During the last twelve months I’ve attended multiple real estate conferences, RE Barcamps and expos and I’ve wanted to shout something out at each one of them. The urge strikes me every time I hear advice from “social media gurus” on how Realtors should use primarily twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn but Rod Tidwell does the job so much better than I can. Are you ready? Over to you Rod…..

I haven’t missed the irony of Tidwell’s closing statement:

While technology is nothing but a tool its value is unquestionable. It helps individuals (and that includes everyone in real estate) do their job more effectively and ideally more efficiently. However there’s a lot of misinformation, a lot of time that can be wasted trying to implement, trying to understand, new products.

As social based technology becomes ever more ubiquitous in the arsenal of real estate marketing options understanding a specific products pro’s and con’s, the ‘what to do’ versus the ‘what not to do’, is increasingly more important. Those that get it wrong will absolutely end up wasting time and money. At worst they might end up hearing an alternative to Rod’s final statement; “Sorry, you’re no longer my agent”.

I’ve spent the last two years co-managing our sister company, Social Gears. It has developed Facebook applications and ‘social’ tools for some of the biggest brands in business. As a result I approach this from a unique position; I look at how social media should be used by business and not by real estate. But Realtors are small business owners so my viewpoint has merit.

Before I climb atop my soap box and explain why people need to understand that there is a difference between ‘friending’ someone and being ‘friendly’, before I opine on why ‘social’ has nothing to do with ‘socializing’ and lastly before I detail why the cocktail party analogy is, I think the correct American vernacular is “a crock”, I want to know how do you use social media? Do you use Facebook? How about twitter, or LinkedIn or some other service, Website or tool? What works, what doesn’t, what questions do you have?

Please either comment on this post or send me an email:

stevef@agencylogic.com.

I’d love to hear your thoughts so shout it out LOUD!