John points to the fact that he can differentiate himself from other realtors by being on social networks and in front of younger generations who will be buying homes now and in the future. He references Who Moved my Cheese a #1 Bestseller about coping with change in the workplace. By posting on Twitter and Facebook he is able to get referrals from other agents who consistently send him business.
The Providence Group blog incorporates many guest authors from a variety of sources who are involved in real estate transactions including attorneys, financial advisors, accountants and many other resources. This helps John generate much needed content as well as provides great value to his clients or potential clients.
Real estate is a relationship business and using social networks enhances the top of mind awareness for agents. It also helps to brand individuals beyond the agency umbrella which is important for agents because it makes them stand out from their competition.
The YouTube channel for Providence Group of RE/MAX Greater Atlanta is a perfect example of extending the distribution of content. You can view the tours of homes using a collection of stills and appropriate music to give the potential buyer a taste of each property. The stills end up on a Flickr page as well.
We've mentioned on other podcasts that you cannot forget personal networking, the face to face connections that can really solidify a relationship. John hosts quarterly Business Mixers that get the business community together to socialize.
John has determined that the best way to achieve all of these activities in social networks comes from discipline. By having the discipline to allocate an hour or so each day to participate in social media, he is able to make these efforts pay a large return on his time investment.
John references The Power of Full Engagement, by Tony Schwartz, which discusses how a world class athlete manages time to achieve great accomplishments.
A bit of advice is to start slowly when moving into various social networks, so that you can get a feel for how to best utilize them for your business, but also take full advantage of any opportunity that comes along to dive into the great new tools we have.
Theme music for The Bella Buzz is Fallen by Digital Chemistry, available for download at the Podsafe Music Network.
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