Use these tips to enhance your profile and engage with your connections to market yourself and your brand on the professional social media platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before embarking on a career in real estate, Marie Presti worked as the vice president of marketing for an internet company based in Cambridge, Mass. The company had developed a platform\u2014much like current-day LinkedIn\u2014but they ceased operations after 9\/11. At that time, Presti, who is now broker-owner of The Presti Group in Newton, Mass., turned her sights to real estate. Not long after, a California-based company reached out to Presti. They\u2019d learned about her as a result of her decade in the tech field, and they had a new product they wanted her to beta test. That product was LinkedIn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt first, I was like, they stole our product!\u201d she laughed. \u201cI started using it right away, though,\u201d she says, \u201cbecause I really wanted to keep in contact with the connections I\u2019d made in the tech industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, LinkedIn serves as an invaluable tool for Presti\u2019s business. The professional social media platform is a hub for building relationships within the industry, making connections with potential clients, and sharing her knowledge of the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Presti has more than 2,400 connections and 2,300 followers on the site. She\u2019s used LinkedIn as a master networking tool and is now sharing her best practices so that others can take advantage of the platform\u2019s potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of Presti\u2019s favorite features of the platform is that LinkedIn will automatically suggest connections based on the information you input into your profile page. \u201cIt has some great functionality in that it can look at my email address book and suggest connections based on the people I\u2019ve emailed who also have LinkedIn profiles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Likewise, LinkedIn makes connection suggestions based on where an individual worked in the past or attended school. Some people advise that a LinkedIn profile should only include experience relevant to one\u2019s current goals, but Presti disagrees. \u201cFill out the profile as completely as possible,\u201d she says. \u201cThat way, LinkedIn can look at the information you\u2019ve input and suggest connections.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Doing so gives agents and brokers a wider web of potential contacts. Though an agent might not work in a particular industry anymore, he or she might still want to connect with people from that industry. After all, Presti says, \u201cone never knows who might be looking for a house.\u201d She has included all her education background from high school on, and every job she\u2019s held. This technique works in her favor time and again. \u201cI\u2019ve had people from my days in high tech reach out to me to help them with their real estate needs,\u201d Presti says. \u201cI\u2019ve had people from high school connect with me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Building a comprehensive profile on the professional network can also bring job opportunities. For instance, a California-based real estate agency looking to expand to the East Coast reached out to Presti to head its first Massachusetts-based office. At the time, Presti wanted to move up in the industry, and the proposal was a good fit. \u201cThey came to me because of my LinkedIn profile, and it turned out to be a great opportunity for me at the time.\u201d Presti helped the company build its first New England office from the ground up, and she was instrumental in the company\u2019s East Coast success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Presti knows most of her 2,400-plus connections personally or professionally. \u201cAt first, I was really selective with who I accepted as a connection,\u201d she says. Her strategy is a little more relaxed now, but she still wants to ensure the connections she accepts are either in the industry, acquaintances, or people she knows well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A great way to build connections within the industry is to add a personalized note, Presti advises. Write a short message about why you want to connect\u2014whether you have a referral or want to ask some questions. \u201cI\u2019ve had many business partners do this,\u201d she says, \u201cand it makes me more likely to accept their connection request.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plus, business partners are not limited to other real estate agents or brokers, Presti says. \u201cMortgage officers, real estate attorneys, insurance companies, movers, painters, contractors\u2014they\u2019re all important connections to have,\u201d Presti explains. And LinkedIn fosters the perfect environment for building such a network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Job history and education aren\u2019t the only important components in a profile. Volunteer experience is also vital to a well-rounded LinkedIn page, says Presti, especially if it\u2019s industry-related. Her volunteer work as the president of the Greater Boston Association of REALTORS\u00ae\ufe0f lands her regular invitations to industry events, which gives her the opportunity to make face-to-face connections as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Creating a LinkedIn profile and adding all pertinent information is a great start, but it isn\u2019t enough. \u201cYou need to be active on the platform,\u201d Presti says. She recommends posting status updates one or two times a week. \u201cI also look at the alerts on a daily basis.\u201d LinkedIn will send notifications when a connection has a work anniversary or birthday, and Presti makes a point to send a note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another important aspect of the LinkedIn profile is the title or headline. \u201cYou want to convey to your audience that you\u2019re an expert, but not in a sales-y way,\u201d Presti says. In her own headline, Presti wants to communicate that she\u2019s an expert in her field and a business owner. As a result, hers says, \u201cGreater Boston REALTOR\u00ae of the Year\/President, Greater Boston Association of REALTORS\u00ae\/Owner, The Presti Group.\u201d This title tells the LinkedIn community where she\u2019s located, what she does, and that she\u2019s good at her job. But she cautions against using industry jargon that can confuse people visiting your profile. \u201cA lot of firms offer gold or platinum awards for meeting certain sales goals, but to the general population, none of that jargon makes sense, so I don\u2019t recommend putting it in a headline.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An updated, comprehensive summary is equally important to differentiate oneself from other agents or brokers. Presti advises that if agents and brokers have experience outside the real estate realm, adding it into the summary section can make a difference. \u201cI have advanced degrees and experience in tech and math. I think that\u2019s an important differentiator because it might tell a potential client that I\u2019m good with numbers or logically inclined,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Posting in blogs on the site is another great way to position yourself as an expert, Presti says. She\u2019s also an advocate for updating a LinkedIn profile on a regular basis. \u201cEvery time I change offices or move, I make sure that\u2019s reflected on my profile because all my connections get an update when something changes with me.\u201d This is a great way to keep your business in front of people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ultimately though, Presti says LinkedIn is meant to be a tool and should be treated as such. It is easy to become overwhelmed and get sucked into creating a perfect profile, but the purpose of LinkedIn is to get you in front of others. \u201cSocial media can suck people in, so it\u2019s important to make sure there\u2019s a balance between how much time is spent on these platforms and how much time is spent in the field,\u201d Presti says. \u201cWhen LinkedIn is used as a tool and not a primary communication technique, it can be really valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
National Association of REALTORS\u00ae
Reprinted with permission<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Use these tips to enhance your profile and engage with your connections to market yourself and your brand on the professional social media platform. Before embarking on a career in real estate, Marie Presti worked as the vice president of marketing for an internet company based in Cambridge, Mass. The company had developed a platform\u2014much … <\/p>\n