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You have probably heard about "Web 2.0" and "social networking." Online communities, also known as social networking sites, seem to be sprouting up everyday (Mashable is a great blog for keeping up with it all). People are now forming relationships online and since real estate is a relationship business, real estate professionals should be wondering "How does this apply to me?" It’s simple — there are opportunities to use these websites to meet prospective clients. But how do you ensure that consumers will think of you when they are making the decision about who to contact?

Photo courtesy of  Clever-Linking.net

Online branding is increasingly relevant since 80% of home buyers now start their search online. It is typically done in two ways — either via advertising (which is not the topic of this post) or by participating in online conversations. Make no mistake about it, building a brand online takes time and effort but it works. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Home Q&A on Zillow allows anyone to ask a question on any home. Each question you answer helps solidify you as an expert in the neighborhood. Your answers link back to your profile page, providing  additional exposure to buyers and sellers on Zillow. When you ask a useful question of a seller, you are demonstrating to prospective buyers on Zillow that you could represent them well.  Another way to meet consumers on Zillow is to get in front of more individuals is by utilizing the "Tell Us It’s for Sale" feature, which is a way to inform the Zillow community of homes currently on the market that are not currently posted on Zillow. For a real-life example of an agent  meeting a client via the "Tell Us It’s for Sale" approach, read Jonathan Dalton’s article over at ActiveRain. Articles you may have written or edited in the Real Estate Guide on Zillow are also linked back to your profile page. Take the opportunity to provide some color about yourself on your profile page; it’s a whole page on Zillow, dedicated to you.

As much as I’d love to say Zillow is the only game in town, we’re not. There are other online communities out there as well where you can spend time networking and building relationships with potential clients. Brian Brady has also successfully marketed his mortgage business using MySpace and LinkedIn (he uses LinkedIn Q&A). I called Brian earlier today to get his thoughts on this subject and learned that more than half of his business comes from networking contacts he initiated in online communities. He doesn’t hide behind the computer though — Brian strengthens personal connections by picking up the phone and speaking to the people he meets online (what a concept).  He compared effective online networking to being at a "Giant chamber of commerce meeting. To be successful, participate, assume leadership, and earn respect." Pretty simple, eh?

For those of you looking for a comprehensive set of rules as to how to productively engage in online communities, Barry Hurd from Social Media Systems wrote a great post on ActiveRain back in January titled "Community Etiquette- From Good to Bad." I don’t think I could possibly come up with a better list, so I won’t bother trying.

All of Barry’s tips are great. This one will not only earn you business but will also help avoid potentially damaging your online brand;

"Do not abuse the community: We all hate spammers or
unsolicited sales calls. Members of a community also dislike it when
the culture of the community is being abused for other motives. When
joining a new group, the purpose of joining should be to participate in
the conversation of the group. It should not be to pursue personal
agendas, until it is known whether or not those personal goals fit in
with the culture of the community."

Happy client hunting!!

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