Estate Agent social networking - 8 top tips

Estate agents know that social networking has become an important part of communicating with buyers and sellers online, but many do not realise that having a presence isn't enough. Many Estate Agents ask 'What can I do to stand out from the crowd?' Therefore Resource Techniques has constructed 8 top tips of social networking development to help Estate Agents turn Facebook 'Friends' into Facebook 'Fanatics'.

• Set up your profile - Make it clear and concise so that property searchers instantly recognise the brand.
• Get to know your surroundings - Do your research! See what other people around your area are talking about.
• Respond to all communication - Ideally with positive feedback, quickly responding to messages shows dedication and reliability.
• Connect with people - Social networking is all about making connections. Find out what interests people and find common ground.
• Quantify your social networking - Quantifying your social networking shows what progress you have made. One example is bit.ly that not only changes long links into smaller ones but it also counts the number of people that click on that link.
• Join in the conversation - Do you know a piece of information that would help someone else? Help them.
• Humanise the brand - let buyers and sellers see the face behind the brand. It is a nice face, let them see it!
• Do your best to build a community - Sharing information, links and local news will attract others to join. The more the merrier!

Only after actively seeking interaction and integration into the social networking world, can Estate Agents truly use social networking to help people find their dream property. Simply setting up a social networking profile and waiting for customers to come to you is no longer good enough.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'Action negates failure in the realm of social networking. Only through action, and more importantly interaction, can Estate Agents guarantee the success of their social networking activities.'

Social network 'Foursquare' now in the UK!

Created in March of this year, Foursquare describe themselves as, '50% friend-finder, 30% social city guide, 20% nightlife game'. It is a social network that allows users to share experiences, hints and places to go whilst having a game that allows users to 'check in' using the GPS on their mobile phone.

Back in August, Resource Techniques talked about a new social network that lets you explore your city and now they have expanded the website onto the UK shores. The cities that they cover are:

* Birmingham
* Bristol
* Brighton
* Edinburgh
* Manchester
* London

Although it is still a relatively new social network, Foursquare is tipped to be the next big social network using social networking, GPS and local knowledge.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'Foursquare is a fantastic idea! The social network will be kick started by people that love to eat out or go to bars and clubs. Estate agents, watch this space.'

Many social networks have come and gone, will Foursquare stand the test of time? Let us know via Twitter or Facebook.

Dying to be remembered

A morbid subject but everyone has at one time or another pondered what happens to you once you die. Whether you go on to an afterlife, are reborn or just fade away into oblivion, one thing is certain. Your Facebook profile will still be there.

The good news out of this gloomy subject is that Facebook have decided to allow your memory to live on within their social network. They have announced that a profile can be turned into a memorial of its decreased owner. Facebook will remove contact information, status updates, change privacy settings and Facebook will no longer suggest the deceased member to other Facebook members - They will of course require confirmation of the deceased which must include verification from an obituary or a news article!

Sources indicate that the move has been prompted because some Facebook members being suggested to add as a friend, 'reconnect', or be reminded by a status updates automatically by Facebook's news feed of a deceased friend - something that can cause a lot of emotional pain.

The negative side of this is that you have no control over your Facebook profile once you have passed on. Not that Facebook has 'evil' plans for your profile, but estate agents may not want their memory to eternally held by a social networking company.

What isn't clear is what will happen to your profile, when sufficient time has passed and all your Facebook friends have passed on too. Will Facebook delete you or do they have a moral responsibility not to?

The positive side of this is that a Facebook tombstone is accessible from any of your friends and from anywhere on the planet. They can leave tributes on how you touched their lives and use your shared photos as happy memories that will never be forgotten.

Estate agents, would you like your Facebook profile to carry on after your ultimate demise, would you prefer for it to be completely erased, or do you simply not care?

Let us know what you think! Contact us on our Facebook fan page or Twitter profile or call us on 0208 457 4777.