Snapchat and Instagram are popular topics of discussion. Personally, I don’t spend much time on Snapchat (re: any) so I thought I’d ask a very smart man I met this year, Jason Frazier, who’s had success with the platform to share his thoughts on Snapchat vs Instagram for real estate!

Unless you have been living under a rock, I am sure you have heard about both Snapchat and Instagram Stories. Being in Real Estate, you have probably been told by multiple thought leaders and “gurus” that you should be on one of these channels. So what is the right answer?

The answer is Both.

If you could go back in time, and build an audience on Twitter or Facebook before it blew up, would you? Of course you would!  Because you have seen the attention and popularity of these Social channels explode. Facebook is now the largest ad platform in the world, and millions of dollars have been made by first movers/early adopters. Twitter is loud and fragmented, but still a popular source for news.

You have the same opportunity right now with Snapchat and Instagram. I know agents who are killing it on these storytelling apps.  They are taking advantage of the popularity and capitalizing on the attention. Because so many of you are deciding to opt out for whatever reason, this means less competition.  Don’t…opt…out. Take advantage and work to grow an audience. Right now there isn’t a lot of real estate pros on there, so it is fertile ground. But that is changing quickly.

Now the elephant in the room is that Snapchat is going the way of the dodo. And I am not going to lie, and there is a few reasons to believe that. However, it is here now and still has 150ish million active daily users. It also has an awesome ad feature called Geofilters that is still undervalued. I have used the feature a lot and it has resulted in actual tangible ROI.

How many of you went to a “Lunch and Learn” or Social media conference and were told to start using Snapchat or Instagram? I am sure you went home and downloaded the apps, and then said, “What the hell do I do now??” Don’t fret, read below on some simple tips on how to use it to grow a following.

Tip #1: Be HYPER-LOCAL

What this means is use these apps to talk and show the coolest spots in your market. Where to eat, best shops, best parks, best clubs, etc… If you are serious about being an expert in your market, being Hyper-Local is a MUST. Use the geo-location features to reach local audiences that you aren’t even connected to!

Tip #2: Be authentic 

Don’t worry about being polished. Polished is white noise in marketing, especially in this industry. Be you. Polished is not unique and being you is. That is how you stand out.

Tip #3: Be patient 

Just like with all social media, it is a marathon, not a sprint. Do not expect immediate ROI from this.  Sure, you may stumble upon some quick hits, but for the most part, this takes time. However, if you do put in the work, you will see results.

Tip #4: Engage and connect.

This is how you will grow your following. You can use the built-in discover and search features to build a network. Just like any other social interaction, you need to get out there to make friends.

Tip #5:

This is Snapchat specific, but use the Geofilter option to digitally fence off an area. Like a tailgate section of a sporting event. Now every Snapchatter in that area can see your branding when they use the app.

Tip #6: Be a storyteller.

Your day and what you do will be interesting to someone. Believe it.  That is why reality TV gained popularity so quick. People can identify you living your daily life as opposed to Tom Cruise hanging on to a 747 as it takes off. Trust me, every one has value showing what they do.

Full disclosure, I am using Instagram more than Snapchat as of this month. This is based off my engagement. I know others who still have a locked-in audience on Snapchat, so it shouldn’t be abandoned…yet. The cool thing is that you can download stories from one channel and upload to the other without having to do the double work.

I hope this helps as a starting off point for using these storytelling platforms. If you would like me to come back with a more in-depth look at either Snapchat or Instagram, let Andrew know and I will happy to share my experience.

Bonus: If you are like me, you need a visual. So, I put the usernames of some great Real Estate examples and just generally great people you should follow on these channels.

Snapchat:

Snapchat Guru: thecarlosgil

Real Estate Agent: steelesdhomes

Real Estate Agent: rvahometeam

Real Estate Agent: dustinbrohm

Real Estate Marketing: chelsea.peitz

Commercial Real Estate: buckybeeman

Real Estate Broker/Owner: michaelmeiernyc

Social Media and Business Expert: garyvee

Guy who wrote this great blog article :-): realestatecio

Instagram:

Story Teller: @carlosgil83

RE Social Maven: @katielance

Real Estate Superstar: @kenny_fast

Real Estate Queen: @soniafigueroare

Real Estate Marketing: @chelsea.peitz

Real Estate Broker/Owner: @michaelmeiernyc

Real Estate Speaker/Broker/Owner: @kalalaos

Social Media and Business Expert: @garyvee

Me again! :-): @realestatecio

Jason Frazier has more than 18 years of expertise in technology startups and venture capital, having previously held senior-level technology positions. He is currently the CIO & Chief Strategist for Mason-McDuffie Mortgage. Frazier is also the founder of The Real Estate CIO Media Agency, speaking on topics such as Technology, Marketing, Social, and Consumer Experience for the Real Estate industry. He was chosen as HousingWire’s Young Rising Star in 2016 and their Vanguard Award Winner in 2017. He was also honored as one of the Top 50 Connected Mortgage Professionals in 2016 & 2017, by National Mortgage Professionals Magazine

“The commission is never worth your life”

Agent safety is an under-discussed topic that usually comes up when something terrible happens. I wanted to bring attention to it again before something happens again to help make the industry safer.

I reached out to the local police department here in Aurora, to speak to them about how to be safe as a real estate agent. They sent a local officer to answer questions and offer some on the job safety tips.

Soliciting questions from the real estate agent community and coming up with a few ourselves; here’s what we learned:

Carrying Weapons

One of the most common questions agents have is “What can I carry with me to protect myself”? 

Note – This is for the Canadian Market where agents cannot carry a gun. Which, even if they could, the officer did not recommend it as a measure of self-defence.  

Agents provided examples, asking things such as; can they carry bear spray, knives, and special key chains that can be used as weapons, and more?

Bear spray, or even dog spray, is legal for an agent to carry with them.  This comes with a few very important words of caution. First, you must know how to properly use whatever tool you choose to keep on hand.

In the example of bear or dog spray, do you know how to spray it in a way that won’t harm you? What if you spray outwards but it deflects back on you? This could cause you just as many issues for you as the potential attacker. It is imperative to not use anything you aren’t trained to use.

Secondly, any weapon you carry is just as likely to be used against you during an attack. If you are carrying a knife, you could end up being harmed while defending yourself. This is why guns are often not a recommended means of self-defence. (This is not meant to start a debate about gun control; this is the advice from a professional).

Finally, in the event that you are attacked, are you given free reign to do whatever necessary to defend yourself?

There’s a very fine line that is situational and dependent on how far you can go when defending yourself. The basic rule of thumb is that you can use whatever means necessary to defend yourself until you are able to escape the situation. If you harm your attacker after you’ve had the opportunity to escape, you can then be charged with assault.

At the end of the day, the officer says that if your life is on the line, its no holds barred. You should do whatever you have to do to make sure you get out alive.

(These laws can vary a lot province to province, state to state, so seek independent legal advice in your area if you are going to carry a weapon with you for self-defence)

Meeting Someone New

Meeting new people is the key to success in real estate. You have to get in front of people, or as the old school coaches always say “belly to belly”. With this comes risk though.

It is not uncommon to end up at a vacant property in a remote area.  How can you protect yourself when meeting someone new in this type of situation? The easiest answer is exactly what people have said for years; never go alone.

However, as a real estate agent that’s not always possible. If you can, get someone else from your office, or a family member to join you. If you can avoid meeting someone new alone, take it at all costs. Also try to meet somewhere beside the house, or out in public.

It is strongly recommended you ask for ID before going into any home. If the person you are meeting resists, be upfront and honest about why you’re asking. It’s a safety issue. If they don’t understand, that’s a red flag about their intentions.

When you meet someone at a house, try to record his or her license plate number. Whether you do it covertly or openly is a personal preference. You should always inform your office where you are going, when you are going, and when you will check in again.

When you arrive to a house, make a phone call so the person you are meeting knows you will be checking in with your office again. For example, on the phone say “Hi _____, just here showing 123 Main Street with *Name of Person*. I’ll call you in 20-30 minutes when I’m on my way back to the office”.

If you are meeting a new client at your office, make sure to introduce them to someone you know. Anyone looking to commit a crime wants to remain anonymous. The more people connected to you that knows them, the more of a deterrent that may be.

Google is also your best friend. You can learn a lot about people by using Google. It’s not perfect but you can confirm a lot of information about people.

Showing Properties

When showing properties there’s some steps you can take to better prepare yourself. As mentioned above, the ideal is always to have someone accompany you.

You should never take the same car as the client/potential client. According to the officer, it’s more likely that there could be an incident in the car than in the house.

When you get to the home, let the client enter first. You should keep them in front of you throughout the entire showing and do not lock any doors. Keep your phone in your hand at all times. If your gut has even the slightest inkling that something is off, have 911 ready to dial immediately.

This is more for the ladies than the men but avoid high heels and clothing that restricts your movement. You want to be able to run if possible. Leave your purse at home or in your car as well.  Only bring into the showing the items you need for the showing itself.

Ultimately, trust your gut, if you have a bad feeling then listen to it.

Open House Safety

You’ll start seeing a trend here, but the first safety tip of an open house is to not host it alone. Bring someone from your office, a mortgage broker, family member, or a friend.  When you get to the home, remove all valuables. Also, remove potential threats such as the knife block on the counter.

It’s smart to have guests sign in, ideally with their ID. As mentioned above, explain it’s for security purposes and if they still do not sign in then that’s red flag. Any reasonable person will understand.

Make sure your cell phone is charged, car keys are readily available and leave valuables – like your purse – in the car. It’s also important to be very cognizant of all the exits and ensure they are unlocked. Also, make sure you check all the exit routes. If you plan to escape through the backyard, do you know which side the gate in the fence is on? Is there an exit from the backyard?

Break-Ins

One question I received when I announced I was going to do this post was “Do homes listed for sale with pictures of the interior, make them more likely to be robbed?” The answer is actually No. The officer said he didn’t have any official stats, but typically burglars do not choose homes based on having seen it before. This is for a couple reasons. The first is that many homeowners, in anticipation of strangers coming through, are more likely to hide or remove all valuables.

The main reason though is that burglars are more likely to choose a home based on what it looks like from the outside. Is the front door visible from the street? Is there landscaping blocking the view of the door? Does the house have cameras? These are the deciding factors for a would-be thief.  Ideally a home should have a front door that is always visible from the street with no landscaping in the way.

False Accusations

Another question we received was “How do I protect myself against false accusations?” The rate of false accusations is quite low but its still better to take precautions.

Ideally, you wouldn’t meet people alone but that is not always possible. The officer recommended having your phone recording anytime you’re alone with someone. A simple app like Smart Recorder can save you down the road against a false accusation.

In Canada, you do not need both parties permission to record a conversation.  If you’re a male and meeting a woman, it’s better that the person you bring with you is another woman.

Using Security Cameras

One way to help protect during showings is to have security cameras. You are completely within your legal right to have security cameras throughout a home and you do not need to notify people of this. The more obvious the better though, since they act as a deterrent.

While you can have cameras throughout your home without notifying anyone of their presence since there is no reasonable expectation of privacy in someone else’s home, there is a reasonable expectation of privacy in the bathrooms so no cameras in there!

Warning Others

Many agents wonder if they can keep a file of suspicious people and share it amongst themselves. According to the officer I spoke with, this is not an issue from a criminal standpoint. You can keep a file of suspicious people and share it privately BUT… This is an important but…If that list was ever made public, or a person on the list found out they were listed, they can sue you civilly.

You could be on the hook for civil damages if they were able to prove the list negatively impacted them. The same goes for when you use your phone for recording, or the video cameras in the home. You’re legally allowed to but if you publish any of the content you could be held liable from a civil perspective.

Trust Your Gut – The Gift of Fear

At the end of the day, nothing is more effective than your own gut. If you have an uneasy feeling then don’t risk anything. Trust your gut and get out of the situation. Even if this means you have to cancel a showing while in the driveway with the potential client. It’s better to lose a potential client than end up in harms way.

When Should you Contact Police?

This is where a lot of people might not have some questions. Where’s the point that police should be involved? There has to be a direct threat regarding harm.  For example; someone saying the phrase “I’m going to get you” is not enough for the police to get involved.

Since people are innocent until proven guilty, the phrase I’m going to get you could be open to interpretation. They might actually mean, “I’m going to get you…a nice bouquet of flowers”. They have to directly threaten your physical safety.

Any form of physical contact without consent can be considered assault. If they touch your arm and you didn’t invite it, then that’s considered assault and you can call upon police. However, according to the officer, nothing will likely come of this, other than the incident being on record if they just touch your arm.

If the harassment is digital, they can run traces and find the person. With the exception of the computer savvy type who know how to hide their digital footprint. However, most messages online found to be harassing can be tracked.

My personal recommendations – err on the side of caution and call the police if you think it may be warranted. Worst case they tell you there’s nothing they can do.

What if the worst happens?

You’ve taken all the steps possible to protect yourself, but sometimes that may not be enough. If someone has the intent of harming another person, they can do it. This type of crime is rare with all these steps taken.

If you are attacked though, what should you do?

Step 1: Call 911

Step 2: Make note of all the details about the attacker as soon as possible. Their height, weight, clothing, approximate age, hair and eye colour, facial hair, and any distinguishing features. If you can, take note of their car, if you don’t know the make then note the colour and if its a coupe, sedan, SUV, etc…

Step 3: If you were sexually assaulted, do not shower, do not change your clothes. That will all become evidence. When 911 arrive, they will help take care of you and make sure everything is done properly.

Step 4: Find a support group or counselling services. No matter how tough you are, these groups can help. You’re not the first person to go through it and others will be there to help you.

CONCLUSION

In real estate we often talk about what goes into finding the right home. For many it depends on location, condition of the property, and budget. The perfect home will fit all 3.

For crime to happen it’s similar. The 3 sides of it are; opportunity, criminal desire, and the victim or location. By doing what you can to be aware of your surroundings and limiting opportunity, you can do a great deal in protecting yourself. No matter what precautions you take, if someone is highly motivated to do harm, it will be hard to stop them from trying.

This is true for everyone in society, and not a real estate agent specific problem. Limit their opportunities as much as possible and remember these 4 key takeaways.

1. Don’t assume anything
2. Never take anything for granted
3. Be aware of your surrounding’s
4. Trust your instincts
5. Never take anything for granted

Stay safe out there!

I recently had the pleasure of speaking at the NAR Tech Edge event in Parsippany, New Jersey. There were a lot of great speakers sharing a ton information so I wanted to go over some of the highlights for all of you here.

The event was hosted by Jeff Lobb, the brain behind SparkTank Media, and one of the great guys in real estate. Jeff is a huge proponent of having a specific hashtag strategy. He doesn’t just talk about it, he leverages one that has even made him and his family very well known locally. You should check it out yourself on Instagram by looking up #lobblife.

Its important not to get stuck in the past. Stop being nostalgic about what used to work and embrace what works now. The way you market your business can keep changing and its your job to stay on the forefront. If your clients are all on Facebook right now then be there. If they all move to Snapchat then move there. It’s not about what you want, its about what your clients want.

On the note of embracing the way people are is the increasing use of emojis. They aren’t just for young people. Ask everyone you know over 40 and you’ll be surprised at how many are increasingly using emojis every day. As stupid as they seem to some they actually solve an important pain point in peoples lives. Its hard to convey tone and get the message across sometimes with only text. Emojis can help bridge that gap.

Hyper-Local Content

There was a great presentation by Judy Weiniger of the Weiniger Group. She’s an incredible agent from New Jersey. She echoed so much of what I’ve always believed about the advantage that real estate agents have over the big online portals. You may never compete with “homes for sale” on google but no big portal can compete with you over hyper local searches. They don’t have the information that you do.

As the local expert you should be promoting your area in ways that no one else can. Tell the stories of the locals. Find what’s unique in your area and highlight it. Check out this amazing video Judy made about a local pizzeria. Look at how little its about her or her business and instead focuses on the business.

Here are some great ideas Judy shared on types of content to create, especially with video:

• Schools
• What the commute is like
• Who has the best pizza
• How are the highways
• How do you get to the city
• Taxes
• Flood zones
• Parks
• Children Activities
• Grocery shopping options
• Gyms and Yoga Studios
• Local restaurants and entertainment
• Guide to Local Farmers Markets
• Where to go Pumpkin Picking
• Answer your clients questions

The trick is to just get started. Don’t wait for things to be perfect. You’ll get better over time but just start doing it now. This also isn’t going to be a free method of building your business. Good videos do require an investment. At the very least you should be investing in a lavaliere mic.

Simple Video

Steve Pacinelli from BombBomb came up talking about the benefits of using simple video to build relationships. Unlike the videos Judy was talking about that are for the masses, these are 1 to 1 videos that are used to build the know, like, and trust thats all so important.

Short videos can help convey so much more than text ever can. Whether its good news, bad news, responding to al lead, or any other number of personal communications, video can make it so much better. When you get the opportunity try and send a message you’d usually do over the phone or email and try sending it with video. See how the response can be different.

Smart Home Technology

We also had Joe Sullivan from CRT Labs (a division of NAR) to talk about the future of smart homes. It was really interesting to hear him talk about the future of the home and the devices within it. Also highlighted the importance of agents becoming very familiar with these issues.

For example, did you know that with a Nest smart thermostat, if your client buys a home with one they have to get the seller to transfer ownership to them? If not, the previous sellers could continue controlling the thermostat from their phone.

Another huge advantage of smart home technology will be the ability to keep people in their own homes longer. With the ability to help monitor and make their lives easier, smart home technology will prolong how long people will stay home.

People buy smart devices for convenience, to simplify their life, security, reduce energy consumption, reduce costs, and for the fun of it. Personally I have a smart garage door opener and its great to be able to check if its open or shut from my phone anywhere in the world.

Support your Community

Sharon Steel, another great New Jersey agent, is heavily involved in her community. She builds her business by getting really involved. Everything she does is centred around the idea of helping the community.

A great example is her direct mail campaign that she sends out. Once a quarter she sends 10,000 cards to the community. Except it has almost zero mention of her or her business. Each piece showcases the work of local artists.  She’ll run competitions to see which person has the best piece to showcase each month. People are even framing these cards. Locals who have moved out of state are asking for copies to be mailed to them as a reminder of home.

On the back of cards she doesn’t take advantage of the space to promote herself either. She talks about the artist, what the piece means and represents to them.

Get involved in your community, put them first, and give as much value as possible.

There were a ton more great takeaways from this event but I could write a 3,000 word post about it. If you have the chance to attend a NAR Tech Edge event I’d recommend it.