by Brian Gardner, Special to Realty/Builder Connection
When you work in real estate, it's very important to have an online presence. If you're a real estate agent and you aren't harnessing the power of social media and blogging, you are hurting yourself and your business.
During these economic times, it's important for real estate agents to make themselves known as a credible source in their field, and networking online can make all the difference.
1. Attracting buyers and sellers
As a real estate agent, you can use social networking sites to attract home buyers as well as people who want to sell their homes. While the majority of real estate agents will have honed their skills offline, building a social media presence can lead to more prospective clients finding you and either listing their home with your agency or purchasing a home you represent.
Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and others can help you build your brand while being available to your customers above and beyond the usual. By harnessing the power of social networking sites, you can attract fans and followers that may end up turning into clients.
Social networks can also serve as a venue for enhancing your property listings with high quality photos and comments as well as a real-time way to interact with potential customers who may have questions.
Let's say a potential customer leaves a comment on your Facebook wall looking for a particular type of home. You can respond with links to listings that match what they're searching for, making it easy for them to find what you have to offer.
This is just one example that proves why real estate agents need tools like Facebook to build an online presence. This can increase their potential for more customers while enhancing their business in a real way.
2. Building a credible reputation
When you work in real estate, it's very important that you establish a credible reputation in the industry. When you are viewed as an authority in your field, people are going to be much more likely to turn to you when they need to sell their home or purchase a new one.
One of the best ways to prove yourself as an expert is by starting a blog. With a blog, you are able to share information and advice with prospective homebuyers who feel overwhelmed with the process.
Take care not to inundate your readers with listing after listing, however. While it's perfectly fine to share your listings with fans, you need to find a balance between too much and just enough.
Not every listing will be relevant to every follower, so it's better to use your blog as a way to share industry information that will position you as an expert in your field. This way, you are able to build your brand while sharing useful information.
3. Networking with other real estate professionals
If you use social networks that are specific to the real estate industry, you'll be able to connect with other professionals in the market. By networking with other real estate agents, you'll gain access to potential career-furthering opportunities as well as the ability to learn from other professionals who do what you do.
Other networking sites such as LinkedIn, while not real estate specific, provide ample opportunities for networking with other professionals in your industry.
These types of social networking sites allow real estate agents to connect with other agents in their field and provide a unique way to not only build your brand, but learn and grow with others in the field. If you're serious about building an online presence, networking with other professionals is vitally important.
— Brian Gardner is a national author and speaker. He website is www.briangardner.com.