In an article published in January 2007 at CNNMoney.com, staff writer Leslie Christie quoted Brad Inman, the host of Real Estate Connect and publisher of Inman News, who said, "Social networking is lifting real estate and in the next 12 months it's going to overwhelm real estate. It's been happening since Craig's List started but it's only now coming to a head."
Just as single businesses avail prospective customers of "value-added" information to increase the likelihood of a sale, real estate professionals likewise raise their economic value to the marketplace by collectively generating and distributing useful content on an online community.
A bigger presence online translates to higher traffic and more prospects. Just as highly visible shopping malls draw more shoppers than a single storefront location, high-profile online social networks draw more visitors than individual isolated websites.
Obviously, any real estate or home improvement professional can benefit from participating in an online community geared to real estate. But what about those who are unsure, concerned about peer competition in a community setting?
The answer to online networking may lie in the material world. Networking online appears to be just as effective and no less or more competitive than networking in person, whereby peers often gather over coffee or a meal to talk and share leads. In other words, people are gathering online for the same reasons and with the same results as gathering in person: to share, to learn and to benefit.
The Internet is coming of age and social networks are its right of passage. Unless you're joining a community of peer experts, you just may miss the boat.
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