Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing real estate expert, Herman Chan. You might know Mr. Chan from HGTV’s House Hunters. Herman is a videoblogger, speaker & writer whose social media savvy has made him an authority on branding & cementing one’s online presence. Check him out on www.habitatforhermanity.com or follow him on twitter @hermanity.

How can social media contribute to the bottom line of businesses, especially real estate professionals?

Social media can defray costs of advertising. Traditionally, agents would spend a small fortune on postcards, flyers, newspaper ads, etc. Frankly, print is expensive and 99% of it ends up lining bird cages. ROI just isn’t there anymore. With social media, agents can reach a targeted audience for cheap. Blog posts, tweets, videos and so forth live forever on line. They can be re-used, re-posted, and re-shared. Going viral is key!  Plus, agents can do it themselves! No need to pay an army of people for your ad needs. Cross off graphic designers, web designers, editors, etc. from the payroll.

Social media cements your online cred. Perception is reality nowadays. it is not unusual to spin your myth online. You might not have sold as many homes as you’d like, but if you blog constantly and show that you have knowledge and expertise, you can come off as an expert. Conversely, you may have sold many homes, but it does no good if no one knows about it. Get the word out with social media. Use it as a mini-publicity machine!

Social media helps us agents stay connected with our sphere of influence (friends and family, past clients, potential clients, etc.). It is a way to remain on people’s radars in an upbeat helpful non-threatening fashion. Under the guise of being “social”, agents can now keep in touch with clientele in a natural way (instead of the once-a-year holiday card, which comes off as forced and disingenuous)!

Since the housing crash, what trends have you seen in the real estate industry in regards to social media?

Trend #1: Clients are looking for advice on social media about buying and selling homes. Oftentimes they do not trust advice from traditional media because it written by a single writer and there is no way to interact immediately. In this age of instant gratification, clients not only want answers right away but they want a variety of answers, straight from people who are going through the same experience as they are in real time.

Trend #2: Sometimes real estate agents will debut a listing over their social media feed before it hits the market. It is a great low cost way to create buzz about a property. If a buyer stumbles upon it, they can sometimes get 1st dibs are viewing it or even making an offer on it. That is a big advantage!

Trend #3: Consumers are nosy. They want to know everything about a real estate agent before they commit. Clients will use social media to vet their agent. This is why it is increasingly important to manage your online reputation. Also what the clients sees on your Google+, website, Facebook, Twitter, and blog posts should all be connected. If it is not a seamless experience, people feel you are not full-time or committed to your career. (ie, your website portrays you as a reputable agent, but your tweets are salacious and un-professional… they will have 2nd thoughts about using you).

What digital relationship building techniques have you implemented for building your blog?

1. Engage with your viewers. Ask them to weigh in on  your posts. If they comment, comment back! Even if it is a thank you. People want to know they are not writing into a black hole.

2. Post frequently. Preferably daily. You want to give people a reason to come back. The more often you post, the more content you’ll have. You become the go-to source about real estate or your neighborhood. It builds cred and drives repeat traffic to your site!

3. Optimize your SEO. Use thoughtful titles with key buzz words for your blog posts so they get picked up in the search engines. Tag your posts too for the same reason.

4. Share and interact with other blogs. Do not just stay on your own blog. No one is an island. When you comment on other blogs, all their viewers will see what you wrote and more likely click on your site if your comments are interesting. Do not be afraid to share other info and stories from other blogs on your site. Just be sure to give credit. Most people will reciprocate and post something of yours on their site too.

What have been the most effective social media strategies for your real estate business? What business goals have you achieved as a result of your social media efforts?

Videoblogging  propelled me from just run of the mill real estate agent to a National Real Estate personality. The internet and technology are changing so fast. A few years ago blogging was so hot. Now everyone and their grandma writes a blog. I saw an opportunity be cutting edge to blog, but via video. Vlogging! People tune in to watch my webcasts from different social media outlets  (Youtube channel, my blog, my Facebook fan page, etc.). They watch, laugh, and learn. I tend to be very honest and funny, in a business that is often stereotyped as dishonest and serious. A breath of fresh air!

With regard to business goals, videoblogging helped me amass over 28000 combined followers on Facebook and Twitter. It put me on the map as a Public Speaker around the country, which has only added more to my reputation as a great real estate agent. Ironically social media has also helped me attract the attention of traditional media, like print magazines, TV outlets, radio shows, etc., which gets me in front of even more clients. I can’t complain

How would you recommend someone use social media to get started in the real estate business?

Just to illustrate how powerful social media is. I wasn’t even trying to procure business and it comes my way. Years ago when I started my personal Facebook page, I noted I sold real estate as my profession. I did not post much about the industry and I had no intention of courting business. It was just my personal page for friends & family.  But the funny thing is that many high school friends who I haven’t talked to in 15 years approached me to help them find a home because they saw me profession in my profile. Instead of cold calling agents to interview, all these people already knew me and there was a built in level of trust. And best of all, I didn’t have to spend a dime on advertising.

So if you are a newbie agent, I would absolutely advise you to start a Facebook account and connect to as many old friends and family as possible. Increase your sphere. The more people who know you are in the business, the more likely someone will inquire. It’s a numbers game, but do not shove it down their throat that you are a realtor. Succesful social media is predicated upon authenticity, openness, and sincerity. It is not about the hard sell!

Many thanks to Herman for taking the time to do an interview with us. His answers are thoughtful, plus any person can take his advice and use it in their own business.

Update: Social Media and real estate personality, Herman Chan, answers a followup question from last week:

What do you do when home buyers come at you with a list of things they found on the net?

I know some old school real estate agents hate that! But personally I love it! It immediately gives me an idea of what they are looking for, without me having to spend countless weekends touring homes with them. That is the beauty of the internet, there is no dearth of information at the tips of the consumer.

More importantly, I think clients like sharing what they have found on line too.  Modern buyers want to know they are a part of the search. They need to know they have a say in the house hunting. It makes the search more collaborative. We are working as a team. Very Gen X/Y and Millenials!

The one warning I do give my clients is to not believe everything they see. Take it all with a grain of salt because as great as social media and the internet are, there is a lot of inaccurate outdated listing info out there too.

For more information on Herman, check out www.habitatforhermanity or follow him on twitter @hermanity.

Did you enjoy the interview with Herman? What further questions do you have? The floor is yours.