Facebook Graph Search
4 months ago
So I’m here at Inman Connect in NYC, and I have to say, I’m blown away by the speakers and content at this years event. Last year was good, but this year has been focused towards industry change, and that can only happen through leadership like Inman provides through education, events, and influence.
With that being said, I want to rethink an announcement that was made the other day. I’m talking about Facebook’s new Graph Search. At first I thought ok, great, another feature that I’m probably not going to utilize, but contains some merit. However, after today’s session, I want to go back and examine how this will (or could) impact the real estate industry.
First I want you to better grasp the concept. In my mind, this is an improved version of Siri. You ask, “What music do my friends like?” and it populates results based on your social stream. This is cool, but let’s take it a step further…
What if you asked, “What homes do my friends like?” Immediately you could see homes that your friends thought were cool. While homes are obviously quite different than a music preference, you still might find features of some homes that were “liked” or that you, yourself may discover are important to you. On the opposite end of the spectrum, this could become a feedback system for sellers and agents.
Going even deeper, what if you asked, “What Realtors have my friends used?” This is an instant testimonial and rating system that so many have tried to get right, but so many have failed to accomplish (correctly). What if it a service like Chris Smith & Jimmy Mackin’s new Curaytor (which is brilliant by the way) existed to aggregate data from Trulia & Zillow reviews, Google +1′s, Facebook Likes, Angie’s List, and more?
The possibilities of social search and reviews are going to greatly change how we search, and how consumers decide to choose an agent.
My prediction is a rating and review system will emerge as a clear cut, trustworthy service, and the agents that skate by on a “one and done” mentality will slowly weed themselves out through poor reviews.
This leads me to my closing thoughts from Day 1 of Inman Connect. I believe it was Rich Barton (founder of Expedia & Zillow) today, who said, “Salesperson doesn’t have to give off a negative persona. My grandmother said if you tell the truth, you don’t have to worry about the story you told yesterday.” -This couldn’t be more true, and I hope this only encourages agents to Raise The Bar (RTB)!
Looking forward to another day of innovative thinking tomorrow!
-Tyler
Create A Home Search On Facebook
1 year ago
Here we learn to use the FREE Realtor.com app on our Facebook Fanpage and use SocialBios to create a great looking “about” page.
The key here is the “Like” gating process, in which you’ll gain a greater number of likes on your page, because people are required to like your page before they have access to your page!
Move Over Facebook…Google Came To Fight
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Over the last day or so, I’ve read a ton about Google+ and figured it was another sorry attempt for Google attempting to break into the social media realm. After all, Google Wave was a flop, and I don’t know anyone using Google Buzz on any regular sort of basis. However, I’ve done my research on the Google+ Project, and consider me “SOLD”!
So you’re probably saying to yourself: “What is Google+ and why do I need to be part of another social network?”
Answer: It’s not another social network, it’s the internet becoming social. Everything you search on Google, use your Google account (e.g. YouTube, Gmail, Picasa, etc.) for, or do on your Android phone will be connected with your “social network”. You’ll no longer need to log in to Facebook or Twitter. You’ll have instant sharing, instant advice, instant everything, and your privacy settings look ridiculously easy.
So let’s dive in and see what this means for the real estate industry!
Google Circles:
You share different things with different people. But sharing the right stuff with the right people shouldn’t be a hassle. Circles makes it easy to put your friends from Saturday night in one circle, your parents in another, and your boss in a circle by himself, just like real life.
Real Estate Translation: Google Circles makes it easy to share only the stuff you want with your “Circle” of clients and colleagues, while you can keep your crazy bachelor party pics to your college friends.
Google Sparks:
Remember when your Grandpa used to cut articles out of the paper and send them to you? That was nice. That’s kind of what Sparks does: looks for videos and articles it thinks you’ll like, so when you’re free, there’s always something to watch, read, and share. Grandpa would approve.
Real Estate Translation: Share real estate news with your clients and all of your circles. Anything you +1 (which is the same thing as “like” on Facebook) will show up like an interactive newspaper for people within your network. This can make you seem like the local expert and remind that long lost cousin that you’re in real estate, and not to call the agent on the sign.
Google Hangouts:
Bumping into friends while you’re out and about is one of the best parts of going out and about. With Hangouts, the unplanned meet-up comes to the web for the first time. Let buddies know you’re hanging out and see who drops by for a face-to-face-to-face chat. Until we perfect teleportation, it’s the next best thing.
Real Estate Translation: BE ACCESSIBLE! I’m sure that Google will have an embed option or widget that you can place on your website, allowing your crazy Aunt Helen to “Hangout” with you for a minute, and ask you if it’s the right time to sell.
Instant Upload:
Taking photos is fun. Sharing photos is fun. Getting photos off your phone and on to the web is pretty much the opposite of fun. That’s why we created Instant Upload: so that from now on, your photos upload themselves. You don’t even have to say ‘cheese’.
Real Estate Translation: Can you imagine having a real estate photo gallery shared with everyone you know? = SWEET! 
The possibilities are endless here…Guess That Price, Before And After Pics, Client Sold Photos, etc…Use It!
Google Huddle:
Texting is great, but not when you’re trying get six different people to decide on a movie. Huddle takes care of it by turning all those different conversations into one simple group chat, so everyone gets on the same page long before thumbs get sore.
Real Estate Translation: This one is actually my favorite for Brokers like myself. Group text to all agents…FINALLY! For agents, how about coordinating a closing with the LO, other agent, both sets of clients, and the title company. Imagine when they add the document signing & share capability…MUHAHA!
Right now this whole thing is a beta/invite only service, but make sure you visit www.google.com/+ to get on the waitlist!
Add Realtor.com to Your Facebook Fanpage
02 years ago
This is a bonus video for those of you with Showcase listings on Realtor.com. Make sure your listings are everywhere, including you Facebook Fanpage. Potential clients don’t care that you’re out showing houses, they want to see them…and sellers will eat it up!
Upload Contacts to Facebook
02 years ago
Don’t spend countless hours to trying to find all of your friends on Craigslist manually! Import your contacts from the MLS or from your email and WaLah!
Socialize Your Listings using isNowListed
02 years ago
Put your listings everywhere using isNowListed!!! Facebook, Craigslist and more!
Link Your Twitter Account to Your Facebook Fanpage
02 years ago
If you’re like me and don’t like posting in two places…here is an easy solution! Also, stay tuned for my HootSuite instructional video for mass Social Media control!
Custom Landing Tab on Facebook Fanpage
02 years ago
When potential clients land on your real estate Facebook Fanpage, you don’t neccessarily want them to go straight to your Wall, maybe you want them to go to your search page or a sign up for a list of foreclosures…here is how:
Create A Custom URL For Your Facebook Fanpage
02 years ago
We constantly promote using a Facebook Fanpage for your real estate drip and farming campaigns, but if you were to send out a postcard with http://www.facebook.com/pages/Autumn-Creek-HOA/111550615536463, no one would ever visit it because it is impossible to remember and no one wants to put in that long of a URL. If you want something short and easy to remember, get yourself 25 fans and watch the video below!
