Recently, we had the opportunity to speak with two independent realtors who leverage the web in big ways to build their respective small businesses. Both are affiliated with bigger companies but they are independent businesses and in most respects, on their own. We spoke with Bob Carney who is based in MD and runs his blog and web site at focusonfredrick.com and Jeff Royce who covers Northern Virginia and writes http://ourfairfax.com/. Both are very Web 2.0 saavy and use the tools to help market their business as well as educate potential clients.

In Part 2 of this two part interview, we focus on they see Web 2.0 being used by potential customers and how it makes selling easier or harder.

Steve: Since many customers are using Web 2.0 tools like Zillow in addition to going to your blog, have you found it easier or harder to sell?

BC: The challenge is the internet. There are so many self proclaimed experts out there. Buyers and sellers are more educated than they ever have been with the amount of information on the internet. You have to be able to convert their search results into face to face time. There is only some much “clicking” that consumers can do before they have to actually need a real person to put it into perspective.

JR: It is definitely easier to sell plugged in people real estate. As agents we need to know that many of our clients have more information than we do. Clients today are more likely to come to me having a very good idea of what they want and what they can afford. I generally show a buyer fewer homes than I did 10 years ago because they already have eliminated neighborhoods or types of homes before we even meet.
I can also use web-based tools to help clients make a decision on a home. For example, one of the biggest problems I saw my clients having was the inability to remember homes they had seen. Once most clients see more than about 10 homes they start to run together in their mind. So I use a personalized blog for each client. Each time a client sees a home I take around 20 photos of the home and post them, along with a link to current information on the listing (so they see price changes and other information) on their own blog. My clients can go back through their blog and see each of the houses they viewed in great detail. They can also use the blog to seek advice from friends or family, even if they don’t live nearby.

Steve: Have you had customers select you as their agent because of your use of Web 2.0 and social media tools?

BC: Yes. I have local followers on Twitter that when needed will use me as their REALTOR® because I am so net savvy compared to my local colleagues.

JR: Yes.

Steve: Some small businesses might be reticent to use many tools because they think it might give away trade secrets or make them too vulnerable to competition. What are your thoughts on this?

BC: I don’t think there is a trade secret out there that you can’t find on google. In our industry there are only about 4% of the agents that utilize Web 2.0 (might have doubled this year) but it has not like they haven’t been informed by NAR (National Association of REALTORS®) or any of us that use the internet haven’t told them about it. Some people are just very reluctant to change.

JR: If an agent uses Web 2.0 tools effectively they will be copied. I know because I’ve gotten many, many ideas from agents that I’ve never met in person. But, these tools are communication devices. You cannot be successful by just copying what others are saying. You have to have something to communicate. You have to be original and be yourself. People will know the minute they meet you if you’ve been faking it online.

Steve: As we close, what are some Web 2.0 and Social Media tools that you think every small business should check out and at least experiment with?

BC: All of them, but the key is not to try and sell something. The key word is “Social” network not “Advertising” network. Build relations and business will come.

JR: Flickr is a great tool for communicating. It is much more than just a picture sharing site. It is a way to say something through writing, photos, video, and mapping that is hard to beat elsewhere. Flickr also has a huge number of loyal users who spend a lot of time adding to and interacting with the community there.
A business should also be on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a good way to stay connected to people you have done business with in the past and to meet new clients or employees through known connections.

Recently, we had the opportunity to speak with two independent realtors who leverage the web in big ways to build their respective small businesses. Both are affiliated with bigger companies but they are independent businesses and in most respects, on their own. We spoke with Bob Carney who is based in MD and runs his blog and web site at focusonfredrick.com and Jeff Royce who covers Northern Virginia and writes http://ourfairfax.com/. Both are very Web 2.0 saavy use the tools to help market their business as well as educate potential clients.

In Part 1 of this two part interview, we focus on they are using Web 2.0 to sell to customers and lessons they have learned.

Steve: How long have you been selling real estate?

BC: Just over 3 years

JR: I’ve been helping people buy and sell homes in Northern Virginia since 1994.

Steve: When did you start leveraging the web to market your business?

BC: Day one, I have always been a tech junky. Domain names and websites were set up within weeks of my license date.

JR: I’ve used the web in my business since the mid 90s, but that took on a whole new meaning two years ago. At that time I started to realize that there were a large number of web-based tools available to me that would allow me to communicate to customers and potential customers in a whole new way.

Steve: With the evolution of Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 we have seen tools become more about two-way communications and personal interaction. What Web 2.0 tools (e.g. blogs, podcasts, social networks) are you leveraging for your respective businesses?

BC: I author multiple blogs for various audiences. I use twitter to broadcast my blogs, meet local tech junkies, communicate with other real estate professionals across the states. That’s how I know Jeff. I have not ventured into Podcasting and Video networks yet (emphasize YET,) but you can find me on Facebook, MySpace, Plaxo, LinkedIn, Flickr, Skype, Oovoo, ActiveRain, Plinko (I just made that one up.) Just google “gotbob” and you will find me somewhere. Not that I am active on all of them, I do have a presence there. I look at it this way; whatever social network someone is comfortable using, they have the ability to find me.

JR: I base much of my output in my blog at ourfairfax.com. But obviously very few people are familiar with my little blog. So I use various social networks to add my knowledge and presence to these networks that are more commonly visited by your average person. My goal is to be where my customers will seek out information when they are looking to buy or sell a home. So I interact with people on Twitter, Facebook , Flickr, and LinkedIn. There are also real estate specific sites, such as Zillow and Trulia. My role in these sites is to bring information that would be helpful to a specific person, and to leave information about my area that would otherwise not be available. For instance if someone was moving to Fairfax and wanted information on a neighborhood, I’d want to have pictures of that neighborhood on Flickr, have answered a question about that neighborhood on Trulia, and have written a profile of that neighborhood at ourfairfax.com. Of course, I can only do all of this for neighborhoods I know well. Having that kind of information available to consumers will assist many people as they purchase homes in a neighborhood and show my familiarity of that particular neighborhood to those consumers who are looking for an agent to assist them.

Steve: Have these tools increased your opportunities or have things stayed the same?

BC: Most definitely. Google loves my blog. I get questions via email or phone all the time. Some turn out to be nothing, but it’s an opportunity I didn’t have before.

JR: These tools have increased my opportunities. They also put me in a better position to take advantage of the opportunities in front of me.

Steve: For those small businesses out there, what would you recommend to someone thinking about using these Web 2.0 tools to market their business?

BC: Yes most definitely. The more you can separate yourself from you competition and make yourself more available to people that have questions or needs the better your chance at capture their business. Today is about now and what can you do for me.

JR: In the end you need to know your customers. The main question to ask is: “Can I use Web 2.0 tools to give my customers a better experience when they do business with me?”

Next Time…

Next time in Part 2 we the other side of Web 2.0, how customers are using the tools to educate themselves.