Real Estate Profiles
How you look online may be the reason you win a listing, or even get the call in the first place. When someone is considering who to call, or making the final decision about who to hire, they are likely to go online and search for information about you. There are some simple steps that you can follow to make sure that you like an all pro. The good news – once you set it up, it requires little to maintain it. Get ready, get set, go!
- GG Agent Webpage
- HAR.com Profile
- TAR.com Profile
- NAR Profile
- Zillow.com Profile
- REALTOR.com Profile
- SlideShare.net Profile
- Facebook Profile
- LinkedIn.com Profile
- BHG Greenhouse Profile
Go HERE to download the checklist you need to make sure your profiles are the best they can be.
Reputation Management
Do You Know What The Internet Says About You?
When was the last time you did a Google search around your name? What did you find? Ideally, use a browser you don’t usually use and one in which you are not logged into your Google account. You’ll be surprised by the difference in the results!
Examine the kinds of results that come up. If your website is not on the first page of those results, make a 30 minute appointment with me. We’ll work on it!
You’ll want to look at the results and make sure the Internet is telling a story about you that you are proud of. If you have a past job, are those results coming up first? Are you finding old flickr images from college days that aren’t showcasing your professionalism? Best that you discover these little online gems before your clients and prospects uncover them.
Google Alerts
Once you have done some management of current search engine results, you’ll want a way to manage future occasions that you’ll show up on the Internet. The best way to do that is by setting up a Google Alert for your name.
Once the Alert is set up, anytime your name is mentioned on the Internet, you will get an email. This post walks you through the very easy process of setting up an alert.
Reviews
Online reviews are a new reality in our industry. The best way to handle it is to take the initiative to build a strategy that both protects and promotes you. Understanding the pros/cons of the various solutions is crucial to devising the right strategy. For a detailed analysis of of those options, go here.
One skill that is tough in this new landscape is how to respond to negative public feedback. First, don’t panic. Handling a negative review well can actually be a opportunity to show your professionalism. Negative reviews can also make your online profile (regardless of the format) seem more believable and authentic.
Additionally, take a deep breath before you bang out a response on that keyboard. Come see me, or Ken to develop a response that let’s you shine despite this one comment.
Check out this article for more insight on responding.
Social Media
Social media has gone through an incredible evolution in the last decade. But, after the dust settles, there are some clear winners when you look at the cost of your time versus the return. And, in this business everything has to be looked at the way. Whether it’s dollars spent or your time, we have to evaluate return.
This is my take on the Social Media Winners and Losers.
LinkedIn can be valuable to maintain professional connections, or to initiate a social media connection. It may be a valuable place to post links, as well.
At this point, it seems to have evolved into an online resume. It’s important to keep updated for the search engine value, and client vetting, but once your profile is set up, there is nothing wrong with a set-it-and-forget-it strategy here. People simply don’t ‘hang out’ in that environment as they do on Facebook.
Facebook Business Pages
There was a day where FB business pages were touted with such great promise. I’ve never been much of a fan, and am even less so in recent years.
To understand FB business pages you must understand the FB algorithm. FB fills the news feed with content that they believe the audience will engage with and find interesting. This make sense; they want to keep people on their website.
Most real estate business pages are filled with agent listings, agent open houses, statistics, agent humble bragging, and occasional community info. zzzzzzzzz
Unless someone is actually selling or buying, this simply isn’t interesting.
Once FB figures out no one is liking or commenting on that content, they simply quit showing it in your ‘likers’ newsfeed. It doesn’t matter if you have 500 ‘likers’. If FB finds that people aren’t engaging, they won’t show your content. Simple as that.
Hence the abundance of dying real estate business pages all over Facebook.
Note: If you want to do FB advertising, it will require a business page. If you really want to employ this strategy, post community interest updates. Focus on your audience, their everyday interests in your community, and not on self promotion.
But, there is a WIN on Facebook, and it’s a HUGE win. It’s in your personal profile …
Facebook Personal Profiles
There is no question, Facebook is the clear winner. I don’t think I’m am overstating the value of Facebook when I say if you aren’t on Facebook, you are likely missing out on opportunities, and income.
You don’t have to be salesy on Facebook. You don’t have to share personal information with people you don’t want to have it. You don’t have to post what you had for dinner. I’ve heard many of these concerns before, and I get it, but I also can assure you that none of that is necessary. 30 minutes with me can assuage many of those concerns.
Consider these two cases in my own personal business:
1. I sold a home to a young family – growing family – and when they posted their sonogram photo of the fourth child, it didn’t take much for me to recognize the clock was ticking on their three bedroom townhouse that I’d sold them. I knew to reach out, congratulate the on FB and with a card. I might never have know that had it not been for effective listening strategies on Facebook.
2. Seller moves to Park City, Utah. His email no longer worked and the only real consistent communication I had with Joel over nearly 4 years was Facebook. Wasn’t hard to like those Park City pics. Wasn’t hard to comment and like their new baby pics. Would have been easy to write him off in terms of future business … who would move back to OC from Park City? But, after they had their daughter, they wanted to be closed to family. Interestingly, Joel did not call me. He didn’t email me. He messaged me through Facebook. He knows he can find me there quickly, and I have remained connected.
This stuff happens all the time if you are paying attention and know how to work Facebook. I still do referrals based out of my old practice, and nearly all of them have come through a message on Facebook.
Time to figure out Facebook? You can always come see me, or keep your eye on BackAgent for the next workshop, or simply check out this post about how to manage Facebook in 15 minutes a day.
