To all my real-estate agent friends,

I wanted to share with you a huge success story and also pass on an article from consumer guru Seth Godin.  One of the agents I work with came from another industry where social networking was key in developing clients and contacts.

Adjusting that business model to real-estate, this agent immediately started “Facebooking”, “Tweeting”, and “Blogging” about real-estate in her area.

In the last few weeks this agent has been “tweeting” with some prospective clients and simultaneously building rapport.  Last week, one of these contacts listed their $18 million dollar home for sale with this agent.

Obviously this is an extreme example.  However, I think it illustrates how using social networking tools to build relationships is key to succeeding in our in the business of real-estate.  The agent got a great listing, and the client got a great Realtor who will use a plethora of free on-line tools to market the property.

Recently, Seth Godin wrote a great post for companies or individuals who feel left behind on all this social networking jargon.  Attached is his brief post about how to get you and your brand caught up.  His tips are edited for content and relevance as it pertains to our industry:

What if your organization or you yourself has done nothing?

What if you’ve just watched the last fourteen years go by? No real website, no social media, no permission assets. What if now you are ready and need some advice? And, by the way, you have no real cash to spend…

Here’s a list of my top things to consider doing:

1. Use Gmail and Google application to build your brand and track your progress
2. Use a free website creating tool or even Squidoo to build a page about you.  Nothing fancy, but list your locations, your contact information, and make it clear you want to hear from people.
3. Start an email newsletter using Mad Mimi or Mail Chimp.
4. Read 1 book a month on marketing, selling, or interpersonal communication.
5. Post your email address on every invoice, correspondence, or other communication you send out, ask people to write to you with comments or questions.
6. Get a white board and put it where you can view it everyday. On it, have some weekly update: how many people subscribe to your newsletter, how many people visit your website, how many inbound requests come to you by phone versus email, how long it takes you to answer an email and how often your brand goes out on twitter everyday.  These items will directly impact your yearly sales and income goals,
7. Don’t have any meetings about your web strategy. Just do stuff. First you have to fail, then you can improve.
8. Refuse to cede the work to consultants. You don’t outsource your drill press or your bookkeeping or your product design. If you’re going to catch up, you must (all of you) get good at this, and you only accomplish that by doing it.

The problem is no longer budget, the problem is no longer access to tools.

The problem is the will to get good at it.  – SETH GODIN

As always, if you need information on starting a new loan for the purchase or refinance of your home, contact me at trustyourlender@gmail.com