Making the Most of Your Social Media BY MICHELE LERNER
Authenticity Makes a Difference
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Whether you’re serious or funny, it’s important to be yourself when using social media.
For some agents, social media is a fun part of their day where they interact with friends and acquaintances. For others, it’s part of a strategic marketing plan.
Roro always answers questions or comments about real estate by offering resources or information rather than just posting “Call me!”
“At first I wasn’t using social media but now 99 percent of my referrals are from people I’m connected with there,” said Shana Martine Sanchez, a Realtor® with The Home Real Estate Group with Coldwell Banker Realty in Summit and Vice Chair of NJ Realtors® Young Professionals Network Committee.
Consistently posting only about listings can make it obvious that you’re using social media for promotional purposes rather than to connect with people.
hether you’re a fan of Instagram or Facebook or prefer the professional interactions on LinkedIn or the free-forall nature of TikTok, there’s no escaping it: social media is an important element of nearly every Realtor®’s marketing plan. If you don’t use social media, you could be missing out on opportunities to connect with potential clients, deepen your community relationships, and widen your network within the real estate world.
To be successful using social media, you need to be visible, engaging, interesting, and, most of all, authentic, said Sanchez. While you may be wary of spending too much time on social media, it can be a valuable way to reach new customers and increase your visibility. “If you’re on social media and you put a glimpse of a house in front of someone, they may not even be thinking about moving until they see it. It’s a great way to grab people’s attention,” said Alyssa Abrusci De Sario, a Realtor® with Re/Max Heritage Properties in Flanders. Tez Roro, a Realtor® with Keller Williams Suburban Realty in Livingston and Chair of the NJ Realtors® Young Professionals Network Committee, once received an offer on a multi-family property through Instagram. “The buyer hadn’t even seen the property, and he found me on Instagram,” said Roro.
“You need to avoid coming across as too sales-y,” said Roro. “A litmus test for me is to post and comment and share information about topics and groups I’d be interested in regardless of being a real estate agent.”
“I’m a former middle school teacher, so I know what it’s like to try to get people to pay attention,” said Colleen Hadden, a Realtor® with Compass in Moorestown. “I do what I call ‘edu-taining’ and try to make things fun or do something funny while providing some education. My friends know I’m a goofball and I have three boys, so I let people see that side of my personality.” Other agents may be more successful with their social media if they stick to videos about the market or other topics rather than trying to be funny if they’re not comfortable with that, said Hadden. For Hadden, social media is fun and a stressreliever even more than a marketing tool. Sanchez doesn’t love filming videos of herself, so she often interviews other people on video to post. “I think every agent should find what they like to post about or read about rather than copy other
10 | NEW JERSEY REALTOR® | March/April 2022
