Imagine a social media without all the ads, silly posts, negativism, name calling and even unsavory behavior that you see on other websites…. A place for professionals to congregate online locally, nationally, and even internationally 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Well, you don’t need to only imagine. What I’ve just described is, actually, out there. It’s Linkedin, an “all- business” social media site where you can share news, information about your career, and connect with fellow professionals. Like other social medias, it’s a great place to project a professional image, connect with members of the real estate industry, and even generate leads. In this blog, I’ll share some advice about getting started, and my favorite LinkedIn tips to get you on the path to success.
Build your profile keeping in mind these things—
Start out with the basic (free) account to get the feel of using LinkedIn. For most, this basic account will be sufficient. There are various Premium account levels, each priced on a monthly or yearly basis. For real estate agents, my suggestion would be “Business Premium.” This level will offer sales tools to expand your real estate business.
A big reason why most users opt for a premium account is the access it allows them to LinkedIn’s “In-Mail Messaging.” This feature allows its users to make a direct connection before anyone else. Premium accounts also offer their users notifications of how many searches they appeared in and information on any user who has just viewed your profile. This can be useful in making a connection with someone who has sought you out (a warm connection).
Once you are comfortable using LinkedIn, you may wish to upgrade. LinkedIn offers a free trial period (with certain conditions). Click here to see the Business Premium info page.
This is your professional real estate Curriculum Vitae. Even if you’re new to estate, it’s important to populate your page with as much information as possible. Write about where you took your real estate pre-licensing, the state you are licensed in, any past positions you’ve held, information about your current broker, outside interests, and volunteer work. Basically, write anything that can tell other professionals about you. You don’t need to write a book. Keep your descriptions brief, but make it impactful.
More professionals review other professional profiles on LinkedIn than any other social media site!
If you don’t already have a professional headshot, now is a good time to get one. Dress to impress. You will rarely, if ever, see a profile picture of someone in real estate wearing super casual clothing (unless they are in a certain line of work such as a home inspector or landscaper). The same holds true for any pictures and videos you upload. LinkedIn is not the social media site to post pics of a family outing or a video of your cousin Sally’s bridal shower. In many respects, it’s similar to a FaceBook Business site, the difference is your audience. Linkedin is for professionals doing business with other professionals. Make sure your content makes this clear!
Think about making “win-win connections.”
Perhaps you’d like to meet people from local property management companies. After all, you have something important to offer: you specialize in rental real estate in the local
market they are located in. And, they have a need: to fill rental vacancies.
Or, maybe you’d like to connect with lenders who specialize in FHA and VA loans, home inspectors, attorneys who practice probate law, real estate photographers. These are just a couple examples of “win-win” connections that can help you now and in your future real estate career. After introducing yourself, you would want to let them know that you are interested in finding out more about their operation. After some discussion a business relationship is established. Just like that!
Connecting with fellow Realtors® at your brokerage, in your area, and nationally is good because one of the major benefits of being on LinkedIn is business referrals, however, don’t limit yourself to the real estate agents only. Your sphere of influence is one of the first places to start helping you start the process of building your list of connections. There are many local and national professional groups you can join on LinkedIn. And while there are many real estate related professional groups, there are many others that may share your same interests outside of real estate offering you a chance to make long lasting connections with professionals who share the same interests.
One of the best ways for other professionals to learn more about you and what you offer is to post interesting information that others may find useful. By all means, you should post Rental Beast listings on LinkedIn, but go beyond that! Think local real estate market trends, or a new business opening… anything that provides value to the reader. Doing so tells others that you are in the know, and someone they may consider for a real estate related transaction. Be creative about it. It’s free advertising for your real estate business!
LinkedIn is a great medium to post your recent real estate success stories, like how you helped a client rent, purchase, or sell, a home. Remember, a photo tell a thousand words. Do something dynamic, like a picture with you and the clients in front of the property with the clients holding the keys.
Keep it simple and don’t boast. Focus on the joy the clients experienced, not how great an agent you are because you rented or sold the listing. People relate to the positive experiences of others and can visualize themselves experiencing the same. This is a great way to add a personal touch! See more ways here.
In short, if used properly, and if you follow these great LinkedIn tips, LinkedIn can be a great tool to help grow your real estate business. By maintaining “best practices” keeping professional at all times, you should enjoy the many benefits of using this unique platform. When you use LinkedIn, you don’t deal with the negativity and “noise” so prevalent on other SM sites. You can focus on building your business without distractions. Of all the benefits of LinkedIn, I’ve found this to be the best.
Want to see more like these LinkedIn tips from this RBU mentor? Get access to RBU’s My First Deal Bootcamp with a free demo of Rental Beast and start accessing resources like this one and our catalogue of on-demand courses. A full Rental Beast subscription, you’ll have unlimited access to RBU and its mentors. Ready to unleash the Beast? Get your demo.
