Real Estate iPhone Apps Gaining Traction

By Todd Carpenter, Social Media Manager, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate launched an iPhone app today. True to their brand, the app adds the flavor of the magazine by including tips on how to live green, make over a room, or tackle an entire remodel. BH&GRE also added a neat camera function to allow an end user to take pictures of homes they like, geo-code them, and send them off to one of their agents. Toss in RedFin’s more utilitarian but awesomely executed app, and both brokers and brands throughout the industry have two fine examples of how to execute a mobile application.

That’s great for big companies, but what about the little guys? Here’s a list of cool apps I’ve found that real estate pros should consider running. Read more

REALTOR®2.0: Getting Started in Social Media

By Todd Carpenter, Social Media Manager, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

The world of social media, as applied to the world of real estate, is about five years old. Yet we are only now reaching a critical mass of agents who realize this is not a fad. As with mobile phones and e-mail, social networks and blogs are becoming mainstream tools for REALTORS®. If you’re ready to get started, here are three excellent resources to get the ball rolling.

1. Look at this post. Read more

How Twitter Raises the Stakes

By Todd Carpenter, Social Media Manager, National Association of REALTORS®

I assume that everything I say on the Internet will be read by my supervisors here at NAR. While my personal Twitter page is exactly that, the blurred lines of social media, and my personal relationship with thousands of REALTORS across the country means that I know EVERYTHING I say there might be scrutinized.

There are times when the things I say lead to complaints addressed to me, or even a superior here at NAR. So, I don’t say anything on Twitter that I might have to apologize for later. That doesn’t mean I won’t offend anyone (I do). But it does mean I can back up my case when a complaint comes along.

Sound like a pressure cooker? Read more

Facebook Fan Pages: The Difference Between Asking and Earning.

By Todd Carpenter, Social Media Manager, National Association of REALTORS®

I’m getting a lot of these e-mails lately:

“XXXXXX became a fan of YYYYYY on Facebook and suggested you become a fan too.”

With the advent of fan pages, savvy real estate agents are adopting Facebook as a marketing tool and using these pages to promote their business. I think this is a great idea. However, asking me to become a fan of your page puts the cart before the horse.

What have you done to earn me as a fan? You asked? That’s not enough. I don’t think I’ve ever responded to one of those e-mails. Read more

Me, Myself, & Facebook.

Recently, a real estate agent I hardly knew asked me, “Don’t you think your Facebook page is unprofessional?” My reply was, “Don’t you think yours is a little too professional?”

Both of us are right, or wrong. It depends on how you look at it. Read more