REALTORS and Social Networking - It’s about Making Connections

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People often ask why do you blog? That’s just like opening yourself up for sabotage and all the negative comments and blah blah blah. Yep, you are absolutely right. It opens me up to the public. It’s not my little black and white head in a newspaper that says I am the number one real estate agent/top producer/multi-million dollar agent. You can either like or leave it. That is exactly how I have been conducting business lately. This is my little portal to the outside world that is looking to relocate or buy and sell real estate in my part of the world, Frederick, MD. (A lot of keywords in that sentence) Since this blog is just me writing about local events and real estate information, it opens the reader up to whether I am an idiot or not…(don’t answer that one, the jury is still out.) But you get the idea. This website is just me.

I have a had a few readers actually use me to buy and sell a house or two. I am ever grateful for meeting these fine folks. You see what happens when some one reads what you write and read what other say about you, (refer to the top) they either like it or leave it. It takes the awkwardness out of meeting your REALTOR® for the first time only to find out that he or she is an idiot. There’s no guess work here. I like to have fun and people that find me here, know that. They also find out that I might know a thing or two about real estate (maybe something about the local area too.)

Here is what Jeanne had to say about me in the Washington Post article over the weekend.

“I’d been told to never pick a Realtor out of a hat, but I feel like Bob was recommended to us out of the comments on the Internet,” she said. “I just remember reading Bob and going ‘Oh, yeah. He’s the one.’ ” Washington Post Real Estate Section

Jeanne found me here well over a year ago and we have been in contact ever since. It has been easy to stay in contact with her and her family because we have similar personalities. I have been fortunate to see her family grow and have been to her children s birthday parties. This type of relationship has also been built with others.

Not only has the social networking helped clients find me, but has also built great relationships across the U.S. in the real estate industry or the RE.net. The small core group of real estate agents across the United States have been networking for years building businesses and friendships along the way. We help each other with websites, marketing ideas and new business ventures. Within this network we are able to share real estate referrals that we know when we hand off a client to someone across the US, that they are in good hands. They are not blindly passed on to some stranger that has access to the MLS.

The Washington Post article about “Making Connections“ has also listed a few professionals that I have come to know over the years. This would not have been possible without networking. It started with Active Rain, a Jonathan Washburn creation, a couple years back.

I just love the quote for obvious reasons -

“In this type of environment the cream rises to the top,” ~Jonathan Washburn, Active Rain

I think I was member number 25,000 or something. The Active Rain real estate network is now almost 105,000 professionals in the Real Estate industry. This network taught me how to put all of this into perspective. Jeff Turner, MFIC of Real Estate Shows, is the master of pulling this social networking thing together and he has taught me almost everything I needed to know. All of this technology is about YEO - You Engaging Others. No matter what technology you use, it’s about you getting in front of others…making face to face connections. (edit) How can I forget Teresa Boardman, I mirrored this site after her very popular Real Estate site about St. Paul. She is all that and a bag of chips…she’ll even tell you herself.

In the article, I was mentioned in the company of Frank Llosa and Danilo Bogdanovic. Both I have had the honor of meeting in person this past year. Frank has a very unique way a finding he’s clients and is truly a genius. There is no doubt, he will make you think. Danilo knows Loudon County VA inside and out. He truly displays his expertise of the area through his blog.

Thank you to the clients that were interviewed for this article. The checks in the mail.

Have a great day!

August 18, 2008 · Filed Under Frederick MD Real Estate

Comments

2 Responses to “REALTORS and Social Networking - It’s about Making Connections”

Heather Elias on August 18th, 2008 10:59 pm

Seriously, kudos to you as a great agent and a great friend too. You deserve all the good stuff that life brings to you…

Heather Eliass last blog post..Ameridream and Nehemiah Programs May Be Eliminated
Ines on August 21st, 2008 4:04 pm

Bob - you are DA BOMB!! admit it, no joke. It IS about making relationships and it IS about showing are human side (whether it’s goofy or silly or stiff). The beauty of this Medium is that we learn from each other on a regular basis. Those clients that have found you are lucky (but that’s only my opinion)
Iness last blog post..Miami Commercial Real Estate secret handshake