Facebook for Real Estate? Check out Roost Social Media Toolkit

Looking for new ways to connect with folks in your community? You've probably heard of this thing called Facebook. They even made a movie about it.

But did you know there is a firm in the real estate space that offers not only free webinars but also a free "social media toolkit" for your use?

If you're interested in using Facebook for your real estate business, check out all that Roost has to offer. Starting today and running through the month of February, Roost is offering 20 FREE webinars, conducted by those who really know real estate. For a list of webinar offerings, click here. You'll notice they're very targeted in terms of topic and audience, so regardless of your breadth or depth of Facebook knowledge, you'll likely find something that interests you. And did I mention they're FREE?

Note: We are not affiliated with Roost, nor do we get paid for promoting them. We just like what they do.

Why we support Real Estate BarCamps

On September 12th from 12PM to 5PM, the Hilton Suites Ocean City Oceanfront will be host to the second Real Estate BarCamp, Ocean City Maryland. And Mid-Atlantic Settlement Services will be participating by sponsoring and attending. This will be the 9th RE BarCamp we sponsor.

So why do we do it?

• The attendees are as passionate about brokerage and agency as we are about title. It's a perfect match.
• We believe that technology can make the entire real estate process more seamless, less clumsy, and more user-friendly. The focus is always on the buyer and seller.
• RE BarCamp fosters discussion, and discussion fosters relationships. Very few venues in the real estate space offer this type of interaction.
• Many of the techniques and strategies utilized by agents and brokers can be applied directly to our business.
• We get to meet agents face-to-face that we only previously knew online.
• It's more than just a little fun!

Have you thought about attending one, but didn't want to commit an entire workday? Are you attending the MAR Annual Conference and Tradeshow in September? Have you ever wanted to visit Ocean City, MD in September, perhaps the best time of year to be there?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, click here to get on this list. We'll see you on September 12th!

Virtual Real Estate BarCamp: Brief Recap

Yesterday marked the second installment of Jim Cronin and Real Estate Tomato's Virtual Real Estate BarCamp, prominently held in a computer near you. Across the country, 1000's of real estate agents and professionals logged into various webinars to see presentations by some of the best in the RE.net space. Here are a few I was able to attend (at least in part) and at least one takeaway from each.

Sherry Chris on Next Generation Brokerages

Sherry talked about the brokerage of the future. Sherry sees less physical office space, more technology, and is committed to helping agents generate leads and convert them. She cited NAR's statistic that 80% of people who list their home do not use the REALTOR(r) who sold it to them. Sherry and BHG's vision on Next Generation real estate can be found here.

Jeff Turner on Listening with Intent

Jeff provided the group with some great Twitter tools to allow you really listen to see who is saying what about a particular topic, including TweetGrid and Twazzup. I learned that "retweeting" later allows you reach a different group of people, and thereby makes you a better listener.

Jay Thompson on Getting Your Blog On

This was the most topical for me, as I am struggling to blog consistently. Jay talked about what to blog about, when to blog, and most importantly to focus more on consistent, passionate content than search engine optimization (SEO). Jay's presentation can be found here.

Rob Hahn on Social Media Heresies

Rob's premise was simple yet powerful: focus on making a better product or providing a better service, and let your fans use social media for you. He cited Apple as a company that does nothing directly in the social media space, but is obviously highly successful and relies heavily on its customers to market for them. Rob's entire presentation can be found here.

Keep an eye on the Virtual Real Estate BarCamp website (or the regular Real Estate BarCamp site) if this stuff interests you and you want to attend one yourself. Lots of knowledge, no cost!

Where in the World Wide Web are we?

In addition to this blog, we have popped little internet tents up in other locations as well. Please come see us, join us, follow us, link in with us, etc.

Our Web page --> www.MASettlement.com

Our Facebook page --> www.facebook.com/pages/Hunt-Valley-MD/Mid-Atlantic-Settlement-Services/54250543277

Our LinkedIn page --> www.linkedin.com/companies/206283

Our Twitter page --> www.Twitter.com/MASettlement

Thursday Blog Scan

Real Estate Agents:

Some great discussion going on out there on the interwebs. Are you reading? Thinking? Commenting? Three highlights, by topic:

Agency: Jim Duncan’s Real Central VA blog and Ardell DellaLoggia’s Rain City Guide blog.

Technology: (IDX Scraping v. Indexing discussion): Agent Genius (where story broke) and Realtor.org’s Speaking of Real Estate blog.

Ethics: VARBuzz.com discussion on blog comments and liability.

How quick, honest and public is your customer service?

Do you fly Southwest Airlines? If so, you are familiar with their boarding procedures. There are no assigned seats, but rather 3 “groups” (A, B and C), and numbers within those groups. The earlier you check in, the better group and number you get.

This was a revolutionary change when Southwest introduced it years ago. They claim it allows them to get planes boarded and in the air quicker. Given their success in avoiding delays, I would say they are right.

But that is old news.

What I saw today on Twitter is what we mean we talk about New Marketing, Social Media, Web 2.0 (or whatever you want to call it) to handle customer service.

Follow this exchange just this morning.

At about 7:00 AM, Chris Brogan (@ChrisBrogan) asked the following question via Twitter:

Dear @southwestair - I don't find the open seating all that useful. Is that going to change eventually?

Shortly after 8:00 AM, Southwest, via its Twitter account, answered with the following:

@chrisbrogan probably not, we tested assigned seats before, and found we can turn the plane quicker with open seating. Sorry!

(Let’s forget for a second that Chris Brogan is a well-known blogger and is very influential, because that point doesn’t fit well in my argument. Agreed?)

In terms of corporate response, this is lightning fast. It is not pandering, patronizing, or condescending. It is not canned or filled with jargon. And most remarkably, it’s public. The entire world can watch this exchange.

If you had been wondering whether Southwest was going to change its seating policy anytime soon, now you know.

Is your communication free to move about the country?

Top 10 Reasons to attend a Real Estate Bar Camp

As I’ve mentioned a few times in past posts, we have become involved in the Real Estate Bar Camp movement. As defined by its website, RE Bar Camp is “an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment. It is an intense event with discussions, demos, and interaction from attendees.”

Having attended one and signed up for another (Philly, May 27th), here is my stab at the Top 10 Reasons to attend an RE Bar Camp in your area:

1. You will witness real estate experts sharing the secrets of their success. To everyone. For free.

2. You will definitely learn about one new social media site you didn’t know before.

3. You will probably get to meet Jeff Turner.

4. If you are brand new to this social media thing, you will be embraced (Caveat: just bring an open mind with you).

5. If you are a super tech geek black-belt ninja, you will still learn something new.

6. If you have been following people on Twitter who are also attending, you will find 99% of them to be just as great face to face.

7. The pre-event happy hour (sometimes called Beer for Bloggers) is where the real networking and discussion happens.

8. You will learn what whuffie and YEO are. And why both will help your business.

9. You will interact with people. Not brands, speakers, companies, sales pitches, awards or agendas. Real ideas, real people.

10. You will meet real estate agents who love what they do and are proud to be agents.

Derek Massey Featured in Maryland Daily Record

Through its On The Record blog, The Daily Record (Maryland's only daily newspaper besides The Sun) occasionally interviews local businesspeople who blog or use social media to promote themselves or their industry. Their goal is to show the business and legal community how to harness the power of the Web professionally.

This week, On The Record caught up with me (Derek Massey) to discuss how I use social media for business. Clink this link for the interview.

You are not too old for Facebook! (Social Media is not defined by age)

Did you know that the largest growing demographic in social media is the “34- to 49 years of age? Women aged 55 and older are the largest growing group among bloggers. According to a recent study completed by Nielsen's Social Media and Blogging is now the fourth most popular activity on the internet. The reason this is happening is because Social Media is less about technology than it is about a new way to create and build relationships. Technology tends to be a barrier for a lot of people, but the reality is that if you can send an email you can be part of the Social Media phenomenon. How many times have you had a great story that you wanted to share? Social media has created instant publishing and consumption for stories. For example, I was traveling a major road on my way to an appointment and listening to the radio for the latest news, traffic, etc. when I received a traffic alert from a friend via Twitter. This allowed me to alter my course and stay on time for my appointment. The entire time the local radio station never mentioned this complete road closure. Everyone has been caught in unexpected traffic from time to time, which caused you to be late, right? The person you are meeting with will say they understand, but do they really?

People are investing a lot more time on the internet these days. According to Nielsen's people are averaging 3 hours 10 minutes per person on Facebook alone. That is up 566% from the same time last year. [ I am not certain that I spend that much time on Facebook, but I can tell you that I find myself investing more time on Facebook and less time watching TV. Could Social Media replace traditional forms of media like TV? My behavior has been changed. Interacting with friends and family members is always better than the TV. I have reconnected with friends from elementary school to college and it is like we never missed a beat. When it comes to social media you can be as engaged as you want to be and it is at no cost. Business-minded folks have said for years "that you can't make money by watching TV reruns." Professionally, I have made great connections with past colleagues and I have been introduced to some of my best new customers by using LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Web 2.0 is changing our lives by building and rekindling relationships. This is just the beginning...

Source:
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/nielsen_globalfaces_mar09.pdf

But I have the DVD...

Today I was on Twitter when I came upon the following tweet from my friend Marc Pina:

The Godfather is on AMC... I own the DVD collection, why must I watch this whenever this is on? As soon as I'm out, they pull me back in!

Great question. We've all been there. I can name a dozen films that fit into this category, including Dodgeball, Wedding Crashers, or any Godfather or Rocky movie. I have them all on DVD, but I too will get sucked into the TV broadcast.

But why? Clearly it's not a better viewing experience. There are commercials. The good scenes and bad language are edited out. The sound and audio quality are much less than on DVD.

I guess one explanation is laziness. We don't want to get up and put the DVD in the player when it's on TV. But I truly believe there is a much better explanation, and it's about connection.

When we come across "The Godfather" on TV, we want to tell our friends, like Marc did. We know there could be thousands or maybe millions of other people watching. Maybe someone will mention it the next day at work? There is some possible connection being made that doesn't exist when we're experiencing an event in a vacuum. It's the same with a song on the radio. It's why Blip.fm is becoming so popular, despite the fact that it can be pretty tedious to find a song. People want to connect, interact and share experiences.

This is why social media is such an important part of our business today. Consumers want this connection, and it's not just personal anymore. Real estate agents, are you on Facebook? Are you interacting, and not just listing? Loan officers, are you on Twitter? Are you quoting rates so your legions of followers know - at any given point in the day - what your current rates are? If you're not, you should know that your competitors are.

Your marketing needs to be the TV show that everyone's watching, not the DVD.

Why Should a Title Company be on Twitter?

I admit, I started tweeting because it was novel, fun and the real estate industry was embracing it in spades. Then, almost mid-tweet, it occurred to me that this thing called Twitter may have some legs, and more importantly some utility to a title company. Keeping in mind that as an industry we are part (mostly, really) business-to-business and part business-to-consumer, I thought I'd break down exactly how a title company can benefit from actively using Twitter:

Subject Matter Knowledge: In short, getting into the heads of real estate agents! What are the concerns that many share in the industry? What kind of technology are folks turning to? What blogs are agents creating, reading and commenting on? Sure, real estate is local and provincial, but the biggest challenges and solutions are universal. Twitter allows me to listen in on a conversation between real estate agents and walk away with a much better understanding of their challenges. How can that not make me a better title guy?

Virtual Handshake: I find myself getting to know individual real estate agents on a level I wouldn't otherwise. Through Twitter, I learned of Real Estate Bar Camp Virginia 2009 (REBCVA) taking place in Fredericksburg, VA next week. Forget the fact that without Twitter I wouldn't have learned of the event, I will walk into the Monday evening Happy Hour knowing that Heather Elias REALLY likes coffee, Rob Hahn is a Jets fan, and Matt Wilkins prefers The Simpsons to The Family guy. While I wholeheartedly agree with Heather yet take issue with Rob and Matt, it's nice walking into a setting with some common ground. I already know something about these folks, and am genuinely excited to meet them!

Cross-Platform Marketing: This is the obvious one, but worth mentioning. As a title company, do you have a website? A blog? A Facebook page? Do you want more people going to those sites? With enough real Twitter followers, you can drive traffic to your other content. Obviously this comes at a price...the more you are pushing your product or service, the less people will be interested in you.

Lead Generation: I am not talking about leads for a title transaction (yet). Instead, I am talking about someone looking for a mortgage or a real estate agent, and being able to refer that lead to those loan officers and real estate agents in my network. Where I am a resource or a referral source for my clients, I am of value. Twitter enables that platform.

Chatting with Other Title Guys: Am I the only one seeing an increase in refinance orders? Are these funding delays by Lender X specific to my region, or is everyone experiencing them? How are others handling it? Through Twitter, I learn (almost in real time) what others in the industry are experiencing.

Keeping in Touch With the Team: There are about 5-6 of us who utilize Twitter regularly. I've found it a great way to know who is where, and what they have going on. I was once in a client's parking lot, ready to leave when I got a tweet from a TSR telling me she was still in the office. Since I do not want to miss an opportunity to meet with members of my sales team face to face, I was able to catch up. Without Twitter, I wouldn't have known she was still there.

Bonus (The Open House): So let's say I'm a conveyancing attorney in Massachusetts (technically, I am...just not a practicing one) and I am, as always, looking to get a leg up on my competition. As I am driving to the grocery store to run some errands, I get this tweet on my cell phone.

Whether Ms. Buckley is an existing client or one I have been trying to get business from, could I make an impression by stopping in with a (RESPA compliant) snack tray and some drinks? Offer to help? Let some of my friends know about the open house? This tool allows me to jump at an opportunity I may not otherwise know about.

I have not even mentioned utilizing Twitter as a Customer Service Channel in the same vein as Frank Eliason from Comcast, as I am not sure there are enough of our customers on Twitter (yet!), but I fully expect that to change in coming months.

Like anything, Twitter is but a tool; one tool of many in the marketing toolbox. Without the right sales approach and fundamental operational excellence, Twitter will do nothing to make us a better title company. But assuming we are otherwise running well and efficiently, Twitter helps open a door into our operation and likewise open doors into our clients' needs and wants.

Follow the company and team on Twitter: @MASettlement, @DerekMassey, @DanielColeman, @HarryYazbek, @LynnHenley, @DBHolland and @SusanLloydOC

Generation G

Author and Speaker extraordinaire Jeffrey Gitomer says that "everything being equal people want to do business with their friends and everything being unequal people still want to do business with their friends." Jeffrey is telling us that if you want to make more money you should make more friends. So the question becomes “how do you make more friends?” The most overlooked rules in life are "play nice" and "share". Playing nicely with others and sharing can be a challenge not only for children, but for adults as well. Play nice and share because you value their friendship not because you want something from them.

Where are your friends playing these days? The internet! To be more exact, they are playing on the new and improved Web 2.0 version. Remember when you had an Atari and everyone else had the Nintendo? Well it is time for you to once again put down your joystick and pick up the control pad. Get on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, read a blog, post a comment, or write a blog. Now is the time because Web 2.0 is still new to a lot of people.

I recently came across two related articles about what is known as Generation “G”. You have heard about the Baby Boomers and Generation "X". Let me introduce you to the generation that is not defined by the year in which they were born. This new generation is a mix of all generations known as Generation "G". What is Generation "G" and how do you market to them?

According to TrendWatching.com, Generation G:

Captures the growing importance of 'generosity' as a leading societal and business mindset. As consumers are disgusted with greed and its current dire consequences for the economy—and while that same upheaval has them longing more than ever for institutions that care—the need for more generosity beautifully coincides with the ongoing (and pre-recession) emergence of an online-fueled culture of individuals who share, give, engage, create and collaborate in large numbers.

Copyblogger’s Brian Clark takes the concept a step further and discusses how to market to this generation. While he is speaking mainly to online marketers, this still applies for this in the real estate space:

But here’s the win-win-win-win that results when you give away valuable content in a smart way. Not only do you get attention, and not only are you viewed as generous, you’re viewed as a subject matter expert who demonstrates expertise instead of simply claiming it. You’re building authority with prospects while kicking in the reciprocity effect, so they in turn amplify your authority by talking about you to others. The same process will result in the 4th “win” - Google viewing you as an authority and ranking you high in the search results (more on this in the near future). If you’ve managed to attract attention from prospective customers or clients who view you as a generous expert, AND you’ve got great search results, you’re way ahead of the vast majority of your competition. And yet, you can take it even further thanks to social networking.

How do we apply this to real estate or the title industry?

• Create content that consumers and real estate professionals can call upon 24/7 to help them with whatever issue they have.
• Ensure “Salespeople” are resources, equipped with the knowledge and willingness to help on transactions they are not going to profit on.
• Create hotlines and helpdesk email platforms (manned by real people) to take in questions and answer them timely.
• Be where the people are, namely Facebook and Twitter.
• Where proper and legal, bring service failure resolution out into the open so people can see how it happened, and what you did to fix it.
  

Running a business with transparency, honesty and integrity is not a novel concept. The novelty resides in the fact that these current times demand it, and the current technology not only allows for it, but supports and encourages it!

We're on Facebook!

Mid-Atlantic Settlement Services now has a Facebook page. Please stop in and become a fan!

Thank you Devin Holland (our Salisbury and Ocean City, MD Title Service Rep) for spearheading this little project.