Google Plus (Google +) is the newest social networking site brought to us by the monster company Google. Google Plus, however, is a bit different from the other social networking sites to which we have become accustomed.

Although you may have had your share of social networking and social networking sites, Google Plus may be actually worth your while, especially when it comes to building your real estate business.

Here are some of the features of Google Plus that have the brains from Google saying they’ve “revolutionized” social networking:

• Sharing – Like other social networking sites, Google Plus has a feature that allows users to share articles on other sites. Called the “+1” button, users simply press it to store under your +1 tab.

• Circle – A Google Circle is essentially a group of your favorite people. Google Plus allows you to create as many circles as you’d like, which is a great feature. For example, you can have a circle for your friends, one for your family, and one for your real estate clients. We like this feature because you can choose with whom you want to share information. If you want to send a message to your real estate clients, for example, you can do so without sharing this information with your other circles. Plus, you can drop and drag people in and out of circles as you please.

• Hangouts – We think the Google Plus Hangouts feature is a great new tool available for Google Plus users. This feature allows users to use the group video chats. You can ask a friend to join your Google Plus group chat through Google Plus Hangouts and you can use a cool new feature called “camera switching” to change the view of the camera based on who is talking at any given time.

• Huddle – Huddle is a cool new feature for smart phone users. This feature, which is available for Android, iPhone, and other smart phones, allows mobile users to communicate, within their desired circles, through instant messaging.

• Sparks – Sparks allows users to identify subjects they want to share with others. People may also share information with each other on a global scale using “featured interests” sparks. If you want to keep your followers interested on the latest topics in the real estate field, you must try the Google Plus Sparks feature.

• Stream – Within Google Circles you can stream updates. In other words, if you have a circle of real estate clients, you can see updates from others in the same circle. You can filter your Google Plus to show only those posts from specific circles, thereby further narrowing your options.

• Mute – If you don’t want to view a conversation any longer, Google Plus allows you to mute the conversation. If someone adds a comment to a post you earlier commented on, the conversation can be brought back to the top of your stream.

• Integration – Google Plus can communicate with your other Google applications, thereby facilitating your real estate marketing efforts. Considering integrating your Google Plus with your Gmail, calendar, documents, etc.

The +1 feature, in short, allows you to endorse URLs that you like. If you don’t notice the +1 feature, click on Google Experimental and you can enable it there. Once you stumble across the URL you really like or one that you find useful, you can click on it, and the icon turns a bright blue.

We like this feature because, once you click on the +1 icon, the URL will then appear in your Google Profile, thereby allowing you to easily locate your favorite URLs (just click on the +1’s tab in your profile). You can use your +1s for your own use, or you can show your friends you favorite URLs who, in turn, may make them their favorite URLs, too.

What’s the Big Picture?

Aside from being a really cool little feature for your Google searches, the +1 feature may have an impact on your real estate SEO campaign, as well.

Google says this about their +1 feature: “The +1 button is shorthand for ‘this is pretty cool’ or ‘you should check this out.’ Your +1s can help friends, contacts, and others on the web find the best stuff when they search.”

What’s particularly cool about Google’s +1 is that you can actually see how many people +1d your real estate website. In other words, you can see if your SEO efforts are paying off. The more people that +1 your content will essentially help you get more organic traffic from Google.

What’s Next?

Google is already working out a publisher button for their +1 feature that will allow you to embed the button on your real estate content. It will likely be a similar feature to the Twitter and Facebook buttons you see on websites. Will the +1 feature greatly affect your Google organic traffic flow and your overall SEO campaign? This, of course, remains to be seen; but, in the realm of social media, the success of Google +1 may be the next sure thing for your real estate business.

McGraw Realtors

Jerry Reed

Casey Key FL real estate

Cam Design

Stephen Christie Group

Impact Realty

Spectrum real estate

CRM Marketing Programs

Zunilda Conforte

Tony Gillen

Carolina home inspections

If your site wasn’t mentioned above it’s only because I couldn’t find it on your info section. Make sure to add it!

If you’re lucky, your Facebook page can attracts hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of followers! But with all the companies out there using Facebook as a social media tool, how do you set yourself apart and make your real estate business one that will create buzz and make others want to follow you?

Although there is no set formula for creating a Facebook page that will make others swoon, it is often best to look at very successful Facebook pages to see how they operate and pull in friends. Here is a list of our top five favorite Facebook pages and what they have to offer:

• Red Bull – If you want to really  understand what it means to know your customer, look at Red Bull’s Facebook page. Red Bull knows exactly who their customer is, and therefore boasts plenty of cool features to attract them. For example, we like their cool games  — aptly entitled “Procrastination Station” — and their web television program that highlights different athletes each week. Red Bull knows their customer and works hard to entertain them.
• Burt’s Bees – Burt’s Bees is a cool company often known for their all-natural products. What we really like about Burt’s Bees Facebook page is that they take the opportunity to show their followers how their products are made. These behind-the-scenes videos and pictures go into detail about their products, thereby giving the customer a feeling of trust in the company. It also speaks volumes about the pride this company takes in their products and the quality of their products.
• Toy Story 3 – The hugely successful third movie in the Toy Story franchise has a great Facebook page to accompany it. We really like the fun and exciting features of this Facebook page, as it even includes a new application called “Toy Creator,” which allows individuals to turn themselves into an animated toy.  But with all this fun comes function, too, as you can purchase tickets to see the movie without leaving their Facebook page! Genius!
• Coca-Cola – Leave it up this cola giant to have a Facebook page that’s just as impressive as the company itself.  The exciting, interactive applications, plus fun contests, keeps visitors on their page and interested.
• Oreo- We like Oreo’s Facebook page because it pushes the nostalgia aspect of this classic cookie. We especially like their “Back to School Memories” campaign that encourages fan to send in their experiences and  photos.

Real estate agents, too, can gain much exposure and status through social media. There are literally dozens of social media sites, and new ones popping up every day. By developing a social media strategy for your real estate business and choosing the sites that suit your needs and interests, you can improve your online presence.

Have you ever been to a cocktail party, or even to a networking conference? You probably met new people, exchanged opinions, and even gave out a few business cards, right? That’s a boiled down version of what social networking can do for your real estate business and exposure. It gets you in touch with people who are interested in what you do and what you have to say.

Twitter for Real Estate Agents

Twitter is a microblogging social media site. With a simple account you can post updates in 140 characters or less. That’s about a sentence or two. But you don’t have to say much. Write a short teaser sentence and a link to your latest blog post. Provide a link to your latest online listing. Gather followers through Twitter and the information you share can build your exposure not only to them, but potentially to their followers, etc.

How Facebook Can Benefit Real Estate Agents

Facebook has proven to be a tremendous benefit to businesses. Facebook allows commercial enterprises to create a free “fan” page. You can upload photos, write a detailed profile about yourself and your services, and include links to your website, blog, and listings. Encourage your clients and web visitors to follow you. Find others on Facebook who might benefit from your services. Then use your Facebook fan base to share your expertise and build your online reputation and exposure.

Social media doesn’t have to be difficult, but it does take effort to build a community and a following, keep regular updates, and monitor your results.

Newspapers and radio spots used to be the source of most marketing efforts; however, today’s customers are found nowhere near newspaper ads; instead, they are on the Internet, connecting socially, conducting business and making financial decisions.

The best place to head if you are in search of leads is to the social media sites. Even if you’ve never heard the term “social media” you likely know exactly what it is: Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, and that’s just for starters.

But how do you take social media and turn it into a great source for real estate leads?

Here are some tips for guiding you through the social media sites:

• Develop a network on a social media site and encourage current, past and new clients to add you to their network. Once you have an audience that is following you, or an audience that has named you their “friend,” you can offer a plethora of information and also add links to your marketing materials. A social media site provides you with the opportunity to create a profile that others can follow, so it is important to take full advantage of this online exposure!

• Create groups on social media sites that will allow you to provide others with helpful information. These groups are also a prime place for potential clients to ask questions and ask for advice. Becoming an expert in a group that you have created is a fantastic way of broadening your image and showing others that you have expertise in your field.

• Don’t forget about business networking groups, as well, as you can exchange ideas and information with other real estate professionals. An open forum on the real estate industry can help everyone gain valuable information to further their real estate business and careers.

• Pay close attention to the “next best thing” when it comes to social media sites, as this area of the Internet is constantly changing and evolving. Make sure you are prepared to stay relevant and to be where the excitement and action are.

The RealtyRankings community section is stuffed with features that can help you network, learn, and share information. Here are a few good reasons we think you should join the premier real estate community at RealtyRankings.

• Latest Articles – You will have access to the latest articles written by our qualified and expert staff. Each week we post more and more informative articles and blog posts that give you sound advice, helpful tips, and revealing information about real estate topics that matter to you.

• Discuss – As a member you will have access to comment on our articles and all guest blogs. Spark discussion with other members about important topics and news that affects the way you and others do business in the real estate industry.

• Write Blog Posts – Your membership in our community of real estate professionals gives you the opportunity to write and post guest articles on our community blog feature. Got an opinion to say? Have nifty tips and tricks you’d like to share? Perhaps you have learned recent news that affects everyone that you would like to share. Not only can you write and publish guest blogs, but your efforts can help your own online real estate SEO and marketing. Providing a backlink to your own website in your blogs and generating additional SEO content on other sites like RealtyRankings can help you get noticed by search engines even better.

• Network – Through our wide variety of members located throughout North America, you can network with other real estate professionals to promote your business and gain potential leads.

Becoming a member of our RealtyRankings community is free and easy. Sign up today and take advantage of all the benefits that other real estate professionals are enjoying right now.

Called Google Buzz, this social media spin-off of sorts will soon begin appearing in about one percent of Gmail user accounts. The rest of the Gmail community, according to Google, can expect to receive Google Buzz shortly thereafter.

So, what is Google Buzz and what can it do for your real estate business?

Google Buzz, which features a social media outlet, is part of Gmail. There are currently approximately 150 million Gmail users that may jump into the Google Buzz ring. If you are a real estate professional, the numbers are quite impressive, considering the Internet leads you can snag as a result.

Many industry experts expect Google Buzz to eventually integrate with Facebook, thereby opening up the flood gates in terms of users. There are currently over 400 million Facebook users.

How does Google Buzz work with my Gmail account?

A small tab in an individual’s Gmail account will take users directly to Google Buzz. Once inside Google Buzz, users can post and read, updates, photos and videos. Your “friends” in Google Buzz are the 40 people you communicate with most frequently in Gmail and Gchat.

Does Google Buzz work with other channels?

Yes! You can communicate with Flickr, Picasa and You Tube in Google Buzz. You can even pull in tweets from Twitter, although you can’t send your Buzz updates onto Twitter and other social networks.

How do you send private updates to your Google Buzz followers?

Your real estate private updates are immediately sent off to your Buzz followers, or you may choose just a select group. Real estate professionals may find this feature quite attractive, as you can sort your clients into particular categories and then send Google Buzz updates to only those followers that apply to your message (buyers vs. sellers, for example).

What about sending public updates?

Public updates are immediately posted to your Google Profile and are indexed for Google Search. How’s that for getting your word out to the masses?

The word is that Google Buzz may become quite useful for Internet marketing purposes, provided it evolves into a social media site that communicates with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Below are the top 100 real estate and social media sites. Enjoy!

1. Facebook

One of the fastest social networking sites. Facebook is one of the easiest ways of finding prospective customers within any given area. Using Facebook, we can target very specific groups according to our business needs; such a high level of targeting is not a possibility with other social networking sites or community sites. We can find our customers based on specific set of criteria including place, age etc.

2. Localism

This is a very niche based community site. At Localism, we can interact with the local merchants. This is one of the best examples of social networking at a micro level. People of the same place get together to share the happenings of their community. This community site is not only for the merchants and business people but it is also for common people. Neighborpedia is the extension of Localism.

3. Trulia

This is one of the top-rated sites for marketing any real estate related services. It has been estimated that Trulia attracts around 5 million potential buyers and sellers each month that are interested in real estate property in some way. Trulia Pro offers highly comprehensive marketing solutions for realtors as well as for professionals from the other fields who want to market their brand online.

4. ActiveRain

ActiveRain is one of the few networking sites that are exclusively meant for real estate professionals. We can make use of this real estate community site free of cost and its membership counts to 98,000 and still growing. We can post our profile online using the free membership. Making use of their referral service, it is possible to get in touch with the top real estate professionals and leads from both local real estate market and outside. The referral service allows us to search the local markets within each county.

5. RealTown

RealTown.com is one of the top real estate portals, which serves as a perfect meeting place for real estate buyers and sellers. This site offers a lot of useful resources for the real estate professionals as well as for people that are interested in buying and selling real estate properties.

6. FlippingPap

If you are a real estate investor who is interested in building relationship with other investors then FlippingPad is the place to be. FlippingPad provides a unique opportunity for the wholesalers whereby they can find many prospective leads. We will be able to interact with the investors using the forums. We can post our doubts, take part in discussions, which makes it a very interactive site.

7. LinkedIn

Almost all realtors will have an account in LinkedIn. This is one of the most happening places on the internet. Professionals from all fields want to be part of this network. This is a very sophisticated network with many tools and in built tools that we can use to interact with the other members. You can send invitations for others to join your network and send requests to other members to join their network. People can find us by our name or by using specific industry related keywords.

8. Puurple

Puurple is almost like Digg.com. We will be able to find and vote for posts that are related to real estate.

9. Zillow

Zillow allows us to search for homes in any given locality. We will also be able checkout on the homes that are recently sold out and their prices.

10. Zolve

This is another useful platform that serves as the meeting place for the buyers and sellers from the real estate industry based area.

11. Real Estate Webmasters

Realestatewebmasers.com has an exclusive section for realtors whereby realtors can interact with the local as well as global real estate professionals.

12. WannaNetwork

Wannanetwork.com is one of the high traffic real estate community sites. Here we can create new groups and also join the existing groups. This community networking site allows us to freely interact with the other members interested in the real estate industry. There is a lot of knowledge sharing here.

13. RealEstateForum.com

You can ask real estate related questions in the forums and get your answers. You can also start a discussion on a hot topic or take part in other discussions. You will be able learn a lot about the real estate industry by becoming a member here.

14. Brokeragentsocial.com

This community site has over 20,000 members. It is totally dedicated to the real estate industry. You will find everything relating to this industry from property talk to mortgage.

15. Inman

If you want to find the latest news about real estate industry, this is the first site you should visit. You can also become a member in this site and interact with the other members who share same interests. This site is again all about the real estate industry.

# 16 – 100 I decided to keep to myself, or we’ll add a second post.

Here are two of the biggest social media markets where you can get the most out of your “social” marketing efforts.

YouTube

YouTube offers one of the easiest ways to add video content to the web. With a small video camera and a little editing you can upload short videos of your new listings with a full walk-through and a voiceover discussing the livability of the home. You can even hire a professional video company to produce your short videos that can look just like it came straight out of the Travel Channel.

Posting to YouTube is easy and setting up an account is free. Remember, web users have little patience so keep your videos short and attractive. YouTube also allows you to copy a code to imbed your YouTube video into other web postings such as blogs or comments on other sites.

Facebook

Facebook has become the new MySpace with even more and better features for the average user who isn’t “twenty-something”. Facebook users grow by the thousands everyday and consist of regular people who just want to keep in touch with friends, family, and other important events and groups. That “other” category is where you can shine. Open a free Facebook account and create a profile. Then you can start gaining “friends” which can be anyone who is interested in what you have to offer. You can invite your clients to join your Facebook network. Then post videos and photos of your listings on your Facebook profile. You can even update your profile “status” to let your contacts know about a new and exciting listing.

There are many social media sites available to use as a marketing tool for your real estate website. Explore some of the others and find ways you can utilize them for creative social marketing efforts