Welcome to the New RealTown! Submit Feedback
Member Login | Join RealTown
The Real Estate Network
RealTown  Community  RealTalk  Websites-Blogs  Facebook

RealTown's RealTalk

Back

Bookmark and Share  

Create New Discussion Digest Archive

 Facebook

Created by:
Linda Grissette, Licensed Real Estate Broker,  St. Charles,  MO

Date: February 19, Number of Replies: 14


View Profile

I finally decided to try Facebook last week. I'm beginning to get aquainted
with it, but would love all the advise possible about how to use it for
business. I'm sure that others would be interested in that, too. I did see
some one post a listing the other day, but I don't know how to do that yet.

If anyone else is out there and wants to add me as their friend, just search
for Linda@Grissette.com/

Linda Grissette, GRI, e-PRO Certified, JIM * Prudential Select Properties,
St Louis Area * Mailto:Linda@Grissette.com Check out my real estate
products at http://www.RealEstateMarketingHelp.com

To Top Quote   Reply
Kris Coutant Licensed Real Estate Agent,  Hudson Falls,  NY

Date: February 20

I finally decided to try Facebook last week. I'm beginning to get aquainted
with it, but would love all the advise possible about how to use it for
business. I'm sure that others would be interested in that, too. I did see
some one post a listing the other day, but I don't know how to do that yet.

Linda,

I am fairly new to Facebook. It still amazes me the amount of time some people must spend on the internet?? Anyhow this is how I put my listings on Facebook. There may be another way but this is how I do it. Create a postlet account go to www.postlets.com, sign up/log in. Click on Create a Postlet and then follow the steps to add your listing information and photos. You can play around with the layouts/colors and then there is a button you click to post it on Craigslist as well. At the bottom of the page where you view all the info and photos there is a button copy/paste html - click on that button. The next page is where you choose where the ad is syndicated. As well as post to Craigslist if you want. Below the list of syndication sites is a group of buttons where you can link your listings. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc. Click the one you want, log in and there it is (at least for Facebook). Make you click the "post" button. One of my teammates missed this step and wondered why it wasn't on her page. It take a couple of minutes, so my advice is wait 5 minutes after you post the listing, then check or refresh your page. The first time I did this I didn't wait. I kept adding the listing. Fortunately there is a delete option for any posting on the wall.

It is pretty amazing how you can connect with people- not only those you have lost touch with - but making the business connections around the country and really even the globe. I have just connected with an e-Pro who found me on NYSAR (New York State Assoc. of Realtors) page. He is from New York (the city) and not anyone who I most likely would never had met. Within hours of signing up, I heard from 2 friends from high school, and that was more years ago than we are going to talk about. One lives across the state near Buffalo, and the other is in Oregon. So it was fun catching up with them. But I am really hoping that this can be used more as a business tool than a social place to reconnect with old friends.

Good luck to you- email me if you have any other questions I can help you with.

Kris Coutant, e-Pro
Associate Broker
The Ultimate Team
Keller Williams Realty Distinctive Properties
Serving Warren, Washington
and Saratoga Counties
Cell: 518 361 5250
Office: 518 798 0040
KrisCoutant@roadrunner.com

 

To Top Quote   Reply
Jim Clauser Licensed Real Estate Agent,  Athens,  GA

Date: February 20

 
One thing to remember, if you advertise your listings on facebook, you have to go by your states rules for advertising. If is a form of advertising just like the newspaper, Homes and Land, Real Estate Book, and such. In Georgia some agents have been sited by the real estate commission for not disclosing properly.
 

Jim Clauser
Your Real Estate Consultant For Life
RE/MAX Associates Athens, Inc.
706-714-1181 Direct
706-433-0542 Fax
http://www.JimClauser.com to view over 3000 homes!
mailto:Jim@JimClauser.com
Check out my Blog at
http://www.VisitJimsBlog.com

Editor's Note
Good point, Jim. There's also the issue of timely removal of expired listings. As with newspaper ads, brokers have supervisory responsibility.John
To Top Quote   Reply

Date: February 20

Linda,

I too am new to Facebook. I joined a while back, but didn't really do
anything with it until recently.
I think you need to be involved in one of the professional networking
sites for business, such as Linked in
or Plaxo. Facebook really is a social site.

Good luck!

Veronica Downey
CASHIN
Los Altos, Ca
vdowney@cashin.com
(408) 828-5715

To Top Quote   Reply
Wayne Saunders Licensed Real Estate Agent

Date: February 20

I finally decided to try Facebook last week. I'm beginning to get aquainted
with it, but would love all the advise possible about how to use it for
business. I'm sure that others would be interested in that, too. I did see
some one post a listing the other day, but I don't know how to do that yet.

If anyone else is out there and wants to add me as their friend, just search
for Linda@Grissette.com/

Linda,

I just returned from a round table on Social Networking and the panelists stated they are very low key on using Facebook for hard core business dealings. They bring in as many friends as they wish and use Facebook for keeping in touch, hoping to find common ground and interests. Then they start posting "I'm doing an open house at 123 Main this afternoon from 2-4." Or they let friends know that they just listed a property or sold a property. Telling others what is going on in your life is what it's all about. Very subtle marketing. If someone wants to take it further, they will let you know. Thus, you won't offend your other friends that just want to be friends. I hope this is a start.

Wayne Saunders, REALTOR®

GRI, e-PRO, Senior Real Estate Specialist

Keller Williams Realty

8525 Madison Ave. Ste 122

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

Direct: (916) 261-0571 Fax: (916) 241-8065

mailto:Homes@WayneSaunders.com

To Top Quote   Reply
Catherine Myers Licensed Real Estate Agent,  Walnut Creek,  CA

Date: February 20

On Facebook. I have Facebook but I try to be selective as to who I add. I see some realtors "bragging" they have over 2000 friends and I don't really get that. I use it mostly for social, for connecting with friends, business associates I know (mostly) and some clients. Realized early on though you have to be careful with it. During election time easy to alienate a client if your beliefs are not the same.
 
And you just have to be careful adding clients in general if you do use it as a social outlet... you could post how crazy busy your day was and all the things you did at the school , then you get a message from a client saying "sorry to bug you, I know how busy you are from your facebook status." Ummm oopps, I don't want my clients to think I'm too busy. So just be careful and remember that cyber footprint.
 
Don't say anything on facebook you wouldn't say to a client directly :) And for me , very often, that includes politics , religion, etc- its things I dont' normally discuss with my clients and it may be easy to unknowingly offend. I know this because many clients offended ME during election time :) Then you have to be careful if your friends tag you in photos out partying or something - is it something you want clients to see, etc.
 
 
So my suggestion would be to keep your personal facebook page as personal for friends and family - and clients who have become friends.
 
But then make yourself a facebook page specific to your business where you post listings, and post professional articles and things of interest real estate wise , but I wouldn't intermingle them... but that's my opinion.
 
 

Catherine Myers, REALTOR
GRI, CRS, ABR, SRES
Alain Pinel Realtors
1646 No. California Blvd., Suite 101
Walnut Creek, CA 94596

925-683-2125 cell
925-465-1593 fax

www.DiabloValley.net
www.CCShortSales.com

To Top Quote   Reply

Date: February 21

Here's where I find value in Facebook. Notice that every time you log in, your home page gives you updates on all kinds of things your friends are doing - their status, things they've posted, comments they've made on other people's pictures, etc. Well, think about what your friends might see about YOU when THEY log in. I go on almost every day and do something related to real estate - either change my status to something like "John is happy they expanded the first-time homebuyer tax credit, or post a link to an article I think people will find interesting/helpful in real estate. Most website that post news articles now have some kind of link "usually a button that says "Share" that lets you post that article to a number of different social networking sites like FB. For those that don't, you can actually add a "Share on Facebook" button to your web browser's links menu. Then, ANY website you're on, just click the link button, and it will post to FB, allowing you to add comments. As I sift through the NAR emails or other news items I come across, I post anything I think is positive and interesting about real estate.

Every time I post, I know some of my friends will see this the next time they log on (not everyone, because it only shows the most recent updates). This keeps my name in front of all these people constantly, and more importantly reminds them that I'm in the business! The trick is to have lots of friends - especially locally.

I also use it to catch up with high school friends, etc. I join or create groups like "I hung out at Haulover Beach in the 80's" etc. It's fun and shows you've got a personality and aren't all business. But be careful, you can get addicted and spend all day looking for old buddies or finding people with similiar interests. You really need to watch this!

Good luck!

Coldwell Banker M. M. Parrish Realtors
3870 NW 83 Street
Gainesville, FL 32606
(352) 372-5375 : Office
(352) 275-6721 : Mobile
(352) 264-3097 : Fax

 

To Top Quote   Reply
Diana Downs Licensed Real Estate Agent,  Bangor,  ME

Date: February 22

I love John's idea. I am always trying to come up with ways to remind my FB friends that I'm in the business without being obnoxious about it.

How do I add the Share on Facebook button to my browser?

Diana Downs

ERA Dawson Bradford

417 Main St., Bangor, ME

dianadowns@eradawson.com

http://DianaDowns.com

To Top Quote   Reply
Fred Light Information Technology,  Nashua,  NH

Date: February 22

Facebook is awesome... I actually get a ton of business from Facebook.

The key is privacy settings... you want to keep your "personal" stuff separate from your 'business" stuff!

Give this a read and implement some of the privacy settings and you'll find Facebook an incredible marketing option - for free!

To Top Quote   Reply
Rich Hudson Information Technology,  San Diego,  CA

Date: February 22

Here's where I find value in Facebook. Notice that every time you log in, your home page gives you updates on all kinds of things your friends are doing - their status, things they've posted, comments they've made on other people's pictures, etc. Well, think about what your friends might see about YOU when THEY log in. I go on almost every day and do something related to real estate - either change my status to something like "John is happy they expanded the first-time homebuyer tax credit, or post a link to an article I think people will find interesting/helpful in real estate

John Laibson

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Good info, John, and a great marketing tool.

Let's take it a step further. Once you find these unique niche groups, why not create your own RealTown Group - either public or private? There you can set up your format, invite users, have a great platform to share content and user-generated info and add other members of the sphere as you find them.

Just log on to RealTown and click on the Group tab on the My RealTown page.

Great product and all for free.

Rich

To Top Quote   Reply

Reply to Discussion:





  • Market Leader
  • Go e-PRO
  • Top Producer
  • Listing Domains
  • Point2
  • realEseller
  • Allison James
  • iHouse Websites
  • T-ReX Global
  • REALTOR Benefits Program
  • Docusign
  • Realtor Benefits
  • Matthew Ferrara
  • RealtySoft
  • WebsTarget
  • Inman Connect