I don't Twitter yet, but I'm probably going to fairly soon. I've heard it described as an "ambient community" and I'm intrigued by that concept but not sure how it translates practically for real estate agents. Any agents out there Twitter and how do you find yourself using this in your business? Do you use Twitter IM screen or mobile app predominantly? Do you use Twhirl or any other app for Twitter and how? Thanks for any comments. I'd like to advise our real estate agents in the future...
Submitted by Paul Eastwood on March 26, 2008 - 12:55pm.
I have reviewed Twitter - its certainly a very clever technology and I can see how it helps to build community and connect you with the world... if you are a teenage girl! (or teenage boy!)
But come on, who reads this stuff? who cares what you or I do on a minute by minute basis... this is getting crazy. I just can't handle that amount of constant information. I also can't imagine sharing this type of sensitive personal information (such as my ongoing minute by minute whereabouts or activities or actions or thoughts) with the world at large..
Maybe if you boil it down to its core service, i.e. as a delivery mechanism for small bursts of information, then maybe someone can come up with a useful application.
If you can show a real business benefit as it applies to our industry, then I'm all ears.
Hi Paul-- I've been leaning that way for a while relative to its use for agents. Victor gives some solid ideas in his blog post tho. I wanted to consider it more as so many re bloggers seem to use it and I guess it hit a tipping point for me with how it is used at conferences now. Maybe someone can illuminate with real life examples...
I use Twitter to post my thoughts on various topics more often than "I'm waiting for the bus" or other mundane things.
My subscribers are, for the most part, in related fields (marketing, web development, business intelligence) so I use it more for sharing ideas in a more informal way.
For tech, I use an online twitter site that is optimized for my iPod. I rarely log in via an actual computer.
Since the technology isn't "push" like a text message (which notifies you when something new happens) I don't think twitter would be a good use of up-to-the-minute requests. But it could work well to keep your agents in the loop with general thoughts and happenings.
Thanks G. I like the idea of using it for an agent's team updates. And it's clear I will simply need to jump in and do it myself and tune in to the @thetwitterdimensionofexistance
Thanks for all of your thoughtful posts to the Inman Communities too..
Twitter can be good, but you must be terse and write your msg out and edit it down to the 150 characters they allow for it to be good. If you have something LONG to say, just say. "Go See new, cost-saving plan at www.whatever.com/deal"
and let them go get details elsewhere.
I just posted THIS today:
----------------------------
Deb4RE--- Today showing RE client how to cut $200,000 in interest pyts off his $5k mortgage in only three years by new accel. mgt pyt prog.
--------------------------------------------
I wanted people who were intrigued to comment back to me so I could tell them more OUTSIDE of Twitter, and send them more links.
So, I think Twitter should be treated like a billboard...write your benefits-laden HEADLINE and give a teeny bit of detail that's enticing.
Then give a URL or wait for people to contact you through Twitter or another comment and ask you what you are talking about if they are interested.
There are no dumb social networking sites; people have invested too much thought, time and money into putting those on the web for us to be able to second-guess them as being silly.
It is for us to figure out how WE can TAKE ADVANTAGE of sites like Twitter to help us get more business, especially for us Real Estate agents. For info on real estate inOrange County, CA and to search the OC MLS, visit my 700-page web site at www.DebbieFerrari.com or, my husband's marketing web site for marketing tips at www.Koelzer.com
Debbie Ferrari, "The Internet Broker"
****For South Orange County, CA****
Search the Local MLS Right from My Giant Web Site at: http://www.debbieferrari.com
E-mail: Debbie@DebbieFerrari.com
CALL ME TOLL FREE: 888-547-2942
Reach Me All Day Long---
Re:
"There are no dumb social networking sites; people have invested too much thought, time and money into putting those on the web for us to be able to second-guess them as being silly."
I tend to agree. When I first heard of Twitter about 10 months ago or so, it was not in the context of my work with real estate agents, so I really wanted to know about all the different ways they/you find it useful.
Your practical approach with the focused headline concept will probably be a great one for some of my agents to start with.
I bet the use of it also shape-shifts as you conform to its peculiar qualities...like living part-time in a semi-virtual dimension. I guess I'll see!
I just started out on Twitter a few weeks ago, not really understanding the whole thing or the purpose. And while I can't yet say that I understand the whole thing, I must say it has been useful to connect to others in the Real Estate circle. I've started to make connections with people on Twitter that I've seen on other blogs (ActiveRain, Inman, and many more).
Getting connected is always a good thing in my book!
If I've forgotten any links in there please let me know and I'll add them. It's got stuff for beginners, advanced stuff and a few examples of how people are using it. Ultimately I'd like for it to be a decent resource page.
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Submitted by Paul Eastwood on March 26, 2008 - 12:55pm.
I have reviewed Twitter - its certainly a very clever technology and I can see how it helps to build community and connect you with the world... if you are a teenage girl! (or teenage boy!)
But come on, who reads this stuff? who cares what you or I do on a minute by minute basis... this is getting crazy. I just can't handle that amount of constant information. I also can't imagine sharing this type of sensitive personal information (such as my ongoing minute by minute whereabouts or activities or actions or thoughts) with the world at large..
Maybe if you boil it down to its core service, i.e. as a delivery mechanism for small bursts of information, then maybe someone can come up with a useful application.
If you can show a real business benefit as it applies to our industry, then I'm all ears.
Submitted by Victor Lund on March 26, 2008 - 3:58pm.
We have done some positioning for Twitter for real estate.
Check our our blog at http://waves.wavgroup.com/twitterstate-twitter-for-real-estate-professio...
Victor Lund
Partner
WAV Group
http://waves.wavgroup.com
http://www.wavgroup.com
Submitted by Stacey Pfeifer on March 26, 2008 - 4:26pm.
Victor-- thank you. excellent Twitter post and extremely thorough and helpful for me. Much appreciated!
Submitted by Stacey Pfeifer on March 26, 2008 - 5:05pm.
Hi Paul-- I've been leaning that way for a while relative to its use for agents. Victor gives some solid ideas in his blog post tho. I wanted to consider it more as so many re bloggers seem to use it and I guess it hit a tipping point for me with how it is used at conferences now. Maybe someone can illuminate with real life examples...
Submitted by Stacey Pfeifer on March 26, 2008 - 5:37pm.
well, i just checked my feeds and opened to Joel's post: Using Twitter to Listen to Your Customers
http://www.futureofrealestatemarketing.com/using-twitter-to-listen-to-yo...
need to dig into it more, but seems like there are some promising ideas there. Thanks, Joel!
Submitted by G Dewald | Union Street Media on March 31, 2008 - 7:51am.
I use Twitter to post my thoughts on various topics more often than "I'm waiting for the bus" or other mundane things.
My subscribers are, for the most part, in related fields (marketing, web development, business intelligence) so I use it more for sharing ideas in a more informal way.
For tech, I use an online twitter site that is optimized for my iPod. I rarely log in via an actual computer.
Since the technology isn't "push" like a text message (which notifies you when something new happens) I don't think twitter would be a good use of up-to-the-minute requests. But it could work well to keep your agents in the loop with general thoughts and happenings.
Submitted by Stacey Pfeifer on March 31, 2008 - 4:12pm.
Thanks G. I like the idea of using it for an agent's team updates. And it's clear I will simply need to jump in and do it myself and tune in to the @thetwitterdimensionofexistance
Thanks for all of your thoughtful posts to the Inman Communities too..
Submitted by Debbie Ferrari on April 2, 2008 - 2:45pm.
Twitter can be good, but you must be terse and write your msg out and edit it down to the 150 characters they allow for it to be good. If you have something LONG to say, just say. "Go See new, cost-saving plan at www.whatever.com/deal"
and let them go get details elsewhere.
I just posted THIS today:
----------------------------
Deb4RE--- Today showing RE client how to cut $200,000 in interest pyts off his $5k mortgage in only three years by new accel. mgt pyt prog.
--------------------------------------------
I wanted people who were intrigued to comment back to me so I could tell them more OUTSIDE of Twitter, and send them more links.
So, I think Twitter should be treated like a billboard...write your benefits-laden HEADLINE and give a teeny bit of detail that's enticing.
Then give a URL or wait for people to contact you through Twitter or another comment and ask you what you are talking about if they are interested.
There are no dumb social networking sites; people have invested too much thought, time and money into putting those on the web for us to be able to second-guess them as being silly.
It is for us to figure out how WE can TAKE ADVANTAGE of sites like Twitter to help us get more business, especially for us Real Estate agents. For info on real estate inOrange County, CA and to search the OC MLS, visit my 700-page web site at www.DebbieFerrari.com or, my husband's marketing web site for marketing tips at www.Koelzer.com
Debbie Ferrari, "The Internet Broker"
****For South Orange County, CA****
Search the Local MLS Right from My Giant Web Site at:
http://www.debbieferrari.com
E-mail: Debbie@DebbieFerrari.com
CALL ME TOLL FREE: 888-547-2942
Reach Me All Day Long---
Submitted by Stacey Pfeifer on April 3, 2008 - 5:07pm.
Hi Debbie- thanks for your detailed comment!
Re:
"There are no dumb social networking sites; people have invested too much thought, time and money into putting those on the web for us to be able to second-guess them as being silly."
I tend to agree. When I first heard of Twitter about 10 months ago or so, it was not in the context of my work with real estate agents, so I really wanted to know about all the different ways they/you find it useful.
Your practical approach with the focused headline concept will probably be a great one for some of my agents to start with.
I bet the use of it also shape-shifts as you conform to its peculiar qualities...like living part-time in a semi-virtual dimension. I guess I'll see!
Submitted by Candis Hidalgo - Online Real Estate Marketing on April 3, 2008 - 5:41pm.
I just started out on Twitter a few weeks ago, not really understanding the whole thing or the purpose. And while I can't yet say that I understand the whole thing, I must say it has been useful to connect to others in the Real Estate circle. I've started to make connections with people on Twitter that I've seen on other blogs (ActiveRain, Inman, and many more).
Getting connected is always a good thing in my book!
Submitted by Jay Thompson on April 3, 2008 - 6:38pm.
Anyone on Twitter is welcome to follow me! @PhoenixREGuy
Post you Twitter ID and I'll follow you
Jay Thompson
Broker / Owner
Thompson's Realty
Blog: www.PhoenixRealEstateGuy.com
.
Submitted by John Lauber on April 3, 2008 - 7:39pm.
Feel free to follow me, too.
@JohnLauber is my Twitter ID.
John Lauber
Submitted by G Dewald | Union Street Media on April 4, 2008 - 7:49am.
@gahlord
Submitted by Victor Lund on April 4, 2008 - 7:50am.
Victor Lund
Partner
WAV Group
http://waves.wavgroup.com
http://www.wavgroup.com
Submitted by G Dewald | Union Street Media on April 28, 2008 - 2:43pm.
This post made the Inman News today which reminded me to put a link to the Twitter for Real Estate Roundup here.
If I've forgotten any links in there please let me know and I'll add them. It's got stuff for beginners, advanced stuff and a few examples of how people are using it. Ultimately I'd like for it to be a decent resource page.
G. Dewald | Union Street Media | USM Blog
Submitted by StaceyN on May 23, 2008 - 12:19am.
Mat be this will be useful for those who still does not know how to use Twitter and how to benefit with it.
Online Marketing Specialist
PropertyMinder
www.PropertyMinder.com
800-743-5820