Given that I’m just the “web guy” around here at TechShorties, I think I’m able to offer a valuable “outsider’s insight” into what has changed about the online “real estate game.” Furthermore, my comments here don’t just apply to real estate, they are valid for all types of professionals wanting to make connections and grow their careers/businesses online.

Whenever I talk with real estate agents or speak at a conference, the smart agents tell me they are seeing how the paradigm has shifted. They’re all saying that formerly they could afford not to have an online presence, but now so much is happening online they can’t afford not to.

However, when I ask “Why?” everyone’s answers rarely get to the point. Some may say, “Because that’s where business is done now-a-days,” or it’s because they don’t want to be left behind. But, the real answer as to why any real estate agent should get online is simple: Being online is about cultivating and crafting relationships! More on this in a second, but first a short digression:

Prior to the “Internet age,” how did you get most of your clients? I haven’t checked with Jen or Suzy (our resident TechShorties real estate experts) on this, but my guess is that you got your fair share through referrals. That’s how my wife and I found our agent when we were shopping for our first home. We’d spent several tiring  nights and weekends searching on our own when we finally realized we needed professional help. So, we asked a friend who recommended her real estate agent.

What does that have to do with being online you ask? When you start crafting your own online presence, this process shouldn’t stop. It should grow exponentially! However, the key to this is understanding how to best market yourself online. There’s a wrong way and a right way to do this:

The Wrong Way

If you want, it’s easy to go out and drop $5K, $10K or more on a website that has all the bells and whistles. You can have your own custom MLS search, reams of static pages covering a myriad of real estate topics and a gorgeous “glamour shot” of yourself with all of your credentials listed beneath.

However, in my experience, this type of website simply doesn’t generate a high volume of new leads. In fact, during our home search a couple of years ago, my wife and I came across many of these types of websites. But, none of these sites made us want to contact the agent who published it.

The Right Way

Recall how I said my wife and I did meet our agent: We were introduced by a friend. Now you may be wondering what a real-world connection like that has to do with you getting online. That type of connection has everything to do with why you should be online!

Today’s new social media and web tools have made it easy to establish your own dynamic online presence. Now, instead of losing yourself in the technical details of how to setup your website, you can spend your time writing blog posts, sending out tweets on Twitter and connecting on Facebook.

All of these online activities add up to your very own digital footprint that will show up in Google searches, be talked about on Twitter or recommended by a friend on Facebook. In other words, it adds up to an attractive and engaging web presence that works for you even when you’re asleep or away on vacation.

What exactly does this dynamic web presence look like? As I’ve just hinted, this type of web presence generally takes on the following form:

• Personal Blog/Website – This will often function as your online hub. It may or may not be someone’s first point-of-contact with you, but it will be a place where interested persons can find out much more about what you have to offer. Rather than an MLS search or hundreds of static pages, your blog is where you’ll write about your real estate market, share insights about your community and provide other information of value to your visitors. It should be a tool that you can comfortably update and use to quickly connect with the persons who contact you via your blog’s comments or contact forms.
• Twitter – You’ve no doubt heard of Twitter. Perhaps you’ve even created and abandoned your account. If you’re wanting to establish your online presence, now it’s time to start using Twitter to connect with people in your community and around the world. Since I’ve started using Twitter almost two years ago, I’ve been amazed at the real-world face-to-face connections that I’ve made simply through sharing links, photos and insights 140 characters at a time.
• Facebook - On Facebook, you’ll simply be a part of the world’s largest “real-time yearbook.” You may want to create a fan page for your business; however, more than likely, Facebook will be a place for you to share pieces of your life with friends and family, all the while keeping your name in front of everyone in case anyone needs a good real estate agent.

New Technology, Same Concept

Are you getting the picture now? All of these new web technologies will help you grow your business in a fashion remarkably similar to how real estate agents grew their business before the Internet. Rather than having the coolest MLS search website, your online presence should be all about building relationships with other people on the web. Rather than advertising that you’re a REALTOR® and talking about your listings, you can focus on contributing to your city’s online and real-world communities. Formerly, you may have gotten a couple of clients via an “online hard-sell,” now today’s new online ecosystem will allow you to make hundreds of conversions via “social media soft-sells.”

In closing, you wouldn’t think of going around in public talking about how great of a real estate agent you are. Likewise, today’s Internet is simply a natural extension of and part of your public persona. Therefore, don’t blow it by being “that guy” or “that gal” online. Instead, think of the Internet as a natural extension of your real life, utilize it as such, and be amazed by all the connections you make.

Need some help with all of this? That’s why TechShorties is here. Get in touch with us to find out how we can help you establish your own online presence.