Tyler Bell, in his post, “Why check-ins and like buttons will change the local landscape“, absolutely nails it. We check-in and “like” things not only to share information and locations with our friends, fans and followers, but to share a part of us. To reveal something about us. It is a form of self-expression and self-crafting in a way. We are drafting our own online bio one check-in, one “like” at a time.
The home we select to live in is often an expression of how we want the world to see us. It’s no different than driving a certain car, wearing a certain outfit or dining at a certain restaurant (just more expensive) as a mirror into how we want to be seen. As check-ins and likes become more and more a daily activity, we (as marketers of real estate listings) can make sure that our listings are being checked-in to and “liked” as part of this self-expression. People love to talk about the homes they are considering, so make sure they know that they can check-in to and like them as well, sharing with their own friends, fans and followers their newest consideration. Make it easy.
Realbird has implemented Facebook’s Open Graph into all of their single property listings (https://17780sw160thave.realbird.com) and we’ve talked before here on AG numerous times about how to implement Foursquare with real estate.
As Tyler points out, check-ins and “likes” are just as much about sociology (and anthropology I might add) as they are about raw data. Use that to your advantage and help create a viral wave of promotion going for your listing. This, of course, works better with “showcase” listings or ones that people would like to brag about or share. Seller’s themselves will be pleased and will check-in and “like” their listing pushing traffic to your single property webpage and/or Facebook fan page you have created.
People’s own inclination to share themselves, especially something as personal and possibly as expressive as a choice of home, can become one additional, and possibly quite powerful, avenue to exposing your listing to the world.
Ben Goheen
May 12, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Facebook has made it real easy to add the like button to every website. I took it a step further and am using the Facebook social plugin for all my post comments. Check it out: mnhome.org/2010/recent/50-things-to-do-in-stillwater
Mark
May 13, 2010 at 1:01 pm
I can see sellers “liking” the single property website their agent created for them and can even see people “checking in” at an open house especially if the agent thinks up some kind of incentive for doing so.
I think the tricky part is getting people who are casually browsing listings online to click a “like” button.
Janie Coffey
May 13, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Mark, you are right. But, I think as check-ins and likes become common place (and I believe they will) this will become more a natural activity, esp. for the tech-set. Sharing your activities and preferences in a way…. We’ll see in the coming months how (or if) these grow