Buying and selling a house is a big event for anyone to take and they want to know that the people they work with are going to be fair, knowledgeable, and trustworthy. This is why so many buyers and sellers go back to the same agent that helped them before. They have experience with that person and know that they are going to be treated in a professional manner when they buy or sell their next house.
But the question becomes, how do you get those prospects that have never bought or sold a house or have moved into a new area to do business with you?
Most new buyers or sellers are going to go to the Internet to find information about real estate agents in an area. You may only have your company website online and it may be hard for anyone to find you, and even if they do find your site they will probably do their due diligence on who you are as a person. This is where social media profiles can come in handy in establishing your reputation as a knowledgeable agent in your area.
Setting up profiles on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, ActiveRain, and Trulia can give the potential client more touch points on understanding who you are as a professional and a person. When they search your name on the Internet, these profiles should pop up (unless you have a very common name which will make it more difficult, but you can still take advantage of social media profiles).
Since you can control what these profiles show, you will want to make sure you have all the details about your business, how long you’ve been in business, and all the services you offer. You will also want to put testimonials on these pages and list properties that you currently have under contract. All of these things increase your reputation to prospects looking online for an agent.
The more active you are in these communities, the higher your reputation will increase as well. You will not only be networking with other agents in your area, but other vendors such as mortgage brokers, repair men, maintenance companies that can help send you referrals.
Networking and prospecting takes time, this is not an overnight success method. So, the sooner you begin establishing your online presence and networking with others in your area, sharing your experiences and success stories, the sooner the benefits of the social media channel will increase your business and reputation.
