Social media connecting buyers with agents

Today, there are a number of resources available for families who are considering moving to a new home. A report in the Miami Herald points to the significance of social media in today's real estate landscape.

Brokers are making use of social networking websites like Twitter, Foursquare and Facebook, where they can blast their location or share images and data of homes for sale with prospective clients, the paper reports. Real estate agents said that it's a natural extension that they use to reach a mass quantity of moving families. If Facebook were a country, for instance, its user base would consist of the third-largest population in the world, said the report.

"Now that social media has gone mainstream, it's very important for real estate agents to be engaged in it in some way, shape or form,'' Beth Butler, owner of a Florida consulting firm, told the paper. "If not, your competition will be."

Foursquare has been a particularly strong tool because it allows agents to "check in" with their location when they're visiting a property. By clicking on the agent's name, homebuyers will be able to find out what units are for sale in that property and get vital details.

The social media networks build on the popularity of Craigslist, which has traditionally been a powerhouse listing tool for real estate agents and moving families. But the site has been criticized for a preponderance of bad listings and scams.
 

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