Twitter for Real Estate Agents

Image by Kathy McGraw via Flickr

I have had the pleasure of “meeting” many real estate agents recently on social networking sites LinkedIn and Twitter.  I should point out in advance that I have a positive view of those in real estate; not only is my brother an agent but I have also signed up to get licensed if and when I can find the spare time.

Most recently, I met with my good friend Cari Gilbert and her good friend Lynn Aglipay to discuss how they can use social media to assist in their real estate practice.  One of my So Cal Sushi LinkedIn Group members who often frequents our networking meetings, Inna Ivchenko, is a realtor who is as avid a user on Twitter as she is on LinkedIn.  And finally I have become good Twitter friends with Mike Bowler, another real estate agent.  What is the connection between real estate and social media?  And what are my suggestions for those in real estate who want to delve into social media?  How can real estate agents Windmill Network?  Note that even if you are not a real estate agent the advice is valid for any professional on Twitter so please read on!

First off, no one wants to be sold to in social media.  These are social networking sites that are created to allow people to easily socialize and network with others.  Do I want to network with real estate agents?  To be honest with you, I am more interested in networking with people in industries that I have worked for, and the real estate industry is not one of them.  And I believe this is true for a lot of professionals.  But do I want to meet interesting people who have a lot of knowledge and have stimulating conversations with them?  You bet.  And because real estate agents know their communities better than anyone, have vast experience in a sales function interfacing with lots of different people, and also know a thing or two about financial management, they are people that should be in anyone’s Trusted Network of Advisors.

Why Twitter for Real Estate Agents?  Why not LinkedIn?  LinkedIn is the place to find and be found.  Should a real estate agent connect with everyone on LinkedIn who live in their hometown?  Well, that’s one strategy.  But you ideally want to become friends with those in your network, because people buy from people they like, not just those that they are connected to in a virtual network.  And LinkedIn may not be as conducive for doing such because a lot of people on LinkedIn have a particular purpose for being on the site that may not be social in nature.

Twitter for Real Estate Agents then?  Absolutely! Twitter is all about having interesting conversations with people and taking them offline to develop relationships. It is about providing lots of information and ideas to the community and making friends regardless of profession.  It is a perfect place to brand and differentiate yourself to both add the most value as well as to attract more targeted people that will want to follow you and become your friend.  In other words, Twitter is a great place to make friends with people.  And that should be your goal on any social networking site: to Pay It Forward and make friends. You shouldn’t even be advertising the fact that you are a real estate agent.  You want people to become friends with you because of YOU!

So, with that in mind, here are my top three tips for Twitter for Real Estate Agents:

1. You need to create and implement a Twitter Brand that is totally irrelevant to your real estate profession. Think about it: I think a lot of people are similar to me in thinking that networking with real estate agents provides little value because the feeling is that you just want to sell to us.  That is why you need to create a different brand that will lead people into wanting to get to know you as a person.  Because real estate agents usually sell in a particular city or territory, it makes sense that this brand may be centered around a geography.  But what is your city famous for?  What is your hometown’s brand?  Do you live near a tourist attraction or other famous place?  What is your hobby?  What value or advice can you provide back to the Twitter community?  You want to find a brand that allows you to Pay It Forward, which will naturally result in friendships over time.  And that needs to be your objective.
2. Follow and engage with people who live near you. Search for people who live in nearby cities, follow them if they look interesting, and engage them in conversations.  Network with them.  If something clicks and there is a mutual interest in meeting offline, great.  But your conversations should be revolving around ideas without a mention of your real estate practice.  You are trying to make friends, not customers.  And you should also be looking for ways to Pay It Forward and help them out through your own personal network and knowledge.
3. Attend local tweetups and networking events. But always maintain your brand.  Remember, your brand is not real estate.  You want to become one of someone’s Trusted Network of Advisors revolving around the subject matter expertise that you have that is inherent in your brand.  Become the “go to” person for whatever your brand is about, and you will soon find yourself making friends purely from your social networking activities.  Pay It Forward and always be looking for ways to help people.  It will pay dividends.

Once again, the whole idea of social media and social networking sites like Twitter is to network with people and make friends. It is not to sell to people! But people buy from friends or friends’ friends, and Twitter can and will definitely help you expand your own network and assist you in making new friends.  And even if it doesn’t lead directly to new business, you will be able to meet and hopefully positively influence the lives of many around you.  And that is priceless.