Why Most REALTORS® Won’t Use Twitter

According to Pip Coburn, “People change habits when the pain of their current situation exceeds their perceived pain of adopting a possible solution.” (found in Nemertes Research)

The reality of the situation is that unwillingness to try something new will impede your ability to grow as a REALTOR®.  Imagine saying “I’ve never had to do a short sale and I’m not going to learn now!”  In some markets 50% of the transactions are short sales and foreclosures and those agents who are not adapting to the market are suffering more in terms of transactions and income than those willing to embrace the change.

There are consumers out there that prefer Twitter as their preferred method communication and we don’t adapt then we might lose a segment of the market.

I think I have just about have heard all of the excuses why most REALTORS® won’t use Twitter.  See if you can add some to this quick list:

• Who cares what I’m doing right now?
• I don’t want to know what you had for dinner.
• I’m so busy I don’t have the time.
• I already use email and that works for me just fine.

Let’s examine how this thinking can be detrimental to your business and how you can overcome these objections.

Who cares what I’m doing right now?

Really?  Who cares what you are doing?  I always ask the question, “Why do people hire you?”  In my opinion clients pay us for our opinion.  Some people abuse Twitter and share everything little thing, “I am waiting in line again”, “I’m about to take a walk”, or “This paint is almost dry, stay tuned for updates!”. Unclear, inconsistent, and inappropriate messages are the surest way for people to unfollow you.  People care what you are doing if they know you, like you, trust you and you share relevant information to your business.

I don’t want to know what you had for dinner.

This is my favorite.  Some will even go so far to post a picture.  I know you have seen some really good entrees on Twitter, right?  The reality is most people don’t care unless they are thinking about eating at the time, have been to the same restaurant, or are stalking you.  I don’t read all of the Tweets all of the time and neither should you especially if you are following 2,000 people.  Sometimes I just scroll through to get the pulse of my friends, see an interesting article and then take the time to read it.

I’m so busy I don’t have the time.

According to a recent study 80% of Tweets are made from a mobile device.  The iPhone, Blackberry, Android, all have applications that make it easy to read others’ Tweets and allow you to post on the fly.  The more you rely on the desktop computer, the less likely you are to use Twitter.  Find a way to access Twitter from your mobile device and then find someone else who has the same phone and ask them to help you learn how to use it.

I already use email and that works for me just fine.

A valid point that will only cripple you in a time where someone wants to communicate with you using Twitter and you say, “Sorry, I don’t Twitter, Tweet, or do any of that nonsense.”  In my opinion we adjust our behaviors based on our clients’ preferred method of communication.

Let’s get started! How do I begin?

Create your profile at twitter.com.  It takes 2 minutes to create a Twitter account. Here are five wasy ways to make your profile more effective.

1. Username. The username is your brand.  It is what you want to be known for on Twitter.  Most REALTORS® will choose their first and last name.  Others will use their team name.  Companies will use their name.  Try not to choose a username that is too long. You will regret it every time you type it in and others might not even bother.
2. Password.  Choose a password that is consistent with your other passwords but not the same as all of your passwords for other social media profiles. I suggest coming up with a formula
3. Picture.  Your picture (aka ‘avatar’) is part of your Twitter brand.  When people are using Twitter to listen to the conversation they only see your picture, username, and message, and then take action based on what you say in your Tweet.  Use an updated photo and stick with it.  If you update your photo too regularly others may not recognize the changes and quickly pass you over. Remember that a Twitter avatar displays much smaller then other social media sites. Therefore a picture of you with your kids/dog might be great for Facebook but might be difficult to see on Twitter.
4. Email.  The email address will be used to receive notifications from Twitter.  Some people like to receive an email whenever someone starts following them.  In my opinion this is a huge distraction because if you receive 5-10 emails per day that people are following you that means that is 5-10 more emails you have to delete which is a HUGE time waster.  Also, you can get an email every time you get a direct message from another person.  This is important if you don’t plan to check Twitter very often.
5. Pulse.  You should clearly be a living, breathing person.  Automated Twitter profiles from companies do not work.  People want to get to know you as a person, not just the company.  If you are using Twitter for the company be sure to include your first name and last name in the remarks who is managing the account.  This way followers can see a live person is ready to handle questions, comments, and available to meet your needs.

If you would like to see how-to videos on how to make your Twitter profile stand out, take a look at the VIP library.

For Twitter to be effective, consumers, clients, community leaders have to follow you in order to hear what you have to say.  What is the point of having a Twitter account if you have one follower?  Think of Twitter as another database of contacts that you have to build up over time.  The more followers you have the more people receive your message for FREE.

Thank you for taking a look at this post. If you enjoyed this post be sure to follow me @dougdevitre

Additional Resources

One of the best resources I have found on using Twitter for real estate professionals is from Nicole Nicolay who is well respected for sharing tech tips for REALTORS®.

Here is a great resource from MyTechOpnion.com:  Download eBook Here

Check out the best PowerPoint on using Twitter for Real Estate professionals by Reggie Nicolay on How the Pros are using Twitter too!