Open House with CENTURY 21®: Your Big Break in Real Estate

August 8, 2017 By Casey Danton

When did you experience your “big break” in real estate? We asked several CENTURY 21® team members this question to learn more about the moment they realized they would make it in such a challenging, yet rewarding industry. From months to years, networking events to sales calls, every story is different proving once again that nothing in real estate is predictable.

It’s About Time

If these stories tell us one thing, it’s that there is no set time for success.

“I realized I would make it in the industry after six months. I discovered that if my morning hours were dedicated to lead generation, I would continue to have a consistent flow of clients, grow my business pipeline, and expand my sphere of influence.” –Justin Udy, CENTURY 21 Everest Realty Group

“In all honesty, it came after I attended Inman Connect San Francisco in 2015. I was a brand new attendee and did not know what to expect at all. My boss recommended that I attend — and instinctively knew that it would be a place where I could meet like-minded people in the industry, and make really meaningful connections as well. I went from being a conference attendee to an Inman Ambassador, to speaking and presenting on the main stage — all within a year.” –Billy Ekofo, CENTURY 21 Redwood Realty

“When my schedule overflowed, and I brought in a client care coordinator to manage the behind the scenes in my third year, I knew I had found my passion of changing people’s lives one house at a time.” –Jerry Cibulski, CENTURY 21 Albertson Realty

A World of Opportunity

Finding success is also about finding opportunities and seizing the ones given to you.

“I discovered that if my morning hours were dedicated to lead generation, I would continue to have a consistent flow of clients, grow my business pipeline, and expand my sphere of influence.” –Justin Udy, CENTURY 21 Everest Realty Group

“The opportunity to speak at Inman Connect opened the door for me to speak at the CENTURY 21 Iberia Conference in Lisbon in February 2017, the CENTURY 21 Global Conference in March 2017, and be a keynote speaker at a Realogy event in June 2017. I will also be back as a speaker at Inman this August in San Francisco, as well as a first-time panelist at the second Realtor.com Summit in Las Vegas this September.

None of these experiences and opportunities would have come to me if it wasn’t for Century 21 Redwood Realty investing their time in sending me to Inman Connect back in 2015, and to the team at Inman for giving me the opportunity to serve and speak.” –Billy Ekofo, CENTURY 21 Redwood Realty

“During my first full year in the business, I was grateful for the referrals of family and friends of my budding client list.” –Jerry Cibulski, CENTURY 21 Albertson Realty

Establishing Awards

The most obvious evidence of success is awards and honors. As explained by our interviewees, hard work reaps tangible rewards.

“I was amazed when I was awarded ‘Top Rookie Producer’ in my office following my first year. I was able to achieve this honor because I was always on the phone. I time blocked my mornings, and I made an effort to be in front of people consistently.” –Justin Udy, CENTURY 21 Everest Realty Group

“I started part-time one summer and was honored with a Century 21 Masters Sales Award in my first six months.” –Jerry Cibulski, CENTURY 21 Albertson Realty

The moral of the story? Nothing comes easy, and your “big break” is not always marked by a specific event or achievement, it’s a culmination of time, hard work, and opportunity. Though the definition is different for everyone, when it happens, it is worth every minute.

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#C21News: June 2017

July 17, 2017 By Casey Danton

The start of summer couldn’t have been better with impressive franchise growth and the announcement of some distinguished achievements. Read more about what happened in June below.

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The CENTURY 21 Brand expanded in South America with the addition of CENTURY 21 Argentina. With the agreement to open CENTURY 21 franchises in Argentina with CENTURY 21 South America, Roberto S. Vivaldo of Master National Argentina S.A. will serve as President of CENTURY 21 Argentina. He plans a grand opening in September 2017 in La Plata. Master franchisees of CENTURY 21 South America currently operate approximately 200 franchised CENTURY 21 offices throughout South America, with locations in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Read more here.

Franchise Growth
CENTURY 21 Lakeside Realty acquired Gallagher, Clark & Carney Realty Group in Youngstown, OH. Through the acquisition, CENTURY 21 Lakeside Realty welcomes co-owners Sean Carney and Rick Clark and their 32 sales associates and also expands its footprint with offices in Calcutta, Columbia, and Salem. Read more here.

CENTURY 21 Arizona Foothills acquired Solutions Real Estate in Phoenix, AZ. The new team brings more than 27 years of experience to the table. The move will also expand the CENTURY 21 Arizona Foothills footprint to 8 offices and more than 500 agents. Read more here.

CENTURY 21 Tenace Realty acquired Cobblestone Realty in Boyton Beach, FL. Through the acquisition, CENTURY 21 Tenace Realty will expand to three offices and more than 300 agents. The expansion will give the company a larger footprint in Palm Beach County specifically. Read more here.

Achievements
We are proud to announce that 31 CENTURY 21 Sales Associates were featured in NAHREP’s 2017 List of Top 250 Latino Agents including the #1 sales agent in California, Marty Rodriguez of Century 21 Marty Rodriguez and three top 10 agents by sales volume: Marty Rodriguez, Dania Perry, and Ricardo Acevedo. View the list of winners here.

The 2017 REAL Trends/The Wall Street Journal Report “The Thousand” was released in June. According to the report, the CENTURY 21 Brand had an increase of 193% in total individual dollar sales volume and a 58% increase in total sales volume (including team volume), highlighted by two agents in the top 20 for individual sales — Gina Gargeu, CENTURY 21 Downtown (8) and Gerri Andolina, CENTURY 21 Winklhofer (20). We also had two agents in the top 20 by average sales price — Geneva Brett, CENTURY 21 M&M and Associates (9) and Ellen Elman, CENTURY 21 Metropolitan (15). View the rankings here.

In the News
CENTURY 21 Award’s Julia Jackson-Brown’s 17.5MM listing was featured in The Wall Street Journal House of the Week poll — and won!

Giving Back
The CENTURY 21 New Millennium charity golf tournament raised a record $120,000+ for the Jenna Stone Memorial St. Mary’s Ryken Scholarship Fund. A full field of 160 golfers and tournament supporters from communities across the greater D.C. Metro region came together on June 8 at Breton Bay Golf and Country Club in Leonardtown, MD, for what has come to be known as the best area golf charity event of the year. Learn more about the event here.

Check back next month for the latest Century 21 Real Estate News briefing.

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CENTURY 21® Social: 3 Ways to Use Instagram Stories

July 12, 2017 By Casey Danton

Instagram has followed Snapchat’s lead in providing a separate feed dedicated to showcasing a user’s activities within the past 24 hours. Stories provides a time-sensitive “day in the life” overview of a single user’s postings by offering an in-the-moment view that makes followers feel like part of the action. While this may be a problem for Snapchat, it’s great for real estate agents. Now you can target followers with two very different content approaches all within one network.

Read on to learn what you can do with Instagram Stories.

Highlight Your Listings

From sneak peeks to virtual tours — Instagram Stories gives clients a new way to look at listings. First, it allows agents to link all of their photos together to display as one cohesive stream to promote listings and events. Its video capability also allows agents to share brief virtual tours to help followers get a glimpse of the bigger picture. No matter which visual approach you choose, Stories offers the option to draw on the photos or place markers so that you can highlight all your favorite features of the home.

Share the Spotlight

Instagram Stories boasts native features that help users enhance the content they share — a couple in particular, are very beneficial for agents:

Stickers: Customizable sticker options allow agents to add context about the location, weather, or time. The location feature in particular is useful because users can tap the sticker to learn more about the location — giving agents an opportunity to share important open house information or highlight local businesses in the community they serve.
Mentions: Similar to locations, mentions allow agents to tag Instagram accounts in a story. This is another great way to interact and highlight local businesses or influential people in the area.

If you host weekly happy hours, networking events, or any other gatherings on a consistent basis, consider promoting them with Instagram Stories.

Unique Content

The first rule for any social media content is to ensure that it is providing value to the audience. Instagram Stories offers a unique way to do this. For example, DIY tutorials for new homeowners or sellers trying to make repairs can offer value followers will appreciate. Stories also provides a great opportunity to showcase the everyday life of an agent and their personality, which is crucial for developing (and retaining) connections.

As with any new feature, the best way to figure out what works for you is to experiment. Start by thinking of something you can create for each of the categories mentioned above and see where the stories take you.

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#C21News: May 2017

June 15, 2017 By Casey Danton

The month of May welcomed significant franchise growth, exciting achievements, and a few impressive news features! Read all about it in the recap below.

New Franchise Spotlight

CP Realty, an independently owned and operated real estate brokerage company in Fargo, ND, announced that it has joined the CENTURY 21® Franchise System and will now do business as CENTURY 21 FM Realty. “We couldn’t be more excited about our new team joining the CENTURY 21 Brand, one of the most recognized real estate brands in the world,” said owner John Colvin. Read more here.

Ohio Family Realty, an independently owned and operated real estate brokerage company in Elyria, OH, announced that it has joined the CENTURY 21® Franchise System and will now do business as CENTURY 21 DeAnna Realty. Ohio Family Realty has served more than 1,000 customers and is well-known in the community for not only its impeccable customer service, but also for its philanthropic efforts in the local community. “We now have access to the tools, technology, and brand recognition that we need, while also retaining our family and community feel,” said owner Mike DeAnna. Read more here.

The Real Estate Company of East Tennessee, an independently owned and operated real estate brokerage company, announced that it has joined the CENTURY 21® Franchise System and will now operate as CENTURY 21 Heritage. With the company philosophy, “always do what you say, sometimes more, but never less,” customer service is a priority for owner Mike Garber and his team. Read more here.

Earth Outdoor Properties, an independently owned and operated real estate brokerage company with offices in Mountain Grove and Ava, MO, announced that it has joined the CENTURY 21® Franchise System and will now do business as CENTURY 21 Earth Outdoor Properties.

Achievements

We are thrilled to announce that the CENTURY 21 Father’s Day “Give Dad Nothing Campaign” has been named a Bronze Anvil Award winner representing the best in public relations programs demonstrating creative tactics. The campaign garnered 602MM impressions through broadcast, print, and online coverage which included outlets like huffingtonpost.com, today.com, Adweek and RISMedia. View the full list of winners here.

Leadership

CENTURY 21 Advantage Gold’s Anne Rubin has been appointed to the Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission. Rubin is a 29-year real estate veteran and has helped grow CENTURY 21 Advantage Gold to include more than 200 sales associates in 11 offices throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Read the full press release here.

CENTURY 21 Award’s Angela Avilez was a featured speaker at POSiBLE L.A. Angela’s topic was on “Hispanics and their impact on the real estate industry,” speaking also to the opportunities of starting a real estate career.

The event, sponsored by Century 21 Real Estate, is meant to inspire and empower the Hispanic community to prosper in business. Entrepreneurs had access to critical resources: new products, tools, platforms, industry leader keynotes and boot camps to launch and grow their business. At the CENTURY 21 booth, we had interactive experiences for the over 4,000 attendees, highlighting the possibility of a career in real estate and affiliating with the CENTURY 21 Brand.

In the News

Bill Still, of CENTURY 21 Blackwell, shared his insights on new schools creating a real estate boom in the Spartanburg, SC area with GoUpstate.com. “Of course every area likes new schools and new schools that look good,” Still said. “School districts are tremendous (selling points). Anyone with a school-age child, the first thing they do is research the schools when looking for a new home.” Read the full article here.

CENTURY 21 Judge Fite was recently featured in a Real Estate Broker’s Insider article about brokers turning to sports sponsorships as the market improves. The article discusses ways these partnerships improve credibility and help brokers connect with the community. Judge Fite’s recently renewed, 4-year sponsorship deal with the Dallas Cowboys was a main highlight. Chief Executive Jim Fite said the deal gives the company the right to use the Cowboys’ color and logo on business cards, yard signs, and its website. Read the full article here.

John Colvin, of CENTURY 21 FM Realty, shared his thoughts on his hometown in a Realtor.com article highlighting the ten best cities for new college graduates. “It’s a great outdoors city with lots of lakes, and there’s an amazing sense of community here, “ he said. Read the full article here.

Check back next month for the latest Century 21 Real Estate News briefing.

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Agent Spotlight: Q&A with Justin Udy of CENTURY 21 Everest Realty Group

June 14, 2017 By Casey Danton

This month, we sat down with Justin Udy of CENTURY 21 Everest Realty Group in Cottonwood Heights, UT. Despite a challenging start to his real estate career, Justin joined forces with Century 21 Real Estate to grow his business and ultimately, lead one of the top producing teams in the CENTURY 21 Brand. Read more of Justin’s story and the advice he has for millennial agents who are finding their way in the real estate industry.

CENTURY 21: What led you to join the CENTURY 21 Brand in particular?

Justin: Their focus on self-development and desire to provide an amazing environment. I was at a brokerage on the verge of bankruptcy. Century 21 Real Estate helped facilitate the merger of the struggling brokerage of 26 agents into a productive Century 21 Real Estate brokerage. This allowed the struggling brokerage to get their books straight and debts paid, and get the agents into a new, productive environment. Most of them are still here today.

CENTURY 21: What is your favorite thing about your job?

Justin: I genuinely enjoy people and the sticks and bricks of real estate. I love being able to help people and the face-to-face relationships I build. In addition, it is rewarding to introduce people to a career in real estate, create long-term wealth for clients, and advise and improve their lives through the process.

CENTURY 21: What is the biggest misconception about millennial real estate agents?

Justin: The biggest misconception is that they have no drive and are lazy. In reality, I have met many millennials who are ambitious and driven. They want to succeed and are willing to pay the price for success.

CENTURY 21: What would you say to millennials who consider this an “easy” profession to get into?

Justin: No profession is “easy” if you’re looking to perform at the highest level. If you want to be the best, you have to pay the price. That can only be done with hard work, focus, and an obsession to be the best.

CENTURY 21: What’s your best advice for millennials looking to find success in the real estate industry?

Justin: To live a big life you need to do big things. Give up a season of your life so you can have a life like no one.

Check out Justin in this Shaun McBride video for CENTURY 21’s Adulting series.

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Agent Spotlight: Q&A with Lara Marquess of CENTURY 21® Union Realty

June 9, 2017 By Casey Danton

This month, we sat down with Lara Marquess of CENTURY 21® Union Realty in Los Angeles. In the interview, Lara shared how she got her start in real estate and what it was like working with Robeson Design’s Director of Marketing, Sharrah Robeson, for CENTURY 21’s Adulting series.

CENTURY 21: How did you get your start in real estate?

Lara: My initial plan was to teach. However, I realized I’d be doing students a disservice because my heart was just not in it. One day my neighbor walked over, pointed her finger at me, and told me I should be in real estate. She’s been in real estate since the 80s and she said that I’d be the perfect fit. I decided to get an internship with a successful real estate team and after my first week I knew this was the career for me.

In this job, every day is different. You’ve got to have energy and drive and I just knew that I could thrive in this type of environment. After a few months of interning, I got my license and stayed with the team for a little while longer. I decided to go off on my own in January of 2017.

CENTURY 21: What led you to the CENTURY 21 Brand in particular?

Lara: They understand that real estate is a tough business. It’s not hard getting into real estate but it takes time and effort to become a good real estate agent. Century 21 Real Estate has systems in place to help their agents grow and succeed.

CENTURY 21: How has Century 21 Real Estate supported you during these early years of your career?

Lara: The first thing that comes to mind is the training. We have trainings where we tour homes and identify parts of a house. We also have bi-weekly meetings where we talk about 1031 exchanges, mortgage programs, and much more. We’re all independent contractors who are all going after the same deals, but we have each other’s back. If I ever need help or advice, an agent in my office is willing to take a break from what she’s doing and lend me a hand. We have such a great support system.

CENTURY 21: What would you say to millennials who consider this an “easy” profession to get into?

Lara: I’d say they’re right. Real estate is super easy to get into. You don’t have to go to college. All you have to do is pass some tests and then hang up your license somewhere. What’s difficult is generating business and becoming a good agent who provides great customer service—and to succeed at these you have to commit to doing these things every day… not just when you feel like it.

CENTURY 21: What is your favorite thing about your job?’’

Lara: The idea of what I can turn my business into. The possibilities are endless.

CENTURY 21: What was it like working with Sharrah Robeson?

Lara: It was fun. Sharrah is super sweet and very friendly. We got to talking right away and she’s a true professional. I would love to have her design my house!

Check out Lara Marquess in Sharrah Robeson’s video and stay tuned for another agent spotlight next month!

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CENTURY 21® Social: Marketing at Community Events

May 29, 2017 By Casey Danton

Community events are a great way to connect with potential clients in the area you serve. For years, real estate agents have set up booths and collected contact information in hopes of finding their next lead. Luckily, social media has provided new ways to make these events even more valuable for both sides. Below are a few tips for using social media to make the next event you attend an even bigger success.

Upcoming Events

Follow town organizations on Facebook and Twitter to learn about upcoming events. Nowadays, many local groups and chapters have their own social media accounts (including the town itself). Aside from traditional outlets like the town website or local paper, social media is a great place to not only learn about upcoming events, but to learn about the residents attending. You can also use social media to advertise your participation at local events and invite others to join you.

Social Network Prep

Before any event, make sure your profiles are up to date and engaging. As you’ll read further down, asking people at events to connect with you through social media is a great way to acquire and maintain contacts. It’s important to make sure your profiles contain accurate information and that the content you are sharing is engaging. Remember, your social media pages should always provide value to your followers (not just around events), but these times can serve as “checkups” to make sure everything is up to par.

On-Site Technology

Use a portable device to share photos of listings, display your social networks, or collect information. Having a tablet or other portable device is an easy and efficient way to to do a variety of things. Using it to display listings allows people to effortlessly browse through multiple homes with your guidance. You can also access your social networks and ask people to take out their phones and follow you right on the spot. Finally, you can use an app on your device as a virtual information sheet—visitors can enter their information easily and you can seamlessly convert it to your database.

Social Connections

Ask visitors to connect with you via social media. As previous sections have alluded to, asking visitors to find and connect with you on social media can help provide more meaningful connections. The key is to choose one network (even if you promote your business on several) and give them clear instructions on how to find you. If possible, politely ask them to do it on the spot to avoid the risk of them forgetting once they leave.

Digital Follow Up

Take photos at the event and post them to your social networks during and after. Posting photos of the events you attend allows current followers to see that you’re actively involved in the community and reminds new followers about the event, and more specifically, your interaction. Photos may also be an additional conversation starter within your social page.

Use these tips to make the most of your next community event.

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Agent Spotlight: Q&A with Deanna Haskett of CENTURY 21® Everest

May 18, 2017 By Casey Danton

This month, we had a chance to sit down with Deanna Haskett of CENTURY 21® Everest in Utah. In the interview, Deanna shared her experience as a millennial agent, her advice to first-time home buyers, and her recent experience working with YouTube star, HeyKayli for CENTURY 21’s Adulting series.

CENTURY 21: What’s the biggest misconception about millennial real estate agents? How do you overcome these misconceptions?

Deanna: That we’re not willing to work hard. I know that nothing in life is free and I dictate my own success. I overcome those misconceptions by providing the best level of service possible and having repeat referrals from my clients.

CENTURY 21: What’s your advice for other millennials looking to find success in the real estate industry?

Deanna: This is a great career, but be prepared to work. You determine how much or how little you make.

CENTURY 21: What’s your favorite thing about your job?

Deanna: I love being my own boss and determining my own success. My success is based on my actions or non-actions.

CENTURY 21: How has CENTURY 21 supported you during these early years of your career?

Deanna: I have grown so much by coming to the CENTURY 21 Brand. Before I joined Century 21 Real Estate the most deals I’d done in a year was 13. During my first full year with the brand I closed 40 deals and have a goal to close 60 this year.

CENTURY 21: What’s the best way to use social media to attract new clients?

Deanna: I use Facebook to post comments from my clients and share new listings that come up. Make sure to not just make it about real estate though.

CENTURY 21: What was it like working with HeyKayli?

Deanna: Kayli was great to work with! She was super sweet and authentic. I enjoyed meeting her and having the opportunity to show her homes. She has a great personality and seems like a lot of fun! She’s definitely someone I feel I could hang out with.

Check out Deanna Haskett in HeyKayli’s Home Buying: Must-Haves and Nice-to-Haves video and stay tuned for another agent spotlight next month!

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#C21News: April 2017

May 15, 2017 By Casey Danton

Spring has proved to be an exciting season for Century 21 Real Estate so far! Here’s a look at some company highlights from the month of April.

New Franchise Spotlight

In April, we welcomed CENTURY 21 Gulf Coast Realty, in Fort Myers, Florida to our family of franchises.

Dunagan Associates, an independent real estate brokerage company in Carlsbad, New Mexico, affiliated with Century 21 Real Estate LLC, and is now operating as CENTURY 21 Dunagan Associates. “We couldn’t be more excited about joining CENTURY 21, the most recognized real estate brand in the world,” said Kerri Dunagan-Harvey, managing broker. Read more here.

Cornerstone, REALTORS®, an independent real estate brokerage company in Dublin, California, joined the CENTURY 21 Franchise System and will now do business as CENTURY 21 Cornerstone, REALTORS®. The company will continue to serve the Tri-Valley area with the added benefit of world-class marketing, agent training, technology resources and productivity tools provided through its affiliation with our iconic brand. Read more here.

Franchise Growth

Century 21 Burke Realty of North Brunswick, New Jersey revealed that the staff has more than doubled since opening its doors in 2014. The firm’s owner, John H. Burke, cited Century 21’s performance in the J.D. Power Home Buyer/Seller Satisfaction Study and historically-low interest rates as two important factors in the success. He also urged potential buyers and sellers to spring into action now. Read more here.

PhillyMag featured the impressive expansion of CENTURY 21 Advantage Gold in a recent article. CEO Bill Lublin shared details about the company’s newly acquired property: “We completely redid the office and made it an open workspace—an open space that’s comfortable for people in today’s world and is attractive to younger buyers, sellers, and agents, as well as our existing client base.” Read the full article here.

In the News

Terry Brown of CENTURY 21 Scheetz shared his experience with the increasing demand for pet-friendly places to live in Parade Magazine. “We are seeing the demand for pet-friendly amenities, such as designated green space for pets,” Terry noted. Read the full article here.

CENTURY 21 Cityside’s Collin Bray offered his advice for finding a home in Boston’s most sought-after neighborhoods to U.S. News & World Report. According to Collin, “Developers are intelligent and calculated. Talk to them, find out where they are building. If you hear about new construction—if you see cranes—research, explore and then invest.” Read the full article here.

The Christian Science Monitor detailed the challenges facing millennial homebuyers. “With fewer homes on the market and a lack of inventory continuing to offer buyers fewer choices, it is expected that the millennial or first-time home buyer share of the market will hover around 33 percent of all existing home sales in 2017,” CENTURY 21 CMO Cara Whitley said in an email to the Monitor. The article also cited Century 21 Real Estate’s efforts to aid this growing market with the launch of Adulting 101. Read the full article here.

Check back next month for the latest Century 21 news briefing.

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CENTURY 21® Social: How To Leverage Your Social Networks

May 1, 2017 By Casey Danton

It’s no secret that social media can be a very powerful tool for a real estate sales associates when used in the right way. However, with every social network comes a new set of rules and best practices. To help navigate each one more easily, we’ve created the following list of quick tips specifically for real estate.

Network: Facebook

Overview: Facebook is your best resource for reaching the most clients. On it you can share various types of content and reach a more localized audience with the network’s extensive geotargeting capabilities.

Quick Tips:

Post Your Listings: Tell fans about the home, highlight its major selling points, and post pictures. When sharing a listing on Facebook, it’s important to give it some personality and to make sure you’re not overdoing it. While many people who follow you will enjoy seeing listings, they don’t want their News Feed inundated with them. Your posts can also serve as a place for fans to ask questions about the listing so make sure you are ready to respond.

Use Photos: Images on Facebook are much more engaging than text-based posts. The more likes, comments, and shares your posts get, the more they will appear in your Facebook fans’ News Feeds.

Share Neighborhood Events: Show off your city. Post about local events in your town. If you’re going to or know about a neighborhood event, tell your fans and invite them to participate.

Take Advantage of Geotargeting: Facebook lets you target your ads very specifically. You can use Facebook Ads to give your most important posts some added exposure among users in a desired area. To learn more about Facebook Advertising and geotargeting, check out this blog post.

Network: Twitter

Overview: Twitter is the best place to share news and updates. Users are looking for quick and digestible information so try your best to keep things concise and to the point—if you can’t say it in 140 characters or less, maybe you shouldn’t say it on Twitter.

Quick Tips:

Tweet Tips for Buying, Selling, and Moving: Offer advice to your followers by sharing helpful tips about the buying, selling, and moving processes. These tips can include everything from good articles and videos to short and simple ideas.

Use Hashtags: On Twitter, using hashtags gets your tweets seen by an audience beyond your followers. Use relevant hashtags to be discovered by those looking for a particular subject matter. For example, use specific hashtags that pertain to your location and more general hashtags that pertain to the industry (e.g. #movingtips).

Share Local News: Twitter tends to be a great place for news. If there is something exciting happening in the neighborhood you serve, tweet about it. It will be attractive to potential buyers and keep you up-to-date on local happenings.

Use @Mentions to Keep in Touch: Twitter lets you send tweets to specific people. Instead of using the direct message feature, send out a Tweet to congratulate a new homeowner, to thank a local merchant for assisting you, etc.

Network: Instagram

Overview: Instagram users are drawn to beauty and inspiration. Use this network to show off striking home photography. You can add a few lines in your caption, but try not to say too much and let the images speak for themselves.

Quick Tips:

Post and Geotag Listings: When posting listings on Instagram, make sure the pictures are appealing and sized accordingly. You can also geotag the location of each listing to make it easier for clients to check out the area on a map.

Show Off Your Favorite Homes: Post pictures of some of your favorite homes you’ve sold to give clients an idea of the type of homes you work with—whether that’s a variety or a very specific type.

Highlight the Neighborhood: Sharing pictures and information about the neighborhood you work in markets the area to prospective residents and also shows your passion and knowledge of where you are selling homes.

Encourage Engagement: Include questions and other calls-to-action in your photo captions to encourage followers to comment. Be prepared to respond and have conversations there.

Network: LinkedIn

Overview: Aside from being a social network, LinkedIn is a valuable professional networking tool. Save the listings and promotional content for the other networks and focus on marketing your own personal brand to other professionals.

Quick Tips:

Join and Participate in Local Groups: LinkedIn Groups allow you to use the platform to communicate with other professionals who share interests, work in specific areas, or have other similarities. Use them to communicate and be sure to provide value—remember, this is a network for selling yourself, not your listings.

Ask for Referrals: Ask clients and colleagues to give you a referral on LinkedIn. Similar to a traditional referral, this will help potential clients make an easy choice when they’re looking for an agent.

Share a Detailed Description of Your Experience: Again, this is the place to sell yourself as a professional. When filling out your profile, be sure to use the Summary section to include relevant education and experience as well as a few facts that will add a personal touch.

Network: LinkedIn is a great place to network with other people in the industry. Take some time to see what others are saying and don’t be afraid to share your valuable insight with your network.

No matter which social networks you choose to focus on, social media is a great way for you to connect with both clients and peers. What works for some may not work for others, so don’t be afraid to test the waters and see what works for you!

Syndicated via Century 21®. Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/century21/wAvv/~3/965tym83hhk/

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