I’ve seen people complaining about promoting your listings on ActiveRain. Long, lofty, self-righteous, and often poisonous diatribes about why you shouldn’t clutter up their experience with your incessant need to do business or make money- well screw them. I say be in business while they’re not.
Chances are, if they unfriend, unfollow, or unsubscribe, they weren’t in the market to buy a home from you anyway, and anyone in the business of real estate knows that it ain’t about your competition, it’s about attracting those that desire to buy or sell a home right now, right?
So let them unfollow, unsubscribe, or unfriend you, and wish them a happy “don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”
The minute the ActiveRainers encouraged and incentivized Realtor on Realtor action was the day their business model telegraphed a severe identity crisis. In other words, it apparently only really attracts consumers by accident, unless you’re doing it on purpose. Maybe I’m right, and maybe I’m wrong, but I doubt it.
They preach transparency- fine, give it to them
Be transparent about the fact that you’re in business to SELL real estate, be transparent about the fact that you want to speak directly to consumers, and be transparent about the markets you sell. There is no shame in admitting you’re a lousy writer, but a great agent- that’s the only way to be. Passively writing about everything but the point isn’t exactly transparent, it’s simply a failed tactic.
Blogging is not about points nor one hundred comments to some blurb about the latest and greatest social media tool in an environment like ActiveRain. Use the power of their (ActiveRain) real estate SEO to plant you firmly in front of searching consumers. List your properties and let everything in between be valuable content consumers in your hometown are searching for, otherwise, the ending you’ll get won’t be the happy one you had hoped for. Besides, wouldn’t a better agent referral be one based on professional equity (purpose driven real estate pro) rather than perceived popularity (coolest drinking buddy)? You would be doing the referred consumer a favor, would you not?
Not everything can be “Agent Networking”
Too many agents are complaining that their blogging efforts aren’t working and why would they if all you’re writing about is stuff consumers are not hunting for when buying or selling property?
Be in business everywhere you are if that’s really what you are. Spare the online locations you want to network with professionals of your listings, but everywhere else, be exactly what you are- a powerful asset in the arsenal of the home buying and selling consumer.
As a sidebar, if you see an opportunity to utilize a Twitter account to promote your business, local market, and your blog, then do it. If you’re using your Facebook to reach home buyers and sellers, then you should at least have some mechanism for promoting your product indirectly.
But here’s the warning…
Other Realtors may leave your sphere, but consumers should fill the gaps. Reducing agent noise should give you a much better view of who’s paying attention. If you’re being obnoxious and spammy, you’ll even lose those consumers, so be smart about it, but certainly and absolutely, be in business. Trust me, you would rather have 10 buying and selling consumers over 1,000 busy bodied competitors mucking up your conversation.
