Social Realty
Posted on 01. Apr, 2009 by admin in Books / Resources, Business, Marketing, NetworkingTips, Tips, TwitterNews, TwitterStuff
Within a few weeks, I will hopefully have passed my state realtors exam and begin the task of taking over the real estate market in Houston and eventually the entire World (hopefully *chuckling*). With that said, I’ve been working on plans to position myself in the market here in Houston and building relationships with others in the industry. One relationship already formed is that with Habitation Realty, which is probably one of the most “relevant” new brokers in the cities inner loop and Heights area.
Real Estate will of course be one of the many endeavors being added to my plate, but its an industry that I’ve loved for quite a while. I love the city, architecture, and the booming market of real estate that seems to be moving steadily here, despite the down turn in the economy. Texas, and especially Houston, has been an area of the country that has never peaked, which still leaves room for growth and great deals. With that said, the industry is producing new realtors every month and many are continually looking for new ways to market themselves and their listings. Applications such as Facebook and Twitter are seeing the number of users who work in the real estate industry increase and you yourself may have already received a friend request or follow from someone trying to sell you a home.
I understand that the last thing we want in our list of “friends” or “followers” is someone marketing to us, so we decided to offer realtors a few healthy tips on how to use these social media tools best:
1. Show Yourself: Realtors have always put a lot of value on using their face. They’re “selling” themselves, so putting their face on everything has simply been the norm, regardless of how unappealing a particular realtor might be. The internet is definitely a place where you’ll want to use your face, and that can be done through a nice looking avatar and ID. But be sure to “show yourself” well. I’ve seen some “corny” branding come from the realtor industry, so be sure to go above and beyond to ensure you look “good” to the rest of the social media world.
2. Be Yourself: It can be really easy to set up an account through an application such as Twitter and begin tweeting nothing but advertisements for open houses and listings. The problem with this is that most people don’t want to be marketed to that way and many will have no problem deleting you from their friend or follow list. The key through any social network is to be “social”. Be yourself and don’t try so hard. People might become interested in what you have to offer, but they first have to become interested in who you are. The $150,000 townhome in the inner city might be of interest to your “friends” once they get to know “you”.
3. Become a Valuable Resource: Let those within your circle of online friends and followers know that you know the business and that you are not just someone trying to market through the web, but a valuable resource. Offer knowledge and relevant information regularly. Give people a reason to want to “follow” you and eventually “come” to you.
If you’re a realtor and this information was helpful, please let us know. Also, if you’re in the Houston area and you need a home, visit www.habitationrealty.com and let them know that Twitterstop referred you.
Article by Hector Garcia | @hectorgarcia
en' onclick="javascript:urchinTracker('/outbound/twitter.com/_twitter_lang_en_/twitter_lang');">
en' onclick="javascript:urchinTracker('/outbound/twitter.com/_twitter_lang_en_/twitter_lang');">
