Growing Your Real Estate Business with Social Media Marketing – Some insights
Last week I helped a friend out who is now running training programs for the Real Estate Education Center in New York. I presented to a group of about 40 Manhattan real estate agents on how they can grow their real estate business with social media marketing. We covered the basics. However, before I started I took a quick poll of the room to see how involved (or not) the agents were with some of the major social media sites (forget marketing for the moment).
Here are the results (the counts are estimated by the number of hands in the air)
- Facebook – about half the room
- Twitter – 1 or 2
- LinkedIN – maybe 25% of the room (I might be generous with this one)
- Active Rain – only 1 hand and he had signed up a few days earlier.
The first thing I said was:
"I have a better “online real estate marketing” presence than everyone in the room and I don’t even work in real estate!"
That woke some people up!
The good news was that after the presentation we did some hands-on work setting up Facebook pages for business and tried to get everyone on LinkedIN.
It amazed me that so few people were on LinkedIN. I can understand why they weren’t on the other 3 sites but LinkedIN has been around a while and it is mostly about business networking. Can someone help me understand how you can work in a sales position and not be on LinkedIN?
After the meeting two of the agents did find me on Active Rain so please give some kudos to them for getting started. However, one set his profile up as ‘Manhattan Apartments’, so he gets no love from me…But please say hi and help Aviv Golani see why Active Rain and Social Media Marketing will help his real estate business grow. He is just getting started so feel free to share some of your insights and suggestions with him.
The one question/statement I heard more than once while working one-on-one with some of the agents was:
Why should I sign up for Active Rain if I can do LinkedIN and Facebook? Or Ill sign up for Active Rain after my business picks up. HUH?!
Well as they say,” you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.”
Your quick poll results are very surprising. Out of 40 people the majority don't seem to be embracing the opportunities of Social Networking. Did they all have Websites and what was their marketing plan for acquiring new business?
Sue of Robin and Sue
Unfortunatly, those that don't embrace social networking and the many thousands of places we need to be to show up, are going to be left behind...I am not surprised by your count. I went to a class the other day and when the instructor mentioned Trulia and Zillow many agents leaned over to the next agent and asked what is that? Really? Where have you been?
Robin and Sue - Not only didn't they have their own sites a few of the agents were playing games on their PCs when I entered the office. Talk about a missed opportunity and wasted time.
Suzanne - The person who ran the office wanted to know if I had a list of social media sites he should be on. The people on AR are light years ahead of the average agent.
Featured @ Club Chaos
Can't disagree. This platform has made a huge impact on my business. And it feels like I am accelerating in recruiting, listings, media appearances, and referrals from other members.
CTS - thanks as always for the feature.
J. Philip - Great to hear. Best of luck.
I found your AR post on FB Like buttons, not working with AR in HTML code... any help ? Thanks
David, I am not sure what you are asking. Feel free to email me directly and I will try to help.
Josef-Those numbers really surprised me, I would have thought in a competitive marketplace they would be all over it.
Adrian - you know what they say you can lead a horse to water...