Social Media Best Practices

By Katherine Tarbox, Senior Editor REALTOR® Magazine

Social media should be used to create communities and not to push listings out. You wouldn’t go to church to hand out your listings, and therefore, you shouldn’t do it through your Facebook page.

That was one of the main arguments presented by Ginger Wilcox, GRI, Kelley Koehler, and Mariana Wagner—all experts with the Social Media Marketing Institute—at the Introduction to Social Media session at the 2009 REALTORS® Convention & Expo this morning.

The panel advised real estate pros to think about using social media to connect with people to build relationships that will eventually lead to communities.  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

Social Networking Gains Traction in Real Estate Tech Survey

By Erica Christoffer, Contributing Editor, REALTOR® Magazine

More REALTORS® are using social networking for their business than ever before, according to data in a recent report released by the Center for REALTOR® Technology (CRT).

The study, conducted in June, found that 84 percent of 1,189 respondents use some sort of social networking tools, a significant increase from 33 percent in 2008. Twenty-eight percent say they are comfortable with it and another 27 percent are somewhat comfortable.

The most popular Web site was Facebook, with 76 percent saying they use the site, followed by LinkedIn with 58 percent. Other popular sites include Twitter, ActiveRain, RealTown, Flickr and Talk.REALTOR.com.

The vast majority –76 percent of those surveyed — say they are looking to engage with consumers through social media sites. The report also shows that REALTORS® use social networking to connect with other REALTORS®, REALTOR® organizations, real estate vendors, and family and friends. Read more

Authenticity and the Social Web

By Brian Summerfield, Online Editor, REALTOR® Magazine

In the September issue of REALTOR® magazine, we’re bringing you a cover story on the realities of doing business on the “social Web” — i.e., the vast array of sites that allow people to communicate, collaborate, and network online. Our aim for that article is to help you sift through the constantly changing tools, terms, and techniques in social media and uncover some core characteristics of this extraordinary new virtual world.

One of the more significant bits of advice that I came across in my research and writing was the importance of being genuine. To use social media successfully, you have to be yourself. This sounds easy, but there’s always a temptation to project an image of yourself that overstates your abilities or experience, or perhaps alters your demeanor to fit a potential client’s perception of an ideal real estate professional. 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

Market Yourself on Social Media!

By Brian Summerfield, Online Editor, REALTOR® Magazine

A couple of weeks ago, I had the good fortune to sit in on a session held here in Chicago for the new Certified Social Media Marketer (CSM) credential. Developed late last year by Bill Lublin and the team at the Social Media Marketing Institute, it aims to help professionals promote themselves via online networks.

Lublin started devising this designation when he noticed a gap between enthusiasm for using social media for business and an actual understanding of how to do this effectively. A couple of points that real estate pros need to know as they think about how to use social networks to sell themselves and their services are: Read more

Using Social Media to Get Ahead in the Business

How can you use social media to reach out to your clients in the real estate business? More than 100 real estate pros met today in Chicago for the RE Bar Camp to brainstorm ways to better leverage social media for their business. Watch the video below to hear how some attendees are using social media. Also, check out the article Smart Ideas for Better Social Networking to glean more ideas from the conference.

Top Five Daily News Stories Last Week

By Brian Summerfield, Online Editor, REALTOR® Magazine

Events at this year’s NAR Midyear Legislative Meetings dominated the Daily News last week: Read more