I do have a Social Networking Business Plan. It's pretty simple really, and I don't confuse "social" social networking with "business" social networking. Like all of you, I do run a business, and my social networking plan directs my efforts to those aspects that can grow my business. Sometimes I wander, but not often. There are far too many things out there that are just "time wasters."
It's cute to Tweet but I don't believe that you'll find any agent who can tell you that they derive most of their business from Twitter. Same with Facebook, Linked In, Yammer, MySpace, etc. I'm talking about solid leads, or solid referrals that actually generate business.
The two solid performers for me are, my websites with IDX, and Active Rain. It's taken a while for me to get the "hyper local" benefit of Active Rain but I'll be devoting more of my efforts towards the Localism side.
Don't get me wrong, Social Networking sites do have a place in a business plan, just not as the primary focus. Not yet anyway. That may change several years down the road but right now, I don't believe that you can measure their effectiveness in any meaningful way. If you have that extra hour you should devote it to a good local content blog, or your website. Who really cares that you just ordered a double latte at Starbucks, in a 140 characters.
The ones who are going to put money in your pocket are the ones who do a "real estate search" on Google, or any of the other search engines. If you don't show up high in the results, nobody is going to care that you have a thousand followers on Twitter, or eight hundred friends on Facebook.
In real estate, everything you do to attract clients works, to a degree. As a business owner, your efforts should be concentrated on those activities that can generate the most business. I love Twitter and Facebook, but for my business, right now they have to take a back seat. I am there to some degree, because I don't want to be late to the party if their effectiveness in driving leads ever changes.
If you want to follow me on the Twitter link below, please do. Just keep your expectations low :)
Richard Iarossi, REALTOR®
Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc.
Crofton, MD 21114
410-451-6255 Office
443-995-9595 Cell
Web: http://www.RichSellsHomes.com
eMail: Rich@RichSellsHomes.com
Annapolis MD Real Estate Specialist
Bowie MD Real Estate Specialist
Crofton MD Real Estate Specialist
©2009 - RichSellsHomes, All Rights Reserved
Rich Iarossi is a full time licensed REALTOR®, working in Crofton, MD. My coverage areas are: Anne Arundel, Prince George’s, Howard, Calvert, Queen Anne, and Baltimore City and County. I specialize in residential real estate, working with both buyers and sellers. Use the registration free search on my website at www.RichSellsHomes.com. If you’re not already working with a REALTOR®...I can help. Call me at 443-995-9595 (Cell) or 410-451-6255 (Office).
SKYPE ME: RichSellsHomes
Social networking can be fun. ActiveRain will help us generate commission income.
I'm with you 100%...
Now, I would love to hear if there is any real estate agent out there who's business leads have primarily originated from social networks...
You are correct. While social networks are great for connected with people, AR and my websites connect me with CUSTOMERS!
Featured in the Group "Square Pegs"
Richard,
Great Post. I agree with you social networking has yet to be proven in terms of creating consistent business.
Thanks for sharing.
Matt Naumann
Richard, I agree with you AR is the best for Realtors and Localism is actually starting to give me a presence in my community.
Good post Richard. AR and my blog have been the most powerful tools for us so far. I will say that Facebook has brought in many clients as well.
Ditto Richard, LOL I am here from your tweet.
My blogs and IDX Search site bring the most business. Social media is great for making new friends, contacts and staying in touch but so far not really money in my pocket.
Richard - I am glad that you wrote this because it is exactly the conclusion that I have reached. I have gotten solid leads from my posts on Active Rain and our website. When I have time, I get face to face or tweet, but most of the time is spent in writing good content.
Richard, I couldn't agree with you more. Real estate is a business and sometimes we tend to forget that when it comes to social networking.
I am glad you pointed this out. I never thought about it that way. So, that means I dont necessarily have a social media business plan, although I simply just hook up my A|R with my Tweets and from my Tweets, they are tied to my facebook.
I have people in my SOI who would just walk up to me and say, I'm interested in this house and hope that you could represent me in this transaction.
Roy, That's what it's all about. Do you want to make money or do you want to have fun?
Toula, There are agents who have gotten a lead from Twitter or Facebook. I just don't believe that those avenues generate enough to survive.
Richard, Not a surprise there. Better than most, you put your efforts where they make the most sense.
Matt, Someday maybe, but they haven't matured enough yet.
Caren, The power of AR is pretty awesome, if we use it correctly.
Jared, Wow. You seem to be the exception if you say Facebook has brought in "many" clients.
Missy, It all works together but my point is to put the emphasis on what actually works for your business.
Joan, When we separate our fun stuff from our work stuff we do better.
Mike, Thanks. It is important to remember that we have to do it all as business owners.
Lorena, That's all great if people "remember" you from Twitter and Facebook. When they do a search though, it's the website and Active Rain that generates results.
A great post Richard. We definately have to keep all of these networking sites in perspective. It is easy to get caught up in one or another and wonder where your time went.
Yup...you've got it. AR and website with IDX are my two biggest. Yes we've got the others but they're secondary. Fun but I'm not sure how much biz folks do on FB, T , L etc. Some folks swear the do? Would be interesting to find out who it's working for & why? If it is........
Good post!
Richard, Sounds like a good plan to me. I do use social media quite a bit in my business plan... Congrats on the Feature...
I actually receive more business from Facebook than any of my other online netowrking efforts. My Facebook is a mix of business and personal.
Richard,
I'm here to build business but I also insist on having fun in business too. AR provides a great platform for me to reach potential clients and enjoy myself.
Well-deserved star!
I agree with your post. My social media sites utilize the "net" method, throwing it out to to warm up leads and get periodic leads. Social media is mostly for me a format to keep in touch and keep relationships active. My website and AR are by far my top producing sites.
I get lots of leads from my website with IDX. I don't know how they find me because I can't find me on the search engines, but they do. I wish I could see how, so I could improve it. I'm fairly new to social networking (less than a year). I've learned a lot and it is possible I've been found through Active Rain, I just don't know for sure.
Twitter shows up on Google (and I suppose other search engines too.) Facebook does not... have no clue whether LinkedIn does... I wrote a social media plan back in 2007 and have stuck with it... for the most part... doesn't mean I don't sign up for the latest thing, but I am still focused on blogging because if I was just tweeting for the same thing to show up on Google (and I suppose other search engines) I'd be spamming.
ActiveRain works great for local blogging for me.
Keeping up with local tweets is important to me.
I don't have time for all the stuff right now. Just trying to concentrate on selling homes.
Richard,
Great points................too often we race through the interweb, grabbing bits here and pieces there....only to discover that NO ONE can do it all..................there is a place for most of it........discovering that place takes time............
It does take time to do all this social network stuff. While I think i'ts good to do, within reason, everything in moderation, i believe. I too would like to see if any Realtor has gotten a serious amount of serious leads from all this social media connection! Hmmm
patricia
^ Social media is actually too new (and too misunderstood) to really say with a definitive YES or NO as to how much business it has brought or will bring.
I'm sure that a lot of people ten years ago felt that websites were a novelty, a nice touch, but not a necessity...
As Maureen said, Twitter shows up in Google, which is why I try to tweet something local at least once or twice a day.
This is marketing and it should be a part of the business plan. So many Realtors don't do it this way, so I think lotys of time is wasted in a head long pursuit of something that is not coherent, and doesn't havethe tracking ability. I agree with you compeltely on IDX, and although Active Rain is not at the center for me, it is very important. Glad your strategy works for you.
I agree 100%, it is good to have a profile on all the social media networks( it can become overwhelming) but Active rain and my websites have driven the majority of my business. In addition I would like to add that nothing beats face to face meeting, networking at events has and will probably be the best form of advertising.
I enjoy keeping up with family and friends via Facebook, but I'm not using it much for business as others are doing.
My website and blogs are my online marketing aspect for my business, especially since I'm not a heavy listing agent.
I think we are all pioneers in this new territory of social networking. I appreciate hearing what works and what doesn't work from fellow Realtors. I agree from a business standpoint that it should be part of an overall business plan. Right now I am just dipping my fingers into it all which is, I think, the best way to learn what will or will not work for me.
Richard,
Great points. We believe social media is a secondary stage of building your presence on the web, and it is important in a marketing plan. The web site is firsst, and we too are delighted with results from Active Rain.
What is becoming clear is that you have to be the Google of your marketplace and not worry about being #1 on Google. Wishing you continued success
It's still to early for me to tell. I haven't gotten any business from my social networking sites, but that doesn't mean that I won't; just as I have not yet received any business from my blogging, but I am certain that I will. However, I do think that it is important to have a focused plan for how to use all of these new mediums to attract business.
Richard: Thank you. I think you summed it up well when you said it's important to keep plugging. Or something to that effect! The key is to treat our livelihood as a profession and a business. If we're waking up every day and asking ourselves the question "how can I successfully market my business today?", we'll be in good shape. Thanks again!
ActiveRain, the real estate network, is fully integrated into my business plan.
Real estate can be a very social business.
Maureen, it's good to know that Twitter shows up on Google, while FB does not. I'm pretty new to all.
I just started focusing more on my social networking. ActiveRain is becoming a more integral part of my business. I have an extensive background in technology and know for sure it has helped my business. Its a process that will take its time. I am not a big fan of twitter (I do have an account), but like you dont think its important to tweet about your double latte. My opinion is this, out of sight out of mind. From Facebook to Blackberry, you need to be in the peoples face.
I don't believe that Social networking itself can generate substantial Real Estate business. It works well as a venue for promotion of blogs or IDX sites though. Maybe, a new format or great idea of how to get more business from social sites is still coming?
I am finding Facebook a great way to stay connected with past clients so that I am still in their minds for repeat business and referrals. We also have a company Facebook presence that offers a good way to include articles about real estate & community events. But so far actual new business is coming more from Active Rain (particularly Localism).
Hi Richard....Great Points about social net working sites, I think of them as Bulletin Boards and post advice,tips, property listing and Open houses, and articles I feel I would like to share... I post on Twitter and then the post goes automatically into my Facebook, my AR and web site blogs go to Twitter, so you see doing this can be simplified..Hint Twitter has a search engine..people are watching you.
Yes Active Rain is a must place to be and keeping your web site(s) up todate are a must, social media is just another tool in our Bag to help us with listings and selling, They say nobody under 30 uses email...they use Twitter or use Facebook where they invite who they want..of delete them for good.
Cheers, thanks for sharing and congratulations on your Gold Star:O)
I agree that "most" of our referrals don't come from social networking sites - neither Facebook or ActiveRain. Our best source has been an email campaign sent directly to agents. But we've closed on two deals in the past month that wouldn't have happened without Facebook!
I agree with you. A younger generation may reap more from the social networking, but I still like talking on the phone and face to face.
Kathy
Richard, my plan is pretty much just like yours. I would guess it depends also on your area. In my twitter local area there are not many people to connect with. Twitter or Facebook have not brought me business but my website, blog and Active Rain have.
whew! im glad you posted this,lol i've been breaking my neck trying to settle into the tweeterverse,lol
Some good points - However, as an Active Broker in San Diego I can honestly tell you that I know many Realtors generating a consistent amount of quality buyer/seller clients from social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter & Linkedin).... In fact I would say that Social Network sites have become the new "prospecting". However, these are only nice additions to our IDX sites; afterall, clients want to look at home pictures, pictures and more pictures.
YET.... I have never actually met anyone that has closed deals or generate quality leads from their AR activity :( I continue to ask my AR community what they are doing to attract buyers & sellers and to-date not one AR member has responded.....
So at the risk of thinking conspiracy - I have to wonder, is there some special AR group that is getting all of the leads generated from the tremendous amount of valuable content posted by the 150K + AR members? When I read these posts about how many deals/referrals, etc... one is getting it feels a bit like the Ed McMahon Sweepstakes Winners, you know the ones that get the knock at the door and are presented with the HUGE Sweepstakes Check. Has anyone ever met one of these winners?
Or is simply that myself and every other AR Realtor I know are posting in the wrong channels/groups, etc...
Any help would be appreciated :)
Social Networking sites are about getting your NAME out there. It helps you in the search rankings and helps you broadcast your information. BLOGS are for connecting with your target audiance. Both are relivent but for the big bang for your buck, you are right, blogs like the ones on active rain are best! Thanks for the blog post! Check out my blog at www.thecoloradogirlblog.com where you can find great info about customer service ideas and online marketing ideas.
Great post...I avoided Facebook, MySpace, etc. for years until I attended a recent webinar about Mortgage Originators who were using Facebook to generate business...
What I found is that I was spending more time connecting with long lost friends and less attempting to generate business.
I have taken Facebook out of my business plan and now focus on ActiveRain for social networking. While it may not directly lead to new business the advice, support and information gathered on this site will certainly lead to new business.
Richard, I always think of all forms of networking as casting a net out there and see what fish you bring in. It can come from any direction but targeted at real estate prospects if that is what you want in your net is the information you should bait your hook with.
What I have found with social networking is the business that it brings in is the repeat client and referral from past clients. So many people get the sale and move on. this is a good way to keep up with your database in a quick easy way. they stay informed and you don't need to spend too much energy on it.
It seems like in today's information age we need to spread our net wide. Social networking helps us with that. Being in primarily a 2nd home market, you never know where your next buyer will come from. And of course, old school techniques, like sitting OPEN HOUSE, have their place when you are on an island in the middle of the sea. I have fun socializing with twitter and facebook, just like i have fun socializing in person. Time will tell what the ROI from the time spent really is.
Hi Richard
Outstanding post and information, social and face to face network is critical a real estate professionals success.
Good luck and success.
Lou Ludwig
Social Networking is a good way to get back in touch and stay in touch with many people you may not have. Its good to keep in touch to keep your business in the back of peoples minds.
Richard, thanks for sparking disucssion about how real estate folks are using social media -- and their expectations for that use. Missy's and Lenn's comments are amusing - and telling. We all are finding our own ways to integrate social media and revisiting the plan periodically so we find the best balance and ROI.
Social Networking online or offline is very much the same. SOI is extremely important in this business and produces the greatest amount of leads and referrals. Get to know people in any medium you chose and then become the expert real estate resource for them without turning them off and the leads will come.
Rich - I don't know that you will find anyone who is deriving the majority of their business from Twitter or not, but I am thankful to have recruited two of my best agents there! It's just another tool in the arsenal.
I know if you go to http://search.twitter.com/advanced you can search your town name and the keywords relocation, transfer, moving, relocating, and I came up with one lead just by doing this search. Then I tweet replied to the gal and am trying to cultivate a relationship with this prospect.
Thanks everyone for your comments. I think that most agree that Social Networking alone isn't quite mature enough to sustain a business like real estate. That being said, most also agree that it's a great add-on effort to a website with IDX and blogging. It's here and it's probably not going away so let's learn how to use it effectively.
The one or two who are getting a lot of business from Facebook...congratulations! In the spirit of Active Rain blogging, let us know how you're doing it in a post.
It's your business, do whatever you have to to make it work for you.
Social networking is everything, and ActiveRain is one of the best tools Ive found for this.
At REBAR Camp Philly, I actually did meet agents who generate business through Twitter. I don't have time to do any more than pop in occasionally, and I treat it like Activerain in the sense that I do what's comfortable... I don't force it. If something comes from it, great - if not, that's okay too.
I did just start a business page on Facebook and already are amazed at the people who are joining the page... people I don't know. I plan on using that to update market stats, new listings, real estate only related posts ... and think it will be worth it.
The two solid performers for me are, my websites with IDX, and Active Rain.
Hi Richard,
You've got a powerful one-two punch. You have a good plan in place. I'll follow you on Twitter, but please don't expect much from me either! :)
Thanks for the reminder as to where to spend my time! I'm back in the business after a year away, and there are only so many hours in the day for all those sites!
Tucson Dawn
Hey Richard ~ truer words were never written. Thanks for reminding me. One tends to get a bit confused at times, with all of the sites available.
No mention by anyone of Listing Syndication as a source for leads from the major classifieds? Surely Google Base, Trulia, Craigslist etc are at least as good sources for leads as your website. Plus if you embed your property search, stream your blog posts, and add information about yourself in the published listings that are syndicated to these classifieds you can achieve branding and "search engine love" that is not possible with any other means, and the cost is minimal, when compared with marketing using keywords.
Gabe Gross, RealBird
I agree whole heartedly!
I agree with your post; I don't really see the benefits of Twitter yet although I have heard from some agents they have received business and closings from it. It's about balance, I can see how Social Media can be a complete time sucker if not used wisely.
I see social networking as the future. I had stopped advertising in the papers and magazines many years ago. I concentrated on direct sphere of influence and webmarketing. Now I have added social networking. As years go by many changes will happen, mostly they come on slowly. There is a learning curve. I take it all in, weed out the junk, and move with the times.
I can still remember some older agents saying what a waste a website was. Wow, they were wrong! We should look to see what the twenty and thirty year olds are expecting, they are our furture clients and we need to connect to them in their way. My older clients still receive mail, but I rarely work with people that do not have email at the very least. I love texting, email and have come to like Linkedin and Facebook.
That being said, personal contact is still nessasary and a hand written note is still a great way to say Thank you!
Good points, Richard. I think Facebook is more soft selling. As long as people know what you do and how you can help, you may be an option when there is a need.
As for twitter, I'm not sure it does anything in our business yet. I'd be interested to see how people are using it to attract clients.
Good points, Richard. I think Facebook is more soft selling. As long as people know what you do and how you can help, you may be an option when there is a need.
As for twitter, I'm not sure it does anything in our business yet. I'd be interested to see how people are using it to attract clients.
Hi Richard,
This is a great post to read. The comments are diverse and interesting. I fully agree that websites with IDX and high search engine rankings are the best. Active Rain keeps you up there in rankings too. I love Facebook but honestly it is connecting me with long lost friends on the other side of the country. Out of curiosity how many websites do you have?
Thanks again,
Kelly
Hi Rich,
Great post. I,like yourself, am using Social Media to get my name out there so that I will be there when people start to use it more for business purposes. I'm a proponent of face-to-face, but most of my leads come from referrals and an occasional ActiveRain.
I don't Twitter, Facebook, or MySpace, and I have no plans to start anytime soon. I have enough yo-yos spamming me through ActiveRain and my web site, so I don't need any Twits twitting me, or following me, or befriending me, or whatever. I'm out to work while I'm physically and mentally fit so that I'll have enough money when I'm no longer physically or mentally fit to work to keep me off of the public social security rolls.
I have found Facebook very useful in the past few months for connecting with old friends and have actually picked up some business from it but it is only a cog in the wheel of success. Twitter is confounding to me and seems like shooting into a crowd. I am new to AR and wish someone would hip me to some of the advantages they have seen. I am in a very rural area with a 50,000 acre lake that attracts a lot of visitors(Kerr/Buggs Island Lake in Southern Va. ). Everyone else is in uban markets from what I see here and I wonder how this would benefit me. Anybody ?
Being a Realtor is about being part of the community, isn't it?
Like it or not, Twtter, Facebook et al are communities. Stay away from them if you like but remember the people who post there all live somewhere and they will likely move somewhere else at some point in time. If they know me and know I'm a Realtor - how is that a bad thing?
In the four months or so that I've been working Twitter on a structured basis, I now communicate regularly with several (off the top of my head, I'd say it's probably 5) local people who did not know I existed.
One of them is job searching and I sent a couple of job leads to him via Twitter. One has a website selling some very cool personalized items and I sent her two customers. I would do the same whether I met these folks online or at a community barbecue. I've been back and forth with one person about High Def Television recommendations. He was very helpful.
I had 100+ hits on my Wordpress Blog in June that originated from Twitter or Facebook.
On Facebook, I have reconnected with a ton of people that I have not spoken with since I went into this business a few years ago. I did get one buyer referral from one of them and I am currently showing them 500K houses.
I am also currently working a buyer referral from a contact in Linkedin - this one for a luxury lakefront home.
I'm very happy to get new people to talk to about Real Estate - whether they come from the 125 piece mailing I did to the neighbors of the open house I'm hosting this Sunday or from floor duty, or from Social Networking. They're all people and they all are part of the community. I will reach out to as many people as I can in as many ways as I can -- but hey -- that's just me.
Hi Richard,
Activerain and my own website have consistently brought me solid leads in my niche market. I connect with old friends, and past clients whom have become friends in my past deals on Facebook. I don't use Fb so much for business, but rather a means to keep in touch in an informal way, also a way of finding out what they are up to from their Fb status and photo updates, and let them know that I am still in business. I am still exploring Twitter and LinkedIn to get more web presence.
I tend to think that it may be a mistake to separate online social networking from live networking. Networking is networking. The online social networking is part of my approach and I think it would be a mistake to neglect it. I think this debate is a little unproductive because I believe that agents should try to reach people in the way that they are best at. Do a little of what you don't like and more of what you're better at. We don't all have to approach things in the same way.
Great post, Richard. Buyers are interested in listings - it is this simple. They don't care how great I am as a real estate agent. Just my two cents.
"Great floods have flown from simple sources." William Shakespeare
Another great post about priorities and what we really want to accomplish. I spend so much time working on the computer I don't want much to do with it at the end of the day.
"Buyers are interested in listings - it is this simple."
Jana - three thoughts on that comment.
1. That may be true in the "heat of the moment" when someone is actively looking to begin looking for a house. Having said that however, once they find the listing on your IDX link and call you about it is there nothing special or great that you do for them that would make them sing your praises? If not, then exactly what is it that justifies your co-broke?
2. Are you only interested in speaking with people who are short term buyers - like right now? What about all the other people who will be looking to buy or sell in 3 months, or next year - or the year after? If you can connect with them well before they become buyers, they may sign up with you before they go surfing for the Realtor with the best IDX link.
3. They don't need us to find listings. Generally speaking all IDX information is the same. If you spend time and/or money constantly on multiple sites and SEO yours may come up first and you capture the buyers but there are going to be just as many folks who do a differently worded search and find another Realtor. If you differentiate yourself as being a great Realtor, people will come directly to you.
I think buyers are entitled to a lot more from an agent than just listings.
Rich, great points. Stay with where you get the most business and leads and stay 'present' in the others. I am assuming that you've just started dabbling in Localism and I've been working at it for some time. They've let the ball drop a few times on AR but that shouldn't stop you from presenting yourself as the expert in a particular community. All you have to do is start! Today is a good day, right?
GOOD MORNING RICH! You wrote this perfectly and it's refreshing to read something tha gets me off the hook for putting my effort into things that are working for my business and playing on the other sites when I have time! -- Gabrielle
With Facebook what you should be doing is using it as a tool to stay in contact with your sphere. I have gotten direct business from Facebook, have gotten many of my friends to go on there and they see my regular posts which keeps me at the forefront of their minds for real estate. I don't push real estate down people's throats, but it's more of a venue for building relationships and those relationships lead to more loyal clients. It's all connected, socializing at your local clubs, meeting new people when you're out, having a decent website where people can search, blogging, and facebooking. Facebook doesn't have to take a lot of time either, just block all the apps and stay up on people's status and comment on them when appropriate. When your focus is first-time buyers, you need to be where they are which is the clubs and Facebook in my opinion. I don't really get twitter and actually think it's kinda silly for most people (and time consuming to keep up with the "twits").
Facebook should be part of the mix....it is more "local" based....even if some of your "Friends" are out of the region, they probably have roots and contacts in your market. They also have friends and family in the area, to whom they can refer when they get that question, "Do you know anyone in Real Estate....? You can definitely get referrals from FB.
Richard. I agree that there are so many other ways to spend our time much more productively. Some (few) do really profit from Social Networking though.