Social Media and The Real Estate Professional

 So many real estate professionals spend thousands of dollars on professionally designed websites, virtual tours of their properties, and online listing services. While these are all good things, and I would not try to discourage you from using them, if your web presence stops here, you are missing out on a world of marketing potential.

Social Media has been written about ad infinitum all over the web, so I will assume that you have at least some basic knowledge of what things like Facebook or twitter are. What I am going to share with you is how to use these tools in your real estate business to sell more homes, and position yourself as an expert among your peers. Since Social Media is such a huge subject, we will focus on just three main facets: A blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

Before we dive in, understand that there are two main reasons for you to use Social Media in your business. First is to sell more homes. That one is obvious. The second is a little more subtle. Your secondary objective should be to establish your expertise and credibility, not just to home buyers and sellers, but also to your peers. Your expertise could produce another income stream such as consulting or speaking, perhaps even a book. Don't be so short sighted that you overlook a golden opportunity.

1. Start A Blog

So, you sell houses and of course you have a website. Good, put a check in that box. However, I did a random search of 100 real estate professional's sites in my area (Metro Atlanta) and only found four that had a blog. This is a big loss.

A blog gives your site that personal touch. It allows you to add value to clients and potential clients, and make you seem more accessible. Your readers can add comments and interact with you, making you seem more like a friend than a sales person.

A word of caution though. Your blog is not the place to sell your listings! You should produce free, original content that adds value to your readers. It could be buying tips, home improvement tips, market reports or even personal anecdotes. Whatever it is, avoid the impulse to sell something in your blog.

2. Create a Fan Page on Facebook

I must say the real estate industry is much better at this than blogging. I found several real estate professionals with fan pages on Facebook. You should absolutely be one of them. First, it's free. Second, you have the ability to come in contact with hundreds of millions of people. You can redirect them to your website, answer questions nearly real time, and once again, add value to your readers. The more people who "like" (technical Facebook term) your page, the broader your potential influence.

Don't miss this important step! Put a Facebook badge that links to your fan page on your blog (you did start a blog right?). This allows casual readers of your blog to become regular readers, and connect them more and more to you.

3. Twitter

Here's the deal, you need to Tweet. Twitter allows you to connect with people in 140 characters or less. You can answer questions, do market research, link to your blog (really, go start one already), and so much more. The information transfer is instant, and can be as wide spread as your follower base. If you add quality content on Twitter, your followers can ReTweet (RT) that info to their followers. The potential reach is endless.

Again, every Tweet should not be a sales pitch, but a few here and there is generally fine. Your blog (I mean really, start one) should have a Twitter badge that allows people to click, find you, and follow you on Twitter. Again, every opportunity to connect with someone needs to be capitalized.

So many people complain about the housing market, the economy, and the cost of this and that. Yet these same people are not taking advantage of these incredible free marketing spaces. You really have nothing to lose here. Social Media can instantly extend your reach, help you sell more homes, and establish your expertise in your industry among your peers. Start with these three easy things. Set a goal to have them done over the next week, and then get to work promoting them. With no capital investment required, what do you have to lose?