I know it sounds funny right? After all, if you go to LinkedIn and do a search for Real Estate , at the time I’m writing this post, you’ll get back 1,515,181 results. So it’s safe to say that Realtors aren’t ignoring LinkedIn, right? Okay, you caught me there.
But, what I can say is that with that many results, by and large, Realtors® are missing the boat when it comes to LinkedIn and it’s potential. We took a turn through about 100 Realtor’s ® LinkedIn pages, before deciding to write this article. While of course we aren’t going to give you screenshots and call out any one Realtor® in particular, as that would be unethical (yeah, we think it sucks too 
But we have to be professional about things), we will give you some things to avoid, and also some tips on things to definitely strive to achieve.
RULE #1: If you are going to have a LinkedIn page, DON’T ignore it
This seems pretty basic, right? Well, you wouldn’t believe how many Realtor’s® pages we came across that either weren’t set up all the way, or had been dormant for months. People, even though LinkedIn is a “business networking” site, it’s still social media. Even if you don’t ever pay any attention to LinkedIn and think it doesn’t matter, if you have an account on LinkedIn, people that do think it matters are going to visit your page. If they see you haven’t finished your profile, or they see you haven’t logged in, or posted anything recently, they are not going to take you seriously.
Can you really afford to have people think you aren’t serious about your Real Estate Practice?
Rule #2: Get Involved
This one isn’t so much things we’ve seen people do wrong, as much as things people are constantly asking us about. Every time we do a consultation with a potential client, part of the Leading Agent Marketing System we present is social media management. Everybody has heard of linkedIn, but short of networking with their colleagues, most Realtors® we meet with have no idea how to use LinkedIn as a tool that can help them get more business.
The number one thing you can do, to derive more leads and potential business, is to get involved. There are two ways to do this and both involve LinkedIn groups.
Way #1: Join groups that have members that are your potential clients. Think about your niche. Who do you represent? Are you a relo agent that deals mostly with High Tech people? Are you an agent that works with a major university, helping faculty and staff buy homes? Or are you an agent that seems to always be working with an entrepreneur? No matter what type of agent you are, I would venture to say that there is a group that has your potential client base as members.
Once you join these groups, get involved. Remember, this IS social media, so you get what you put into it. Spend a few minutes every day, reviewing the posts and looking for people that need your advice. I guarantee something will come up. When you see it, respond to the person, as detailed as you can, with any free advice you have to offer. Remember this: Givers Gain. If you help them out with whatever question they have, they WILL remember you, and will think of you when the time comes to buy or sell property.
Way #2: Start your own LinkedIn group. This one does require work, but the benefits far outweigh the potential downfalls. Let’s say for instance that you are a Realtor® that specializes in the Silicon Valley and primarily deals with high tech executives. Start a group that focuses on the Silicon Valley Real Estate Market. You can post statistics, market trends, and give your synopsis of the market. Basically, post those things that you think your followers will most like. After all, most high tech executives are very analytical people, and stats and market reviews will be right up their alley.
This sounds like work, BUT there is a huge pay out. That pay out is this: If you are the moderator for a LinkedIn group, you get to send one email message to EVERY member of your group, per week, and it’s guaranteed that it will be 100% deliverable. That is FREE online marketing. That is priceless.
The more helpful you are to people, giving them content they want, the more your group will grow and the further your reach will go. Not bad for a free tool.
Rule #3: Improve Your Search Ranking
Obviously everyone these days is wildly aware of SEO and making sure their website is following the greatest number of rules possible, to guarantee top placement on search engines. What we find though are many Realtors® who don’t know that LinkedIn kind of works the same way.
The best part though is that it is so much easier to optimize your LinkedIn profile, compared to your website. You only need to focus on three key areas:
1) Edit Your Professional Headline to have Keywords: If you put into headline, your main keywords, things that describe your services, focus, or abilities, this will help you when people search LinkedIn.
The fact is that when someone is looking for someone to help them with their need, if they are a LinkedIn member, before they go to Google, they are going to go to LinkedIn. After all, the results they get off a LinkedIn search allow them to find out how they are connected to the person in the search result, read about their professional profile, and even read reviews of the person and their services. All nice and tidy in one clean spot.
2) Put your keyword competencies in your Profile Summary: This basically is necessary for the same reasons as I listed in item #1. If you put them here, it will help get you better rankings in the LinkedIn searches.
3) If possible, put your key competencies in your current, as well as your past job experience listings: Again, for the same reasons as above. This again will help bolster your search results.
Does this really work? Yes it does. I know you all know us for our Leading Agent Real Estate Marketing services, but what many of you don’t know is that we also do marketing for restaurants. It’s a newer offering, compared to the Real Estate stuff, so I figured it would be great to use a relatively “unknown offering” as a test case.
Today, the day I am writing this article, I decided to test this keyword process. Specifically, the terms Restaurant Rewards and Marketing. I put the necessary key words into all the sections I described above and immediately did a search on LinkedIn for Restaurant Marketing. As you will see, we come up second on the search list.
While second listing is amazing, I think it’s important to note that the result happened IMMEDIATELY, after I made the changes to my profile, and not after months, like many SEO changes require to develop on search engines. LinkedIn gives you the ability to “tweak” your profile and gauge the results in “real time”. That is very powerful.
So I think you get the point. For this article, I chose just the three biggest things I thought I could help you with. The truth is there are many more that will get you where you need to be and help you gain in ways you never imagined possible. Want to see more tips? Keep an eye out on the Leading Agent Blog for future updates. Too impatient for new posts? Contact us today, and we would be more than happy to chat with you, give you a free, no obligation consultation, and get you on your way.
May the force be with you!
Chris Leo is a Silicon Valley, CA entrepreneur, complete workaholic, top notch marketer, type “A” personality, shameless self-promoter and never ending “connector”.
Even though he is seemingly always working, when he does take breaks, the “work hard, play hard” motto takes on a whole new meaning. His life is controlled chaos and he loves it.
LinkedIn is a professional environment. Realtors…stop posting your listings on LinkedIn. This is a place to showcase YOU and why you have a special skill, talent, background etc. that makes your realtor aptitude and experience better. Tell me about the region, the people, the data but knock off using LinkedIn as a brochure or listing page. Nothing makes me more angry when realtor don’t get it and as a group are one of the if not THE major groups that misuse social media.