Glen Oaks Escrow

What is Web 2.0? | Answering the Realtor Question

Tuesdays, here at the Glen Oaks Escrow website, we post Technology Tips designed to help you, the REALTOR®, grow your business, keep up to date on the latest technologies, and move you forward into the new era of real estate.

When discussing social media, technology tools, and trends for Realtors, the term  “Web 2.0″ come up a lot these days. Today’s post is designed to define what Web 2.0 is and discuss why Web 2.0 presents opportunity for Realtors.

Before we can define Web 2.0…let’s discuss what Web 1.0 is. Web 1.0 is basically a website that is a brochure for your product or service. It is your offline company brochure or pamphlet represented on line. It is static. It is promotional. It says what you do or what you are selling. Most agents have a Web 1.0 website. I think this is an important part of a Realtor’s online marketing campaign – when your clients go to the web, they should find you. A web 1.0 website accomplishes this. However, it does not provide the new business opportunities that web 2.0 sites do.

So, then, what is Web 2.0? This definition is provided by Wikipedia: Web 2.0 is a “business revolution….caused by the move to the Internet as a platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform”. Web 2.0 websites and technologies often have the following words used to describe them: social, open, connected, feedback, community, networking, transparency, interactivity. Web 2.0 technologies (and the resulting websites) create a fundamental shift in the opportunities for companies (and yes, even Realtors) to do business. Web 2.0 offers the Realtor new ways of communicating with people. It offers the Realtor new ways of prospecting. It offers new ways of creating and building business. This is because the rules of the game are so very different than how Realtors sell offline and in a web 1.0 world (more explanation on this to come in future posts).

There are many websites that you have probably heard of (in real estate and out of real estate) that encompass web 2.0 principles. Sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, even Match.com. And there are ways to use all of them to support and build your business because these sites provide the opportunity for interaction or connectivity with other people. In addition, there are many players in the Real Estate Web 2.0 space. Sites such as Trulia Voices and Active Rain are outstanding web 2.0 communities which offer great opportunities for Realtors. For a road map of the leading Real Estate Web 2.0 sites, check out this image by 1000 Watt Consulting:

I also find this comparison by Darren Barefoot between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 useful:

• Web 1.0 was about reading, Web 2.0 is about writing
• Web 1.0 was about companies, Web 2.0 is about communities
• Web 1.0 was about lectures, Web 2.0 is about conversation
• Web 1.0 was about advertising, Web 2.0 is about word of mouth

To me and many others, Web 2.0 presents exciting new ways of doing business. And, for the Realtor who is looking for new opportunities in this challenging time, Web 2.0 offers uncharted territory and hope. There is a growing number of Realtors who are building their business and experiencing success by working and applying web 2.0 strategies (and a growing number who are thriving!). By reading this blog, you will be introduced to several Web 2.0 strategies and sites that you may want to consider adding to your real estate repertoire.

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Social Media for Realtors? YES, You Absolutely Should You Care About It!

Tuesdays, here at the Glen Oaks Escrow website, we post Technology Tips designed to help you, the REALTOR®, grow your business, keep up to date on the latest technologies, and move you forward into the new era of real estate.

Last year at the Inman News Real Estate Connect Conference in New York City I heard Greg Robertson of Dwellicious state “Buying real estate is an inherently social process”.  So true.  Realtors know this.  Social farming has been a foundation of the successful real estate career since the beginning.  But, the day of networking at the PTA is evolving, and the world of technology has introduced a multitude of new social communities where many clients of today, and definitely the client of tomorrow, gather.  Adult social media usage is rapidly growing – from 8% in 2005 to 35% now with more participating every day.  In order to reach these clients, Realtors are well served to participate in social media.  And, there are many options.  My goal is to introduce you to several of them in the hope that you will find the ones that work for you.

Let’s start with a definition of social media.  I define it as this:  Technologies and digital platforms that foster social interaction, relationships, and feedback between people.  Social media is the use of electronic and internet tools for the purpose of sharing and discussing information and experiences with other people.   Here is a great video by Common Craft titled “Social Media In Plain English”:

There are many social media websites but a few lead the pack – current leading social media sites that Realtors should be interested in include Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, ActiveRain and Twitter.  Each will be discussed in more depth in future posts.

The National Association of Realtors has posted a great Field Guide to Social Networking for Realtors.  This is a great place to start learning more.   It covers the benefits of social networking through social media, has a social media basics section, and has a great overview of the leading social media sites that Realtors should be interested in.  Start there.  Ask questions.  Try things out.

You are already participating in social media by reading this post which is part of the Glen Oaks Escrow Blog.  But social media goes farther than simply reading a blog.  A conversation can occur if you simply type a comment on this post at the bottom of the page.  Interactivity.  This is the basic concept.  And a great place to start.

There will be much more to come in the weeks ahead.  I look forward to the conversation with you!

Interested in what you are reading? To automatically receive these Tuesday Technology Tips in your email box, subscribe to these articles at the top right corner of this site (Glen Oaks Escrow) in the box titled “Subscribe via Email”.

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