You likely already know how important networking is to your real estate business. While technology and social media have made it easier to network, it’s important to know how to do it effectively so that you don’t find yourself wasting time or money.
Sites like Facebook provide endless opportunities for online networking, but there’s one way to network with your target audience that you may now have thought about.
Online Groups
You may not have thought much about it, but existing Facebook groups can be great spaces to find leads. I don’t mean just real estate specific groups, either, but other thriving groups set up for locations, interests, advocacies, and the like.
Find Groups You Are Interested In
Join groups that you have legitimate interest in. For instance, if you enjoy cycling, find local cycling groups to join. See if there’s a group set up for your particular area or neighborhood.
Look for groups that are advocating for something you believe in. There seems to be an existing group set up for pretty much anything you can think of!
Interacting With the Online Community
After you’ve joined a few groups, make sure to take a little time each day to interact with those communities. If you can share knowledge related to real estate, this will help others see you as a knowledgeable authority on the subject, and they’ll be likely to remember you later when they need an agent.
Every so often, these interactions may spur direct messages about real estate, and then it’s up to you to convert these leads into clients.
Any interaction is good interaction, though. Even if there’s nothing real estate-related being posted within the group, you should still be active in the groups. The more someone sees your name, the better. As you continue to interact with the groups you’ve joined, the other members will start to get to know you.
Besides, every time you’re replying to people in a group, it’s highly likely that they are taking the time to look at your Facebook profile to see who you are. This is a great low-key way to get your name out there and let everyone know you’re a real estate agent, without ever having to feel pushy about it.
Don’t be surprised when you end up with friend requests, increasing your network!
Double Check What Others See
In order for this method to be as effective as possible, make sure that your profile states your profession (and that it’s public), and have an appropriate profile picture. It doesn’t need to be your professional headshot, although that would be best, but it probably shouldn’t be a photo of you doing keg stands, either.
Interacting with online groups is really the easiest way to get your name out there. It’s almost like free advertising, and free is always good! It really only costs you a little bit of time each day.
