How We Did It
REALTOR® Magazine asked
practitioners to submit links
to their online “about me”
bios, social media profiles,
consumers. In January, we
selected five submissions, from
practitioners with from nine to
20 years of experience, from the
141 we received. The panelists
represented a wide range of
ages—from 21 to 67—and
backgrounds: Maya Bird-Murphy
and Ariella Chavarria, recent
college grads expecting to
each own a home in the future;
Matt and Carrie Bell, a married
couple planning to buy a home
this summer; Joshua Rolock,
a home owner of 15 years; and
you to those practitioners
who agreed to be subjected
to public scrutiny. To see how
they responded to some of the
feedback, visit realtorm.ag/
aboutme-responses.
30 REALTOR® MARCH/APRIL 2015 REALTORMAG.REALTOR.ORG
What Your Online
[About Me]
Says About You
By Graham Wood
Should you include details about your
personal life in your website bio? If you pose
with your dog for a Facebook profile photo,
do you look less professional to prospects?
Do you say too much—or too little—about
yourself on your social media pages?
REALTOR® Magazine invited a panel of consumers—both owners and renters—
to view bios and social media profiles from real estate professionals around the
country. The panelists said the way you portray yourself online can have a
big impact when they’re deciding whether to work with you.
Are you sending the right message?
The Takeaway If our consumer panel made one thing clear, it’s this: Take care with
your online persona. Craft accurate, error-free online bios and social media profiles,
and write them with consumers’ interests in mind. Keep your photos up-to-date and
consistent. And use your social postings as a way to bring your personality and your
value as a real estate professional to life. These steps communicate the essence
of you and your business, so don’t think of them as tiresome chores. You don’t get
a second chance to make a first impression. and in the Internet-connected world,
you’re projecting your image 24/7. What will be consumers’ first impression of you?
