This week I have been thinking alot about social media.

All of my agents have their own opinions on this matter and a few of them have said to me that they absolutely will not participate in social media for their real estate business.

However, this week alone I have seen reasons why I'd like to see those opposed to using social media as a means of networking their business, learn and use the social media outlets that are available to them to help build their business.

One of my agents secured a new listing by being on facebook. This agent was "befriended" by a friend of one of her contact's, and then was asked to come out to see about listing their home. This same agent, who had been working with another client, showing a home, recieved a text message from her client asking her to bring a contract with her to the showing "just in case." Had this agent not participated in social media networking, she would not have gotten this business.

Another agent, who is willing to learn just about anything, decided finally to try some different social media networking ideas, and within just a few minutes of posting her first post, had someone she didn't previously know following her.  This connection has the potential to lead to a sale as everytime she has a new post, this follower will more than likely open it and possibly send it on to others.

Houston Association of Realtors also helps each agent that wants to use Twitter.  Once you sign up on Twitter, you are able to go to your HAR website and link both accounts, so everytime you enter your new listings and/or sold properties into MLS, HAR will send out that information on Twitter for you, so there really are no extra steps for you to do.  With other social media's there would be the extra step of posting to each one, however, http://www.ping.fm/, is a website that will link all of them together, not just one or two, but all of them, so you would only need to go there to post, and your post would go out to all social media websites you were a part of.

Many agents spend thousands of dollars in "snail mail" marketing, to gain access to customers wanting to buy and/or sell.  Social Media has the potential to save each agent, not only money, but time, if they would just take the time to learn how to use it properly.  The social media learning curve is no different than any other educational class agents have to take to keep their license.  And there is absolutely nothing to fear with this new outlet.