernard: - Thanks for the support! Yes, we want a lot of users, and
we want to price it so that it's a "no-brainer", but it can't be
free.

Ruth: - yes, some form of "free tasting" would be in order. It will
likely be in the form of "limited site selection", along with limited
time. Makes perfectly good sense.

Dana - May I call you to get some input about the sites you use, what
you do on each when you get there? I could use a good hands-on
advisor, to make this as functional as possible.

@Dirk said:

"We're thinking that it will be in the $29 per year range, for access 
to it. I'd appreciate to hear the level of interest. "

I'm in for that.

Malcolm Waring, Realtor, E-Pro
Pocono Real Estate

Great Idea. Sign me up when you are ready. Take care, Art

 

FOR ALL OF YOUR REAL ESTATE RELOCATION NEEDS!

Arthur K. Carlson CRP, GMS
Certified Relocation Professional
Global Mobility Specialist
RE/MAX COLLEGE PARK
Associate Broker/Manager
1.800.301.5207 Ext 2
1.714.815.1833
Go to my Site:
www.RelocationSoCal.com
arcarlson@aol.com