In the real estate industry, maintaining an online presence is now vital to success. More people start their search for homes and real estate agents online than ever. Being seen as a reputable and authoritative leader in your industry can help you gain clients, sell more homes, and expand your network within the real estate industry. You can ensure all three are happening by engaging in real estate groups on social media. Where should you start? Here are five social media groups you should join today!
National Association of REALTORS®
This one is a no-brainer. Because the NAR is such an authority in the real estate industry, following their groups is vital. Participate in these groups to learn from and connect with thousands of talented, engaged followers discussing the latest trends and information about the industry every day. You can join their LinkedIn group and follow them elsewhere, as well, via the links below.
Real Estate Professionals and Vendor Network (LinkedIn)
With nearly 50,000 members, this LinkedIn Group is constantly publishing great industry information and sharing professional experiences. If you have questions about your real-estate start-up, expansion into new territories, or maintaining growth, this group is the place to ask. If you blog, this group is a great place to share your posts and receive feedback.
Real Estate Group (Facebook)
Hate cruising ten different sites just to find articles pertinent to the real estate industry? The Facebook group does a great job of finding and posting new, relevant articles about the industry by reputable new sources from all over the country. They offer great information to share on your Facebook business page!
Inman News
Present in nearly all social media networks, Inman groups are excellent places to learn and network. Inman News groups provide the latest industry news, information on national networking events, and smart conversations that spark debate. Inman groups will help you connect with other industry leaders, find seminars to further your knowledge, and stay up to date with the newest real estate trends. You can join their LinkedIn group and follow them elsewhere, as well, via the following links.
Real Estate Hashtags on Twitter
Industry-related Twitter hashtags allow you to engage in ongoing conversations with real estate professionals on Twitter. Hashtags are useful because they allow you to reach people who aren’t following you, as well as those who are. For example, if you want to discuss a topic on foreclosures, you may want to include the hashtag “#foreclosures” in your tweet. This way, everyone else on Twitter who is discussing foreclosures with that hashtag can see your tweet. You can also use hashtags to specifically reach potential clients in your area by using a geotargeted hashtag such as #SanDiego or #SanDiegoListings. Of course, the best hashtag for reaching other real estate professionals on Twitter is #RealEstate.
Why Should Real Estate Pros Join Social Media Groups?
In previous blog posts, we’ve discussed why it’s important for professionals to join industry-related social media groups. Here’s a review of that information and a look at why it’s important for real estate professionals specifically.
Get Advice – By participating in groups with other real estate professionals, you can ask questions and discover ideas from others across the world who are experiencing the same challenges you face.
Gain Recognition – Whether you are discussing industry topics with other professionals in LinkedIn groups, or providing helpful information to consumers in Facebook groups, you are gaining exposure for yourself and your company. Providing helpful information helps you establish yourself and your company as an industry expert. After all, what buyer or seller wouldn’t want to book with the industry experts?!
Discover Great Content – Ever felt like you just aren’t sure what to post in your social media networks? Ever struggled to think of a topic for your next blog post? The content other professionals share in professional groups is usually high-quality and very helpful. Your peers in these groups provide a great source of potential content to share within your social networks. Additionally, the topics and challenges discussed within groups can provide great inspiration for future blog posts and other content.
Drive Website Traffic – Social media groups are a great place to post links to the helpful content you create, like blog posts or e-books. Doing so will drive traffic from both your professional peers and buyers and sellers.
Increase Sales – When you create helpful information for consumers and provide that information within social network groups, you will drive traffic to your website and give people a reason to use your services instead of your competition.
Unexpected Opportunities – Participating in social network groups can produce many types of other unexpected opportunities. The relationships you build in these groups could lead to speaking invitations, writing opportunities, business opportunities and more!
Know of any great social media groups for real estate professionals that aren’t listed here? Please share them in the comments section.
