We “Like” Facebook, and Here’s Why

I can think of a lot of things that I like. Pizza. Dogs. Virginia Tech football. Tecmo Bowl (the original, not the SNES remake). I also think I like the Facebook “Like” option.

I actually think I REALLY like the “Like.”

Admittedly, I was a bit fuzzy about the transition from “become a fan” to “Like this” on Facebook until I read this great piece on WellcomeMat. I agree with a lot of what was written in the WellcomeMat piece; I think Facebook has really nailed how to serve up relevant ad content to consumers who are in the market for a particular product or service offering.

What does this mean? Talk sense please.

About a month and a half ago, Facebook eclipsed Google as the most heavily trafficked place on the web. Even if that event manifested itself as a one-time occurrence (which while I do not have the data at hand, I doubt is the case), it certainly signifies a shift in web browsing habits from a linear paradigm of “input query >> get results” to a more conversational paradigm weighted towards opinions, shared experiences and user insight.

Facebook has figured out a way to deliver terrific, focused content that is tailored to you. Content that satisfies your every need with the insertion of a 4 letter verb in the form of a button. “Like.”

The creepy idea of silent data aggregation/privacy notwithstanding, the Facebook platform is a boon to advertisers and companies of all shapes and sizes. Facebook gathers data about what each one of their users “likes.” Facebook creates a consumer profile for each of its users based on profile comments, data and “likes.” Facebook delivers ad content to user based on this algorithm – creating a very highly targeted, and presumably effective, ad campaign. This model is not terribly dissimilar to many other behavior-based models out there in the advertising stratosphere, but Facebook is taking this one step further.

By allowing the usage of the “Like” button on websites, blogs etc., Facebook delivers visitors directly to advertisers tiny slice of revenue heaven – their owned media assets – complete with an inferred recommendation from their peer group. Facebook has created an advertising platform that ROCKS.

Great. So what does this mean for me?

This means a lot for you, so I am glad you asked. Here are a couple of ideas:

1. You have a listing, freshly minted and new on the market. You have a website specifically created to market that listing for your seller. Now you can incorporate a “Like” button onto your listing site and share that with the Facebook universe that is 400 Million strong and growing.
2. You have a unique skill set and specialization in assisting homeowners through the short sale process. You can place a “Like” button on this section of your website or associate the “Like” button with posts about short sales on your blog, and share all of your knowledge and content with your sphere on Facebook.

And best of all, when interested parties decide that they want to learn a bit more about your product or service, they go straight to the on-line you, your website, blog, etc., not some 3rd party “lead aggregator.” When coupled with Facebook’s burgeoning “Facebook Ads” platform, you have a recipe for a tremendous, highly targeted advertising platform on the social web.

With other content and advertising platforms gathering content from users, and selling advertising on it, Facebook is taking a GIANT step in the right direction by leveraging its users/advertisers contributions to help the original publisher. I think this model is setting up Facebook to become an advertising platform behemoth in the mid-to-long term, and certainly something all of us here in Real Estate need to be cognizant of.

Real Estate is a social business. Facebook is a social network – the largest in the states. Seems like a match made in heaven, a match that I think I really, REALLY “Like.”

-Amit

I Like Avery-Hess, and I think you should too: www.facebook.com/AveryHess

Real Estate 3.0

This past weekend was beautiful here in the DC Metro area. I spent quite a bit of time outdoors, awoken from a season long hibernation by a hyperactive and slightly neurotic canine companion. We spent hours outdoors, traversing the cornucopia of trails and paved pathways offered up by the suburban sprawl that is northern Virginia.

As we walked, we were engaged. Entertained. Enthralled. My dog, by the sights and sounds of springtime. Flowers. Bumble bees. The occasional cat.

Me, by homes. Homes of all shapes and sizes. Condominiums. Townhouses. Capes, Victorians and everything in between.

And by Real Estate signs. They peppered the landscape, like real estate fireflies, glowing softly in the twilight. I was intrigued, one, by the amount of homes that seemingly had sprung up for sale in a week’s time. Two, by what information these silent bastions of Real Estate were delivering to me.

Broker Name, Agent Name, Phone Number(s) and a mish mash of riders providing nuggets and insights such as “coming soon” or “for sale.”

REAL ESTATE 3.0

On March 30th, the good folks at 1000 Watt wrote about Real Estate technology and Real Estate behavior. In the post, a company that was highlighted caught my attention, a company called Stickybits. Intrigued, I researched this company. And came away impressed; chock full of ideas, ideas ignited by opportunity.

Stickybits allows a user to slap a bar code on anything, and associate scads of digital content to that bar code. I could slap a bar code on my dog if I wanted to, and link it to his dogbook page,his veterinary records, and treat of choice if I so chose. Imagine the possibilities for Real Estate. Imagine if I put a bar code on one of the riders, or on the post sign itself. And associated content about the home with the bar code. Content like:

• A virtual tour
• Property Brochure
• Neighborhood comps
• HOA docs
• Photos
• Addenda and Disclosures
• Warranty information
• Upgrades and additions to the home

The list could go on and on. The potential here is immense. No longer would our information delivery be constrained by the shackles of a “for sale” or “coming soon” etched in 28 pt. times new roman. We could provide relevant content about active and pending inventory to in-market consumers. Fast. Easy. In the manner the consumer wishes to access the information.

My Journey Continued.

On Sunday, prior to leashing up the dog and venturing back out into the sunshine, I decided to purchase a new pair of running shoes. As luck would have it, I arrived at the store about 45 minutes prior to its opening. So I made my way to the Apple store.

While there, I marveled at the iPhone, iPad, iPod and iEverythings. And I struck up conversations with other folks in the store. I watched how these customers fiddled with gadgets and surfed the web from hand-held devices. I watched how they became frustrated if a site didn’t load fast enough. I chatted with a 12 year old who educated me on the nuances of Objective C programming and how Adobe could leverage loopholes to make Flash work on the iPad. I chatted with a sales rep who managed to maintain concurrent conversations with myself and 2 other customers simultaneously, and effectively.

And I thought. I thought back to my weekend experiences. I thought about the Real Estate signs and 28 pt. Times New Roman text. And I thought:

“Coming Soon” and “For Sale” ain’t gonna cut it for these folks. “Coming Soon” and “For Sale” isn’t going to be enough for this kid, this 12 year old, who talks about Objective C like I talk about playoff football. “Coming Soon” and “For Sale” isn’t going to be enough for the multi-tasking woman maintaining 3 conversations while fiddling with her iPhone.

And I thought about opportunity. How I have an opportunity, how we have an opportunity. An opportunity to engage, an opportunity to interact, an opportunity to deliver information to these consumers in ways that far exceed trite verbiage inscribed on a piece of duron hardboard or PVC.

-Amit

Find Your Home. Plan Your Life. www.averyhess.com

The Champ has been Dethroned. Pay Attention.

Something seismic occurred in the on-line space last week. The tremors reverberate still. It has nothing to do with Real Estate. It has everything to do with Real Estate.

Facebook became the most visited place on the Internet last week.

Joel Burslem of 1000 Watt posted about this very topic last week, and the San Jose Mercury News reported on it. According to Hitwise, Facebook edged out Google as the Internet’s most visited site by the slimmest of margins – 7.07% of all traffic to Facebook vs. 7.03% of all traffic to Google. But this is big. Real Big. People no longer go to the web just to search. They actually go to the web MORE to discuss things. To collaborate. To share experiences. On Facebook.

Let’s all sit up straight now and pay attention. Please.

90 some odd percent of consumers begin their Real Estate experience on-line. Buyers and Sellers alike. And now they aren’t going just to Google to gather information, or your Real Estate website. They are communicating on Facebook. Searching for information, sharing stories, getting the skinny on who to use and who not to use for their Real Estate experience. We have to be there. Real Estate. Brokers and Agents alike. We all have to be there, active and engaged in an intelligent conversation.

But wait. Hold on.

Before we rush like lemmings racing towards a treacherous Social Media precipice, let’s think. Effective use of Social Media, and Facebook specifically, is an art, not a Real Estate right. There are good ways to do it, and some not so good ways to do it. Your Facebook page should not consist of an explosion of listings, and sales pitches, and price reductions and post after post after post after post of the benefits of the tax credit and why you should buy now. Too many are.

Start a conversation. Craft a message. Carefully consider every post before you post it. Engage in a conversation, and stay away from the sales pitch. Reach out to your constituency and engage them. Solicit feedback. Create a community. Have your Facebook page be a Social Media extension of your Brand.

We have to do it. Companies, and specifically Google, see that Social Media is affecting the very fiber of our everyday lives (see Google’s Buzz offering). Let’s recognize this as an opportunity and engage Facebook and Social Media effectively. If you don’t yet have a strategy to do so, and do so effectively, get one, and do it RIGHT.

Remember, this is HUGE. Google has been dethroned. I never thought I would see it, the Internet’s 800 lb. Gorilla knocked from his lofty perch. If even for only a week, the shift from linear search to conversation is undeniable. Make sure that your voice gets heard.

-Amit

Become a Fan: www.facebook.com/AveryHess

Real Estate’s Year of the Tablet – DELL Enters the Fray

A few weeks ago, Apple kicked off “Tablet Season” with its introduction of the iPad. A breathtakingly beautiful device, the iPad evoked strong responses from both sides of the discussion. After researching the iPad, and digesting its potential in the Real Estate space, I came away unimpressed, for a variety of reasons.

But there is HOPE for the tablet in Real Estate.

As documented by CNN, DELL computers is set to unveil its tablet offering to consumers “…in a couple of months.” The “Mini 5″ tablet will be the first of a set of Tablet PC offerings from the computer-maker, and boasts many technical advantages over its counterpart from Apple.

I think these key differences set it apart as a business-class machine, with tremendous potential for Real Estate application – on the Agent side:

1. Cameras – two of them (as documented on CNN): “The Mini 5 will sport a 5-mega pixel camera on the back, a separate front-facing camera that can be used for video conferencing, a standard 3.5-mm headphone jack, Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1-GHz processor.”
2. 16:9 Resolution: The Mini 5 will be HD-riffic, with an aspect ration designed around HD video’s 16:9 ratio as opposed to the standard analog aspect ratio of 4:3 offered by the iPad. (This is not critically important, but certainly is a point of differentiation for a device in this day and age – actually it should be a point of STANDARDIZATION in this day and age…)
3. Inclusion of Flash: MRIS and Keystone require it. You need it to upload listing information, photos and virtual tours. Apple doesn’t support it. Enough said.

The Mini 5 is said to operate on Google’s Android OS, which one would think would have the tablet integrate seamlessly with the ever-expanding Google-verse. DELL states that they hope to create a business-class machine made for much more than entertainment applications; rather, they aim to create a tablet-class of machines designed to be a workhorse for business productivity.

With HP and Lenovo also rumored to have tablet devices in the design hopper, there should be plenty of business-class machines for Real Estate to select from, and in some cases, drool over. More to come as the “Year of the Tablet” continues marching forward…

-Amit

Why You Shouldn’t Give Up Facebook

I’ve heard a slew of reasons. Some users say it’s too addictive, while others complain that Facebook is too overwhelming. Then there are some who are at odds with Faceboook’s privacy issues, and those who just forget they even have a profile. Whatever the excuse, Facebook is a tool that is too valuable to simply give up.

To put things into perspective, with over 400 million users, if Facebook was a nation it would be the third largest in the world. In fact, with more than 100 million active users, even Facebook Mobile is just smaller than the entire population of Mexico. With a user base of such size, how can you ignore such a large group that’s right at your fingertips?

Okay, okay–so maybe you’re not able to reach 400 million people, but you can certainly reach 400 people that you know. And that’s how Facebook can help your business grow–by putting you on the minds of the people in your network. You can update your status to remind friends and potential clients that you’re a working agent, post links with information relevant to your area, portray yourself as an authority in your profession–all the while keeping up with your contacts and expanding your personal sphere.

Facebook shouldn’t be overwhelming. Take advantage of its built-in features. Create friends lists to filter information and control the spread of your information. You may want to adjust your privacy settings, but try not to hide too much of yourself (You’re in sales, so be comfortable in your own skin because you want people to be able to find you). Finally, be sure to remain professional, but still include a personal touch. You’re not all business all the time in real life, so don’t be afraid to joke around online and have some fun with it.

Social networking wasn’t invented yesterday. We’ve all been networking our entire lives, but now our tools are evolving. In the same way you wouldn’t surrender your cell phone, you shouldn’t ignore your Facebook account. In fact, you should keep a firm grip on it and not let go.  It’ll never replace a hand shake or a phone call, but Facebook is an incredible tool that can let you easily and effectively communicate with people you know.

Post written by David Tra, Social Media Editor at Avery-Hess, Realtors.

Search for homes in all of the DC Metro: www.averyhess.com

The Ant and the Grasshopper – Real Estate Redux

Aesop’s story of the Ant and the Grasshopper chronicles the meeting of an ant and a grasshopper during summer; the Ant toiling and storing grain and seeds, the Grasshopper hopping about and singing and playing.

“Why not come and chat with me,” said the Grasshopper, “instead of toiling and moiling in that way?”

To which the Ant Replied:

 ”I am helping to lay up food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and recommend you to do the same.”

The Grasshopper scoffed and went merrily along its way. chirping and frolicking. And the Ant continued to toil. Months passed. Seasons Changed. Then came WINTER.

The Grasshopper was in trouble. He lay shivering, cold and hungry. No food, no shelter, no hope.

The ant was comfortable, reaping the rewards of his hard work – distributing grains and seeds from his vast stores collected during the summer.

The Real Estate Grasshopper

I talk to agents everyday, about a variety of topics. Invariably, one topic seems to dominate the conversation: Social Media. Anecdotes and hearsay abound. For every person that scoffs at the notion of its effectiveness and business use, there seem to be ten that swear by its tenets. There are gurus, consultants, self-appointed experts, best practices, manuals and bibles - and this is even before we mention the seemingly endless Social media outlets.

Twitter. Facebook. Ning. Myspace. Buzz. Flickr. YouTube. Meebo. The list goes on and on.

We could spend all day twittering, and Facebooking, and YouTubing, and Buzzing, and… Many of us do. Not knowing why. Not knowing how. Not knowing where.

We just do it, because it’s fun. Because we think we have to. Because someone told us to. So we get back to it. Double time.

TwitteringFacebookingBuzzingFasterandFasterandFaster…

Real Estate is in the midst of the Social Media Summer, and there are a lot of Grasshoppers basking in the glow. And Winter is Coming.

Seeds and Grains

However, there are Ants. Real Estate Ants. Agents who get social media. Agents who use social media APPROPRIATELY. Agents who understand the intent of social media outlets and craft appropriate messages and information designed to engage their constituency. Agents who bask in the glow of the Social Media Summer for a few moments a day, but then get back to harvesting.

To prospecting. To meeting people. Having Real Estate conversations. Listing and selling homes. Helping buyers. Navigating the ever-changing terrain of the Real Estate landscape, lock-step with the clients they serve, guiding and assisting.

Don’t get me wrong, Social Media IS important. It has changed the way we need to interact and engage. The importance of understanding Social Media’s place in your overall business plan cannot be understated, nor can the importance of its practical implementation. However, making sure that we devote the appropriate time (depends on YOU, and your specific model) tinkering with social media as it relates to our business will ensure that when winter arrives, our shelves will be replete with Real Estate seeds and grains.

-Amit

Find a place to store your seeds and grains: www.averyhess.com