Brand New Group
Posted in Real Estate Marketing 2.0 By Joel Burslem, Tuesday, February 26, 2008.I wanted this group to be a place where people could post ideas, advice and tips on how they are integrated Web 2.0 technologies into their business.
A couple ideas to kick start the conversation:
Are you blogging?
Are you using social networks?
Have you tried video?
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Submitted by Steven Stearns on February 26, 2008 - 10:13am.
Never has any sales environment required so much nimbleness.
Leads come an instant after you post and you have to stand right there and catch the line drive. If it isn't your lead-get ready to throw a lateral or a long or short forward pass or run it forward to corporate if it is a national account.
Blogging-of course! Outside at blogger with google analytics, and a blog inside activerain.
Social networks! Three or four or five, depending on how you define it-Here at Inman, Wannanetwork, activerain, facebook and twitter.
And we have linked some UGC/video to Obeo tours as an experiment.
Bottom line: I started blogging/networking a year ago in March. Business in my state went up 30% last year. I also attended trade shows and did some calling and some office meetings.
The sheer number of people you can expose a brand name to makes participation mandatory in social media - for any company -because you can enter at many points, watch what works and change your business plan as necessary.
It's not a question of if you will succeed in social media-the question is where and how.
And that will change over time as well.
Steven Stearns
www.obeo.com
http://obeoman.blogspot.com
262-325-8687
Submitted by Steven Stearns on February 26, 2008 - 6:50pm.
...I hope it isn't too painful that so far I am the only comment in here...
Steven Stearns
www.obeo.com
http://obeoman.blogspot.com
262-325-8687
Submitted by Joel Burslem on February 26, 2008 - 9:44pm.
Not at all! We're still experimenting with the new site too!
Submitted by Mott Marvin Kornicki on March 6, 2008 - 10:17am.
Yes to all the above! I have been blogging, using social networks and have tried video as well. Actually, I'm somewhat amazed with the quantity of sites- it is at times overwhelming.
Mott Marvin Kornicki, Broker
Submitted by Kevin Sharkey on March 7, 2008 - 12:48pm.
My focus is a little bit different as I am a broker using blogging, social networking and video to get in front of recruitable real estate agents. So far the results have not been what I would like, as it seems agents seem to be not using these mediums for their own use yet.
I have made some inroads with my own agents but sometimes frustrated by their inability to recognize the change that is upon us. Maybe I just need a bigger hammer.
Submitted by G Dewald | Union Street Media on March 7, 2008 - 2:13pm.
Kevin,
What social media are you using? In which markets and venues? Your challenge seems interesting; more of an HR function than a consumer function.
Maybe you don't need a bigger hammer, just need to find the nails that are ready to be driven.
Are you looking for agents who can/are will to blog? Or is it any agent you're after? Are you tracking your social media marketing efforts?
Submitted by Stacey Pfeifer on March 7, 2008 - 2:26pm.
Hi Kevin,
When you say "So far the results have not been what I would like.." do you mean that your own blogging and social networking isn't really delivering people to your organization ["leads"]?
Do you think that the expectation for results is overly hyped by the [imho rightfully so] excitement behind web 2.0 and maybe the reality is something else entirely for now?
Or do you think that because it is a slow cooking process, like any good relationship, most agents-- by character or necessity perhaps-- are less apt to embrace it? ..if it's not fast, easy and instantly yields leads, well then forget it....
Just wondering myself, so I can gauge what I 'hammer'[or steadily tap] them with! or not... Sometimes the masses are onto something innately intelligent, sometimes really not...
Thanks anyone for your 2 cents on this also..
Stacey
Submitted by Kevin Sharkey on March 8, 2008 - 9:01am.
@ G Dewald and Stacey,
The primary social media I have been using is Facebook, Linkin and Active Rain. So far AR has been able to identify agents in the Minneapolis area better than the other two.
This is a fairly new venture for me, so it is too early to know if it is successful or not. My goal is to meet agents who are more sophisticated and appreciate the potential of web 2.0 concepts. The few agents I have made contact with fit the criteria, so I guess I am least partially successful.
I did manage to recruit and hire a local agent I had met on her blog. I commented on her posts over a period of months and met for coffee one day. She mentioned she may be leaving her brokerage and I asked her to join my company. Social networking got us acquainted, but it still came down to building a personal, face to face relationship.
The bigger problem is that there are relatively few agents using social media for any purpose. I would have hoped for a larger participation by an industry that will greatly benefit from its application.
Even in my own company I have difficulty changing a 1.0 culture to one that believes and uses 2.0 applications. I have a brokers blog that is not widely read. We have an intranet with an agent to agent bulletin board and other social aspects, but again, not widely used.
Change will come, but slowly. Ever so slowly.
Submitted by G Dewald | Union Street Media on March 10, 2008 - 7:52am.
Hey Kevin, before we all hijack this thread I'm going to start a specific thread on "Locating agent talent for Web 2.0." I think everyone might have some great suggestions and thoughts.
Submitted by Lori Turoff on March 10, 2008 - 9:08am.
How about a thread on agents looking for brokers with 2.0 talent? I have encountered the exact opposite problem - I'm blogging, using social networking, getting lots of business as a top Trulia voice, and totally appreciate the value of 2.0 but my broker is living in the stone age. Changing agencies may happen but there aren't many in my market that are any better. Coldwell or Century 21 are the alternatives. To give you an idea of what we are dealing with - my real estate board has not yet implemented IDX. They believe sharing listings will hurt the agents......
Hope to see some good info here and continue to participate.