I am about to commit heresy in the eyes of many real estate agents and speakers. 

But first, here's a memory jogger.  See how many of these terms you recognize: 

• 10-4 (only if you were a neophyte...otherwise it was "5-5-2-2")
• Good Buddy (God help you if a trucker heard you say "Good Buddy"...it branded you as a 4-wheeler for sure!)
• Bear (cop)
• 40 weight (coffee)
• Pickle park (truck stop parking lot)
• Bed bug hauler (moving van)
• Thermos bottle (tanker hauling liquids)
• Bear in the air (helicopter with radar)
• Peter car (Peterbilt tractor)
• Big O (Overnight freight company truck)

Now try these:

• beetweet (a "hot" tweet)
• tweeple (Twitter users)
• tweet-back (referring to a previous tweet)
• tweetup (when twitterers meet in person)
• twis (to dis a fellow twitterer)
• twitterpated (to be overwhelmed with tweets) 

If you are old enough, you recognize the first list as jargon used during the CB (Citizen's Band) radio craze of the 70's.  The second, of course, are Twitter terms. 

Here is my heretical statement: Twitter is a fad, just like the CB craze of the 70's.  It has very limited value for an agent's business, and most agents should not waste their time learning how to use it. 

I must be someone who just doesn't "get it" as far as using technology in real estate goes, right?  I must be a "Luddite" (a term applied to a 19^th century social movement of British textile artisans who protested the changes produced by the Industrial Revolution...often by destroying mechanized looms).  "Luddite" has come to symbolize someone who unreasonably resists any new technology. 

I am not a Luddite.  I know what works when it comes to using today's technology to meet the needs of today's consumer.  In other words, I know what technology will and will not make an agent money.  Here are my credentials: 

• I use technology extensively in my business
• I have been a national real estate technology speaker and trainer for 20+ years (remember Howard & Friends?)
• I am a Senior Instructor for the Council of Residential Specialist's CRS 206 technology course
• I am the Founder and President of the CyberStars®.  These 200+ top agents from the US, Canada, the Bahamas and Australia use technology extensively in their businesses, and they show me what really works when it comes to using today's technology in real estate
• I am the author of several best selling books on real estate technology and a major blog on marketing with today's technology. 

I have studied Twitter and am aware of the buzz surrounding it.  I realize that social networking is the hot topic in real estate today.  I know that social networking seminars, (the good, the bad and the ugly) do a box office business in many areas because many agents view social networking is the "magic bullet" that will make their business more successful.  In reality, it does not.  It is fun, it is informative, it can "get the word out" to select groups, but it is not in any way essential to your business.

Unfortunately, too many agents are spending their time, energy and money learning more and more about social networking, especially Twitter, when they should be focusing on other concepts, tools and seminars that will actually make them money, save them money and save them time. 

Please understand that I do see value in social networking.  Some of my CyberStars®, for example, are getting business from various social networking sites, more from Facebook than from Twitter.  There is value, too, in social networking as a tool for "getting the word out" to groups re. meetings, natural disasters and just plain fun stuff. 

This does not mean, however, that tweeting is a significant marketing tool, especially when compared to other tech tools available to us.  The time taken to learn how to make any degree of money from Twitter can be much better spent in other areas, as mentioned below. 

The buzz about Twitter today is similar to the CB craze in the 70's.  Prior to the oil crisis of 1973, only professionals (i.e. truckers) had and used CB's.  After that, everybody and his brother (and sister) had one.  The airwaves were filled with chatter during rush hour and on the Interstates, most of it inane.  Lots of 4-wheelers learned some of the jargon; hardly any learned enough of it so that they were taken seriously by the truckers. 

Then the fad waned.  The 4-wheelers put their CB's in the garage, sanity returned to the airwaves and CB's again became the province of the professional trucker.  Such will be the fate of Twitter. 

Indeed, there are signs that this is already happening.  Harvard University released a study of 300,000+ Twitter users this month.  Its main finding was that 90% of Twitter content is generated by 10% of Twitter users.  Compete.com's excellent technology blog showed that unique visitors, having reached 20 million per month in March, leveled off at that point.

Remember my main argument: Twitter has its place, but it is not and never will be a significant money maker for real estate agents, especially compared with other tech tools that are.  Further, time spent learning and using Twitter can be better spent pursuing other real estate marketing tools. 

What are these marketing tools?  Here is my list of for tips for really building your business by focusing on technology that provides an agent's highest return on investment. 

Your personal agent Web site and blog.  87% of today's consumers go first to the Web to find a home or to find an agent to sell their current home.  Why, then, are the majority of agent sites so lousy (no video or virtual tours of neighborhoods or homes, no downloadable documents, no video client testimonials, limited home photos, just brick and mortar information, etc.)?  Simply because most agents are not willing to put the time and money into getting and continually updating a consumer-oriented Web site and blog.   Time and money spent on ones consumer-oriented Web sites and blogs have the highest return on investment of any of today's marketing methods....fact! 

Automatic followup systems.  Good agents get lots of prospects and even poor agents get some prospects.  It is important, then, that you have automatic followup systems to handle the inquires you get.  High producing agents use systems such as auto responders (with well-written messages, not just, "I am out of the office at the moment but your message is important to me..."), a real estate (not Outlook) database, RealProSystems and the Gooder Group's eRainmaker to both generate and automatically followup on leads.  Time spent investigating, buying and utilizing such systems has a much higher return on investment than time spent on Twitter. 

Systematize your business.  A real estate specific database like Top Producer 8i or Respond (not Outlook!) is a system.  An automatic followup program is a system.  Automating the tasks required to get from contract to closing is a system.  Hiring a VA (Virtual Assistant) to do the "little things" is a system.  Time spent systematizing your business pays far greater benefits than twittering....especially in that it gives you time to get a life rather than working all the time while still making a great living! 

Attend seminars that really pay off....for you!  Short sales prevalent in your area?  Attend seminars showing you how to handle short sales.  Not sure which technology is worth investing in or how to use it to increase your business?  Attend the CRS 206 technology course.  Not running your business like a business?  Attend the CRS 200 business planning course.  Your listing skills aren't up to par?  Take the CRS 201 listing course and become a top lister.  These and a few other seminars pay off...immediately.

A final word about social networking seminars.  Social networking seminars taught by "techies" who are expert twitterers but who do not understand real estate marketing are of little value to your business.  Social Networking seminars taught by real estate agents who have successful real estate businesses and who also understand Twitter, are of value.  Two excellent Social Networking instructors come to mind: James Nellis, CRS, and Mike Parker, CRS.  Both are very successful agents.  Both understand how to market to today's consumer using Twitter, Facebook, Active Rain and other Social Networking media.  Run, don't walk, to their seminars and Webinars! 

Am I saying that you should pay no attention to social networking, especially to Twitter?  Not at all.  Social networking does have a place in your business if done correctly, and it certainly has a place in your personal life.  What I am saying is that most agents should not spend the time on it that they do on it because it is not paying off and it detracts from tech tools and strategies that do pay off. 

Still sound like heresy to you?  Well, I don't have any control over that.  All I can do is to share my views and opinions with you and assure you that they are tempered by an understanding of what really works in our business.  Technology, good technology, must form the backbone of any agent's business if he or she wants to meet the needs of today's consumer and make a good living.  Can't text?  You have a problem.  Have a weak Web site, you have a problem.  No blog?  You have a problem.  In other words, there is worthwhile, profitable technology and there is "bleeding edge" technology that does not make you money, save you money and save you time.  I hope you'll focus on the former. 

Now I think I'll go fishin' for a bit.  There is a 5 pound bass or two waiting for me, it's a beautiful day here on the lake, and I hope it's a great day wherever you are, too!

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