sOCial sunday will frequently explore a real estate angle to blogging, Twitter, Facebook, etc. This time, Mark Gonzales (@marksellsla) — an LA Realtor recently named in Realtor Magazine’s “30 Under 30″  — tells us why Twitter works for real estate agents:

1. It connects you to new clients: Twitter is a way to get in touch with a massive amount of people, without having to spend a lot of time and money. It’s grassroots marketing. Agents know it’s a numbers game — the more people who know you, the more likely you are to get business — and there’s no better or cheaper way to connect to 400 to 500 people at once. And it takes, what 30 seconds? Less from your phone. Twitter really is the new database.

2. It humanizes you: You, as an agent, are more of a person on these social network sites. Turns you into more of a friend. You are very accessible, which is extremely important in this business. Traditionally, Realtors were connecting with folks by knocking on doors, calling their homes — a bit invasive by today’s standards. By reaching out to these people online, you are establishing a line of communication where. You have been granted permission to reach out to them. They want to read your tweets about the local housing market or what cafe you think serves the best espresso in their neighborhood.

3. It makes it easier to keep in touch with existing clients: Many times - particularly on Facebook, which I set up to work in conjunction with Twitter - I get questions from young first time home buyers. They ask “What’s the first step for me to buy a home?” Others are into home remodeling. Twitter keeps you fresh in the minds of your clients.  Because they have been reading your Tweets all along. You’re basically saying: “I’m in the business and I’m your friend. I’m here if you need me to purchase a home.”

4. It puts you in touch with other agents: There are a lot of agents on Twitter. Twitter helps you establish relationships with other Realtors who you may not have known due to geography or other reasons. The majority of the time, we are finding houses, selling homes, getting listings; we are very busy, so we don’t really have the time to make these connections. I think this is particularly important because many times, agents may not want to deal with other agents they don’t have good relationships with. Twitter is also helpful when it comes to referrals; For instance, if I have a client who is looking to buy in New York, I could go on Twitter to see if there are any agents that I follow on Twitter who are based in New York. And so I connect them to the client.

[ MORE: TWITTER | LINKEDIN | JON | QUESTIONS ]

Posted in: Social Media • Mark Gonzales • real social • Twitter |

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