Guest Post by Akos Straub (Akos chose the image)
As a top producing agent, I continuously offer superior customer service for my clients and my network. I’m committed to keeping my buyers and sellers ahead of the real estate curve. I’m dedicated to helping buyers make the right choices and sellers getting the maximum level of market exposure. Coming from a business background, I have a deep understanding of how homes should be marketed.
For these reasons, I was ecstatic to see my Real Estate Brokerage, Jameson Real Estate, dive head first into social media marketing and branding. They have developed a social media strategy to improve the quality of their customer service, develop new leads, and brand the firm effectively.
Jameson has developed a new blog, “Spotlight on Chicago Real Estate” where they highlight events going on in Chicago, talk about their brokerage and agents and spotlight different Chicago neighborhoods. More brokerages need to have a blog that goes beyond SEO– A blog that encourages interaction, builds engagement, and offers actual value to the social web. I’m proud to work for a company who recognizes the true value of a blog: A jumping off point for their entire social presence.
I use blogs ever day to brand and market developments effectively. An example is my blog for the Jameson development at 630 West Barry in Chicago, where I use the medium to take online networking offline. I post information about price adjustments, developer incentives, events and open houses, while also including polls that engage readers to make sure that offline networking events are a success.
Beyond blogging, Jameson has built out a Facebook fan page, a YouTube channel, a Flickr account, a LinkedIn presence, and a Twitter presence. They now have powerful channels to reach new and old customers alike that they were not utilizing before. But what is even more powerful than their growing presence? Their understanding of how social media works.
Plenty of brokerages and firms are becoming more social– but few have a true understanding of social media. Many firms have jumped in, without a well defined strategy or plan, and have either plateau-ed or cast aside their social media efforts after they did not catch fire immediately. I definitely believe that my employer has taken the right approach.
We all know that old adage that explains how it is more powerful to teach a man to fish rather than merely giving him a fish. It is the same with social media, and Jameson has taken this to heart. They have become students of social media, and are constantly learning how to effectively communicate through the medium.
We all know that agents are doing well with their social media presence, but what about real estate firms? Do you have good examples of real estate firms utilizing social media intelligently?
About the Author:
Akos Straub is a Realtor for Jameson Real Estate, Chicago homes for sale. You can learn more about Akos at his blog, Straub Homes and follow him on Twitter.
