Realtors – Be Careful Whom you Follow On Twitter

Posted on October 15, 2008 by Jim Duncan

Not everyone wants to be followed. Sometimes a little bit of discretion is called for.

Do-not-follow-everyone-on-twitter.jpg

I’m @JimDuncan if you’re curious. :)

About Jim Duncan

A Charlottesville Realtor who tries to stay on the bleeding/cutting/functional edge of technology and real estate trends. I have been selling real estate for the past 10 years, lived in C'Ville for twenty+ and am married to one of few Charlottesville natives left.
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  • http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com Jay Thompson

    Can’t say I blame Mr. Durr one bit. The often relentless (and uninvited) pursuit of business that some agents engage in is quite sad. And understandably irritating to many, if not most.

  • http://jeffturner.info Jeff Turner

    Jim… I’ve been waiting to see a tweet like this, and wondering how a consumer would deal with a volume of real estate agents descending on them. Loren Nason’s response to seeing this post is classic. Clearly, “real world” social discretion metaphors are not being translated into “virtual world” social exchanges. There’s a lot to learn.

  • http://www.homebuysblog.com Ted Mackel

    I have had a few lenders and agents looking for business (referrals) give me the used car salesman approach……….That does not work.

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  • http://www.myleavenworth.com Geordie Romer

    There’s an agent I follow who tweets regularly about 30% referrals. Talk about being needy.

    @geordieromer

  • http://www.realcentralva.com Jim Duncan

    Geordie –

    I stopped following that agent. I don’t need spam in my Twitter-stream.

    Jeff – Agreed. There are more desperate agents out there who need to understand that not everyone wants to be followed/gotten/sold.

    Jay – notchasing is a sure-fire way to differentiate. :)

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  • http://futureofrealestatetechnology.com Loren Nason

    Pick Me! Pick Me! Pick Me! Pick Me! Pick Me! Pick Me!
    Mine?! Mine?!

  • http://www.raincityguide.com ARDELL

    I teach a blog class gratis once in a blue moon. As soon as I get to the part where it’s not about getting business, I see the eyes glaze over. Social Networking is big…but many just don’t “get it”.

    I’m thinking of twittering that I’m thinking of buying a car, a refrigerator and some new shoes. I wonder who will twit me back if I do that ?

  • http://www.findmyfloridahome.net Robert Masse

    I agree with Ardell. I often teach classes and try to teach the selling real estate by not selling real estate…and I often get the deer in the headlights reaction. Most agents are so programmed to decend on people like vultures that they don’t know how to simply talk to people anymore.

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  • http://www.creativenvironments.net Los Angeles lofts

    Twitter is justtaking it one step too far. I long for the days when I did not need my cell phone at my hip. When will we have a moment to ourselves again.

  • http://www.realcentralva.com Jim Duncan

    LA Lofts – I empathize with you – the need, or at least perceived need, of being connected at all times is quite overwhelming sometimes.

  • http://jeffturner.info Jeff Turner

    My fear is that if the tools don’t develop quickly that make it easier to focus on the conversation, rather than the numbers, Twitter may simply become septic with the crap of spammers. It’s way to easy to game the Twitter system.

  • http://www.realcentralva.com Jim Duncan

    Jeff –

    Amen. I am so, so, so sick of the “get more followers” crap that’s out there. The focus needs to be on quality rather than quantity. It’s a cultural shift more than a systematic one, in my opinion.

    More is absolutely not always better.

  • http://jeffturner.info Jeff Turner

    I’m going to be showing two fake accounts I set up last Thursday and what I was able to do without engaging in a single real conversation. It’s stupid. I’ll be writing about it this Thursday.

  • http://www.PhoenixRealEstateGuy.com Jay Thompson

    I saw some “pyramid scheme” on Twitter yesterday, designed by a “real estate coach”. It was a pure gaming of the system in order to “get more followers”. He even had the gall to call it “building your buyers list on Twitter” and agents were falling all over themselves to join.

    It made me want to puke.

    I’ll be looking for your post Jeff! Should be very interesting!

  • http://www.realcentralva.com Jim Duncan

    Jeff -

    Please include something about the lemming mentality of Realtors – and people in general – who are seeking a quick fix. Twitter is about engagement and interaction and relationships and trust (IMHO) – not sheer numbers.

  • http://jeffturner.info Jeff Turner

    Jim… I will.

    Jay, can you send me a link to that? If you can find it.