If Dan Sweeney had doubts whether
social networking would help his business, they didn't last long. The Chester County, PA agent believes his presence on several social networking sites, like
Facebook, has generated a handful of recent sales as well as more than a dozen
new clients.
"I put myself in front of people who could be potential clients as much as I can," said Sweeney. "I update my page on a regular basis with information that is helpful to them and information that promotes myself as a successful REALTOR®."
Information, Information, Information
Sweeney, who works for Century 21 Alliance, West Chester, PA, created a Facebook page last fall and watched his business start booming almost immediately. He constantly updates his page with relevant information and has developed relationships with friends, each of which has helped him to attract new business.
Some agents put listings on-line: basic information and pictures; Sweeney attempts to set himself apart from the pack as an expert in a particular area. Much of the information he posts focuses on incentives for first-time home buyers, especially the stimulus tax credit. While he welcomes business from any prospective client, he targets friends who are first-time buyers currently shopping for homes.
Here are sample posts from his Facebook page:
Dan Sweeney is telling every 1st time home buyer to call me. And I will get you $8,000 free cash for buying a house! You only have a few more months!
Dan Sweeney Rates are low today! 30 yr. fixed rate conforming - 4.5% plus 1 point. 15 yr. fixed rate conforming - 4.25% plus 1 point. 30 yr. FHA - 5.0% = 0 points.
Dan Sweeney is having an open house in Oxford. Nice 4 bed 2 bath ranch. Stop by!
Dan Sweeney sold 3 more houses! The time is right to buy houses! Call me!
And Sweeney's clients provide responses as unsolicited testimonials:
Nobody finds better deals than Dan. I bought my house through Dan Sweeney. Thanks for your help!
U the man when it comes to selling houses.
"I get e-mail all the time from people who respond to something I've posted," he said. "I make them my friends and I can see when they are on-line, and I hit them up instantly. It's a good way to stay in touch. It's important to stay in front of your sphere of influence."
Sweeney also gives potential clients a taste of his personal life, which includes photographs from trips to Las Vegas and more exotic destinations like Australia and the Caribbean. He also posted photos from the World Series game he attended as well as various real estate awards banquets.
"When people are finding an agent, they want to look into their personal [life] a little bit," Sweeney said. "If I keep people's attention on my site then my name will keep popping into their head. When they think of real estate, they'll think of me."
Create Your Own Presence
Using any social networking site provides you with an incredible opportunity to increase your business opportunities. Sweeney spends five minutes per day on Facebook, updating his page and responding to posts.
"It's free advertising," Sweeney said of incorporating social networking sites into their business plan. "Absolutely, REALTORS® should try it."
When you consider what it costs to take advantage of social networking, it's hard not to use this as a tool to build your business.