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A "soft-sell" approach to marketing your listings on Facebook w/seller participation

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with RealSupport Inc.

These days it seems to be all about Facebook! Actually, let me rephrase, it IS all about Facebook! Social networking has become an unavoidable craze and as far as real estate is concerned, Facebook has definitely become a portal for marketing your properties, building relationships and staying in touch with past clients.

Here is a fun fact...It is estimated that the average Facebook user has at least 200 Facebook friends and 1/2 of Facebook users login to their account at least 1x per day. That is a huge audience that you NEED to reach out to - without offending anyone.

Because Facebook is such a terrific site and its member base is constantly growing, we had a great idea (and we hear other agents are already doing it)... We've started implementing this "soft-sell" idea with our clients Facebook accounts & listings and wanted to share it with all of you!

We have begun using Facebook as a marketing tool and believe that it has the potential to connect you with new clients and even connect you with the key elements in making that sale!

We are taking a "soft selling" approach to this new marketing method as our client, Kathy Toth of Ann Arbor, MI has recently done. She is one of several top agents currently utilizing this technique.

Here's how it will work...

1.) You send all of your sellers a "friend" request on Facebook.

2.) The seller will accept the friend request.

3.) You will upload photos of your seller's home into an album and TAG your seller in each photo of their home.

4.) Make comments on the seller's photos such as "The photos of your home turned out great!" or "We really captured the curb appeal in this photo!"

5.) Your seller should also respond to the photo comments and converse with you their home to publicize or "soft-sell" it to both your "friends" and your sellers "friends" on Facebook.

Avoid the "hard-sell" approach while exposing your listings to thousands of people! Best of all, your Real Estate Virtual Assistant can do all of this for you!

Warmest regards,

Erica Parpan
Operations Manager

Comments (38)
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Malita Jones
Sky Realty, Inc.- 512HomeStore.com - Austin, TX
Austin Texas Home Sales

I post open houses on my facebook account as well and friends really like it - brokerages are getting into the craze as well. Several have their own pages that sellers and other agents can take advantage of. I have been a facebooker for many years now - when the average friend count was less than 50 - i will tell you one thing Facebookers HATE when professionals spam them - SO DONT SPAM!!!! dont poach friends - if you dont know them and they dont know you they'll think you're a shmuck ;-)

Jul 15, 2009 06:36 AM
Rebecca Gaujot, Realtor®
Lewisburg, WV
Lewisburg WV, the go to agent for all real estate

Erica, I also like this great idea...now to get this in motion...

Jul 15, 2009 06:38 AM
Joel Weihe
Realty World Wichita - Wichita, KS

What a great idea. I use facebook a lot and now have found yet another cool way to network/sell myself. Softly. Thanks.

Jul 15, 2009 06:52 AM
Jonathan Hall
William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty - Danbury, CT
Realtor - Danbury,CT Area Real Estate~203-417-0523

Good idea. I'm in the real facebook generation, with about 750 friends. Last week, a person I knew from middle school facebooked me & wants me to sell his $420,000 home & purchase something in the middle $300s.

Jul 15, 2009 06:55 AM
TIM MONCRIEF
Tim Monciref - Austin, TX
Over 2,000 homes sold…..

An odd movement is going on whereby my sphere is now contacting me on Facebook instead of my email.  I have been playing with some of my sphere by replying to a request in Facebook on an email to see if they reply to the email.  More often than not, the replies are coming back on Facebook.  I don't have an answer to this, but find it a bit odd and interesting.  We are definitely in early stages of an internet communication movement.

Jul 15, 2009 07:26 AM
Dave Wierzbicki
RE/Act Real Estate Coaching System - Reading, PA
RE/Act Real Estate Coaching System

Love it

I'm not a Facebook junky but I do understand the markets of tomorrow and a parent of 2 teenage kids that will be buying a home in the next 10 years. This is how this generation will buy and sell.

Those of us who don't jump on the train, will be wondering where all the people went.

If kids are breaking up these days by texting, they'll be doing everything else they can via technology.  Might want to take it a step further and have the mortgage lender, appraiser, title company and co agents chime in on the pictures or lead generating comments

Jul 15, 2009 07:48 AM
Sally English
The English Team - Atlanta, GA
Sally English Atlanta Real Estate Agent

We are just beginning to see the vast potential of social networking realized.  I am on my college renunion (Vanderbilt University) attendance committee and had an ah ha moment this morning when I realized I could use facebook to reach the majority of my class - they are already online!

Sally English

www.englishteam.com

 

Jul 15, 2009 08:00 AM
Anonymous
Marcia Hawken

Fantastic idea.  I am just getting into social networking and wish I would have gotten in sooner.  What a great way to market properties.  Goodbye newspaper ads that cost REALTORS a fortune!

Jul 15, 2009 08:25 AM
#26
Todd Maxedon
Brinkoetter and Associates - Sullivan, IL

 I have used facebook to promote open houses, and just recently we have created a fan page for our office. The fan page will allow us to keep current local information, our business hours, and a place for past clients to leave reviews. This is another way to let your past clients help you to sell your services to potential clients. Social media is the way our kids communicate, so it stands to reason it is a way to reach out to them.

Jul 15, 2009 08:26 AM
Laurie Meacham
Parker Real Estate Services P.C. (Logan Utah Real Estate) - Logan, UT

Erica - Thank you for the great tip!  I have posted open-house notices and new listings on my facebook, but I haven't thought of that approach.  I will definitely try it!  - Laurie

Jul 15, 2009 08:45 AM
Morgan Evans
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Manhattan, NY
LICENSED REAL ESTATE SALESPERSON

Fantastic tips, thank you for sharing this with us!

Jul 15, 2009 09:01 AM
Nyssa Smith
Keller Williams Advantage Realty - State College, PA
REALTOR, State College Area Real Estate

I ditto what Bill said: "Hi Erica, Nice way to involve your sellers in the marketing process ! Well done."

Jul 15, 2009 11:05 AM
Christianne O'Malley
Dickson Realty - Reno, NV
Exceptional Service - Delivering Results in Reno!

I use the Facebook marketplace to advertise listings as well. Then my sellers can link to the ad and push it out to their friends too!

Jul 15, 2009 11:16 AM
Muffy collins
Bridgeport, CT

Thanks for the great tips. I think facebook with just get bigger and bigger and we need to be ready. I like the soft sell idea. Thanks!

Jul 15, 2009 12:29 PM
Linda K. Mayer
License # 01767321 - La Verne, CA
Realtor, SRES, SoCAL, A REALTOR YOU CAN TRUST

I honestly was in the process of opening a Facebook account, and this is a great way for me to start!  Thanks you.

Jul 15, 2009 01:21 PM
Christine Donovan
Donovan Blatt Realty - Costa Mesa, CA
Broker/Attorney 714-319-9751 DRE01267479 - Costa M

I think this is a great idea to make use of Facebook and get your client involved in the sale of their own home.

Jul 15, 2009 01:38 PM
Pat Argo
Keller Williams Realty of Brevard - Titusville, FL
CRS

     Based on what I read here Erica, this sounds like a great application for getting sellees to help spread the word! August is my social media focus month, so i will check further into it then! :-)

Jul 15, 2009 01:57 PM
Kerry Lucasse
eXp Realty - Urban Nest Real Estate Group - Atlanta, GA
Your Urban Nest Atlanta Real Estate Consultant

Great idea!  I've been looking for an alternative to the "Just Listed in...." or "Just Reduced" posts on facebook.

Jul 15, 2009 02:48 PM
Lane Bailey
Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA
Realtor & Car Guy

Good tips.  I'll have to friend a couple of my sellers...  Actually I have friended a couple, I just need to follow up with the pics...

Jul 15, 2009 04:50 PM
Jan Sprague, CDPE Orlando Florida Real Estate
Keller Williams Classic Realty - Orlando, FL

Great idea.  I love the soft sell approach.   I'm going to use it.

Jul 16, 2009 02:33 AM
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