By Carol O’Hanley
Selling real estate in 2011 is nothing like it was just six years ago when I first got into the business, working with my husband here in Charlottetown, PEI. Before that, I worked as an administrative assistant in a real estate office, so I’ve been familiar with industry trends for close to a decade now. If you’ve also been around for that long, you know that the business of real estate is a whole different ball game.
Today, my husband Steve does most of the selling for our team while I handle the online aspect of the business. I’m honestly not sure who puts in more hours, but I have a strong sense that I’m the one having more fun!
I’ve always been a social person, but since entering the world of real estate I’ve been getting out and meeting people more than ever before to network. If there is a luncheon to go to, an evening business mixer to attend, or any other way to get my card into someone’s hand, you can bet on me being there. I think that’s why I’m so attracted to Facebook and Twitter, because being social comes naturally to me.
These days, everything I do when I’m out networking not only helps spread the word about our business to the people I meet in person, but it also is promoted to the thousand or so people who follow me on Twitter and Facebook. Potential clients can see that I’m out there and involved in my community, which can only help bring exposure to a property they have to sell if they list with us.
If you’re not promoting your real estate business with social media, you are really missing out on some amazing opportunities to grow your network. And social media is a two-way street. I get all of my real estate news and other information from Twitter and Facebook. It really helps me to stay connected to my community and to stay on top of industry trends.
One of my favourite examples of how my “real-life” social life has been interwoven with my online social life is the Island Tweethearts – a group of 12 professional women who know each other mostly from Twitter. We get together over supper once each month to talk business, share laughs, support each other and give back to the community. Each month we all donate $10 to put towards a cause we all agree on for that particular month.
I am also the lead organizer for our PEI Tweet-Ups. Four times a year, 100 or so people come out to chat and get to know the people they might only know by Twitter handle.
For our real estate business, these activities are huge because I’m getting our name in front of all of these people so often. More importantly, people get to know me as a real person and not just an agent.
Another example of how I’m using social media locally to help grow our business is through the Islanders by Choice Alliance (IBCA), an organization which I co-chair. An Islander by Choice is anyone who chooses to live in PEI, whether they were born here or not. The group started when I was talking with a Twitter acquaintance (who isn’t originally from PEI) about how so many newcomers to the province find it hard to forge relationships with native Islanders.
The IBCA uses Twitter and Facebook to help spread the word, and it’s taken off like wildfire. As a real estate agent, I’m interested in helping people feel comfortable in their new home and their new community, so it’s important to me to help people feel welcome here. If I sell a few homes along the way, that’s great, but it’s not my main motivation.
I think that’s key with all this. If you want to be successful with social media, don’t use it to sell, sell, sell all the time. Just be yourself, give people a look at your human side, and the rest just takes care of itself.
Carol O’Hanley (a.k.a. @peihouses) has a diverse background, having worked in human services, retail sales and office administration before getting her real estate license in 2005. Carol’s partner in business and life, Steve Yoston, has 11 years experience in real estate sales and has been a consistent top producing agent, winning numerous production awards. Together Carol and Steve have created a master sales team that puts their clients’ needs first. Visit www.PEIHouses.com or www.HowToBuyPEIRealEstate.com, where you can download their free ebook.
