HOME / BLOG Social Media and Real Estate There are many ways to find and choose a real estate professional to work with when buying or selling a home. Plenty of people receive referrals from family or friends who’ve worked with a professional in the past. Many others choose names from “For Sale” signs in neighbourhoods they like. However, these days it’s also not uncommon for home buyers and sellers to find a real estate professional using one of the many popular online social networks. The massive popularity of networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn has led many real estate professionals to use these sites to build their own brand and reputation, connect with new clients, maintain relationships, and provide real estate advice and analysis. On Facebook, for example, a real estate professional might build a page for their business that includes a blog, updates about their current listings, and information about the services they provide to buyers and sellers. They may advertise their page using Facebook’s ads, which are keyed to the networks that users belong to. So, for example, if you belong to the Saint John network you would only see ads from real estate professionals who work in this area. The Saint John Real Estate Board now has its own Facebook Page (search for “Saint John Real Estate Board”) where we promote our members, link to articles of interest about the Saint John real estate market, and provide information that may be useful to the buying and selling public. LinkedIn is another social media site that many real estate professionals use to build their business contacts. LinkedIn users can build a network of colleagues and contacts tailored to their interests and the industry they work in. Users can search their network, which is composed of their own connections as well as each of their connections’ connections - for search terms such as “real estate professional” or “real estate agent”. Users can also endorse other users, so if you’re searching for someone to help you buy or sell a home, you can see if any real estate professionals in your network have been recommended by people you know and trust. It’s simply taking word of mouth and moving it online. In addition to Facebook and LinkedIn, many real estate professionals also use Twitter for shorter, more time-sensitive messages. If you’re interested in homes in a particular neighbourhood, for example, you can search Twitter to see if there are real estate professionals who are promoting listings in that area and follow their Twitter feed to find out about new listings, open houses and other neighbourhood updates. Many real estate professionals have also embraced blogging (sometimes as part of their Facebook page, sometimes on their own website). They provide readers with regular updates about what’s happening in their market, offer advice for buyers and sellers, highlight hot new listings, and offer insight into how they do business. No matter how you connect with him or her, whether it’s online via social media or through your best friend’s sister’s uncle’s recommendation, a member of the Saint John Real Estate Board can help you meet your real estate goals, whatever they may be. Come visit us on Facebook, follow our Twitter feed (SJ_REALTORS) or visit us at www.sjrealestateboard.ca