Why every Realtor should be using social media in 2016

          We have all been told at one point or another by a friend, family member, or client; to “Facebook me” or “add me on LinkedIn.” Maybe you have been asked “Are you on Twitter?” or to “follow me on Instagram.” Whether you have heard one of these phrases or all of them, the simple truth behind them is that social media has quickly taken over most of the world. If you are not on some form of social media; you are now considered the overwhelming minority.

          In the last ten years, social media has quickly become the number one source for networking in the entire world. While it may have started out as a simple and fun way to stay in touch with family and friends; it is now one of the key components for establishing a strong business network and growing a successful, quality client database. This is especially true for anyone in the real estate industry.

          A 2015 joint study by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and Google showed that 2 out of 3 people who are looking for a real estate agent are “extensively” researching their agent online before choosing one to work with. These individuals receive a bulk of their information on potential Realtors from social media. A 2015 study conducted by the Pew Research Center showed that 63% of Americans now get their news solely off of Facebook (up from 47% in 2013) and we can safely assume that number is even higher if you include other forms of social media news outlets such as Twitter and LinkedIn.

            Whether you are looking for more buyers, sellers, or both; there are a few key guidelines that you should try to follow while managing your social media account as a Realtor.

1)     Be active! You should be posting daily and often. There is nothing that will turn off a potential client while they are searching for a real estate professional more than that person seeing an inactive account. An inactive account shows laziness and a lack of effort. If you can’t take a few minutes of your day to post a status or link an informative article, what does that say to your clients about your prospective future efforts with representing them with their real estate needs?

2)     Be relevant and informative! Post statuses and links to articles that relate to the real estate field and which are informative about different real estate topics. This shows potential future clients researching your page that you are focused on real estate and that you are serious about what you do. While your friends and family may be interested in what you had for lunch or that you are thinking about buying a puppy; your clients are not.

3)     Be professional! This simply cannot be stressed enough. Always post with a purpose and a clear head. This shows your future clients that you are a true professional and that you will handle their real estate needs in a similar matter. Don’t go on long rants about how “annoyed” you are with a previous client or that you “desperately need a drink” from the long day you had. Again, save this for your personal page, not your business page.

          Following these simple guidelines on social media will help put you ahead of your competition in the real estate industry. However, these guidelines will only help if you are on social media. So if you are not currently on social media; get with the times and ahead of your competition Realtors: get on social media today!