Why Social Media Works With Local Realtors

Local shops and eateries everywhere are starting to use social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, but one group of businesses seem to really understand how powerful the tool can be.

Realtors that work with Andover properties say that social media is key for most businesses and can be a way to genuinely connect with your customers.

However, they also say that you need to know how to use it. Endless tweets about home listings and local real estate updates will not attract customers.

Greg Afarian, who is a local realtor for Virtual Media Realty, said that one of the main reasons realtors use social media is to introduce themselves to potential clients in a non-intrusive way.

“Realtors always want to get in front of your face. It is sort of an easy way to get in front of people,” said Afarian, who is experienced with social media techniques. “If you’re looking at my pictures, you’re choosing to do that. I’m not cold calling…it is a soft way of communicating with people.”

Afarian said that he’ll post about pretty much anything, including details in his own life and his opinions. But he will also include posts about his business activities on one of his many social media sites, including Facebook and Twitter.

He said it becomes a genuine method of self-promotion and customers can actually get to know you.

“The people that you trust and know are the people you want to do business with,” said Afarian.

Andover vice president and realtor Lisa Johnson Sevajian agrees that the greatest benefit of Twitter and Facebook posts is the personal connection she can make with local people.

“It is that immediate neighborhood sort of interest that I find most beneficial,” Sevajian said.

She said that a tweet a few weeks back brought 28 groups to an open house on a small side street in Andover.

When you put up a variety of tweets or Facebook posts about yourself and your business, you allow people to look at what they want to look at and will contact you when they are genuinely interested in using you for realty.

“It is an introduction without a formal introduction. It’s not obtrusive,” said Sevajian.

Local Keller Williams realtor Mark Gracy concurred with what both Afarian and Sevajian said.

“I think you have to have a balance,” said Gracy. “If you just post work stuff all of the time, people will tune you out.”

He added that using social media has become easier since he began one to two years ago and that programs are available that will post to all of your social media accounts.

And he said that it pays off.

“I can attribute, in the last couple of months, several leads and listings just from touching base with people on Facebook (or Twitter).”

Gracy said that real estate agents are typically watching trends and that it makes sense why many real estate agents use social media.

“I think realtors tend to adopt trends. Social media has been around for a long time. Realtors tend to be on the front end of businesses that adopt technology,” said Gracy said.