If you’re thinking of purchasing a new piece of technology, or considering trying out a new marketing strategy, you should always do some research first. You might ask some of your colleagues or search the web, but there’s one major knowledge source you might not have tapped into: Facebook groups. That’s right, these groups can be used for way more than selling your old mattress. They’re the perfect environment to find and engage with like-minded indivuals. Through real estate Facebook groups, you’re able to connect with and learn from other agents, brokers, tech experts, and marketers from all over the country. Here are the first 5 you should check out:
What should I spend my money on?
What it is: If you’ve ever looked at a new program or technology and thought, “Is this really worth the money?” you should check out this group. They’re dedicated to promoting conversation between real estate professionals on what’s valuable, and what isn’t worth your money. If you get pitched by a salesperson for online ads, or are thinking about purchasing a new video camera, check out the discussions here before you make any decisions. You’ll likely find several others who have tried the same thing, and can tell you their experience with it.
What you should know: While this Facebook group is a great arena for gathering opinions on technology or marketing products and services, just remember that you are the ultimate decision maker in your business. Sure, if you see a handful of people commenting that they were ripped off by a certain company, you should probably steer clear, but you have to remember that every real estate agent on this page is different. What works in one target market won’t always work in yours.
Raise the Bar in Real Estate
What it is: This group is full of real estate professionals looking for new ways to “raise the bar”, or improve themselves and the real estate industry. Whether the topic is technology, sales, marketing, or anything else, you’ll find nearly every question gets a long stream of diverse responses. Raise the Bar, or RTB as it’s known to members, is a great place to get input on new vendors you’re interested in using, or a new marketing strategy you’re thinking of trying. With over 10,000 members from all around the country, you’re sure to get input on any questions you post.
What you should know: The administrator of the page runs a pretty tight ship, so be sure to check out the rules of the group under “Files” after you join. The most important rule to remember for this group is: If you don’t have interest in a particular topic, don’t participate. There’s no room for negativity here, so keep it positive!
Tech Support Group for Real Estate Agents
What it is: If you’re struggling with your computer, phone, e-mail, or any other type of technology you’re using for real estate, try posting your issue in this group. It’s frequented not only by other real estate professionals, but people who work in real estate tech companies as well (a few of us browse it frequently to see if there’s any problems we can help with!) You’ll be able to get input from people with all sorts of different skill sets.
What you should know: There’s no such thing as a dumb question, but do try a quick Google search before you post here. If it’s a generic question about your smartphone or computer, you’ll likely get a quicker solution by searching the web. However, if it’s a specific problem related to real estate and you can’t find an answer elsewhere, this is a good resource to check out.
REALTOR iPad and iPhone Group
What it is: This group is the perfect place for any real estate professional who also happens to be an Apple fanatic. Here you’ll find tech help, app reviews, case suggestions, and much more. There’s thousands of Apple forums and blogs out there, but this is a great place to get opinions about products and tools from people that will be using them for a similar purpose.
What you should know: Don’t be afraid to start a new conversation! If you love the new case or app you bought, write a post about it. The only way to start interacting and make connections is to start talking.
Real Estate Agent Group – Collaboration, Tips, and Insights
What it is: This is the biggest and most active real estate group on Facebook, with over 21,000 members. What sets this group apart from others is, since this group is exclusively for real estate professionals, you’ll see more conversations asking for advice regarding specific challenges in the buying or selling process. If you find yourself in an odd situation where you’re not quite sure if you did the smartest thing, or if you’re just looking to get advice about dealing with a client from others, try posting your question here. You’ll see brand new agents and those with decades under their belt sharing their opinions and experiences with each other.
What you should know: This is a private group open only to real estate professionals. To ensure it stays that way, they check out your profile before accepting you in the group. According to their ‘About’ description, they currently decline around half of the people who request membership because they cannot verify that they work in real estate. To make sure you’re able to get into the group, verify that your work information on your Facebook profile lists you as a real estate professional. To edit your employment information, just go to your Facebook Timeline, then select ‘Edit Profile’ under your name in the top left corner. Here, you’ll see your Work and Education information listed. If your profile doesn’t list your current job, just click ‘Add a Workplace’.
From here, you’ll be able to add your current position and employer.
Quick Tips
After you join a Facebook group, you’ll notice updates in the group will start to appear in your news feed. If you want to check the Groups on your own time instead of seeing posts automatically,no problem, you can change that setting in just a few clicks. Simply log in to your Facebook account from a desktop, then select the name of the group from the left hand tool bar.
From here, just click the Notifications button underneath the group’s cover photo, then seleft ‘Off’.
Since Facebook groups are laid out in a timeline, instead of organized by subject, they can seem impossible to navigate. If you’re looking for input on a specific topic, don’t worry! Groups are searchable, just like any other forum. When you’re on any group page, just type a term into the search box as shown below.
This will pull up any posts related to your search, keeping you from wasting time scrolling endlessly for a certain topic.
These 5 groups cover all different aspects of technology and marketing in real estate. Have you tapped into Facebook groups before? What are some of your favorites? Feel free to share with a comment below!