Maybe I’m missing something here. It’s been known to happen. I’m just not sure.
Joe Realtor is a fan of Joe Realtor Sells Pocatello, Idaho Real Estate and thinks you should be a fan, too.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m sure Joe’s a hell of a good guy and a mega-star Realtor, to boot. It’s just that, well, I don’t sell real estate in Pocatello, Idaho and I really don’t know anyone going there I could refer to Joe. You see, when people leave the MD Suburbs of DC (my stomping ground) they usually go someplace warm like North Carolina or Florida. Or they get voted out of office and go back to wherever they have their “real” home or the military transfers them God knows where.
On the flip side, I can’t remember the last time I ran into anyone who wasn’t a college student who came from Pocatello, Idaho to live in the DC area.
So Why Am I Your Friend, Fan and Follower?
One of the largest unexplained phenomenons of the Internet is the tendency for Realtors to want to connect with each other through the magic of social media. Now, it may just be me, but I’m more inclined to refer a client to someone I’ve actually met or, maybe, have some connection to outside the social media sphere. I may know you through the CRS network or my [large international franchise] network or I might have met you at a REBar Camp or other conference. Just knowing you on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or any number of the other social media websites is not quite enough.
Yet, I’m kinda a social media slut. I’ll friend and follow and fan almost anyone. What the hell? It doesn’t cost anything. But, think about it, if 500 of my friends are people I don’t know, have never met and have no clue as to what type of person they really are, why should I refer to them? More to the point, I can’t even remember that Joe Realtor (see above) is my Pocatello, Idaho connection. We friended each other. I became a fan of his page, I may follow him on Twitter. But, for the life of me, when the magic moment comes and I have someone to refer (don’t hold your breath), I can’t remember who he is out of the hundreds (thousands!) in the same boat.
Help Me Out Here
So, I guess I’m kinda confused. On the one hand I don’t want to dis anyone who I actually know (like other AG bloggers) or people who are in my CRS network or [large international franchise] network. On the other hand, if we just “connect” and then don’t build the “relationship”, what good does it do? And how can you build the “relationship” with the many hundreds or thousands that want to be your friend, fan or follower?
