PHOENIX (JAN. 20, 2012) – Spreading a virus is not always a bad thing.
When a short, compelling (and usually funny) video posted on YouTube “goes viral,” millions of people pass it along via social media. In his keynote address Thursday afternoon, Sell-a-bration® moderator Brian Copeland, CRS, suggested the idea that REALTORS® who make themselves relevant enough to become “viral” — both in person and online — have a leg up on the competition. While the old way of doing business still has credibility for many consumers, the burgeoning market of younger homebuyers and sellers tend to look for agents who mix the “old school” methods with newer approaches that can be especially effective with their peers, he said.
The market has changed, and the traditional methods for attracting new clients will not work for everybody. REALTORS® need to adjust their methods to match their target markets, Copeland said. “A CRS who is trying to apply the market’s principles from five years ago will not survive. Adapt to the new reality. Prove and reprove your value every day to your clients.”
The key to accomplishing that goal, Copeland said, is to engage with existing and potential clients who want REALTORS® to “be all things to all people.” That’s certainly a tall order, but technology can help. For example, rather than viewing social media and online listing aggregation sites such as Zillow as a threat, agents would do well to make such technology “sing throughout [their] business plan,” he said.
That sentiment was evident throughout Thursday’s workshop sessions at Sell-a-bration®. For example, while some REALTORS® have embraced Twitter and use it as a key part of their consumer outreach efforts, others simply do not see the value of engaging with clients via social media. That’s okay, said Brandi Peal Thompson, CRS, who led the Twitter Jumpstart workshop. But REALTORS® looking to connect with younger homebuyers and sellers should consider Twitter. “Generation X and Generation Y are using this technology,” said Thompson. REALTORS® who want to engage those consumers ought to communicate with them in a way that is familiar and comfortable.
By using Twitter as a listening tool, REALTORS® can get to know their market better, and that will help them address their core customers’ needs. “Think of Twitter as the pulse of the planet,” Thompson said. Agents who want to be relevant in today’s marketplace need to listen to and engage with potential clients. For example, by following local journalists’ Twitter feeds, agents can get in tune with their community.
Maura Neill, CRS, echoed that sentiment in her session, Spin It: Putting the R in PR. She said REALTORS® who cultivate relationships with influential journalists will reap big rewards. The best way to connect with journalists, she said, is via email, although social media methods can be successful as well. And by bonding with reporters via social media, conversing with them and — most importantly — giving them valuable information they can use when they need it, agents will gain visibility in their local market.
Thompson said REALTORS® who are resistant, or even hostile, to the idea of using social media to build their business should change their mindset. Simply “think of it as a tool,” she said. “If you want to use this tool, use it. If not, leave it in the tool shed.”
What’s more, agents should not shy away from sharing their true selves via social media sites. As Copeland said in his keynote: “Don’t be afraid to show your flaws online…We need to show people who we are.” Today’s consumer wants REALTORS® to be transparent and real. Agents who can deliver will win clients for life.
