What happens on Net, stays on Net
Realtor Notebook
By Teresa Boardman, Thursday, February 4, 2010.
Flickr image by bronclune.We are in an age of transparency -- of that there is no doubt. There are some who claim that what they do in their private lives has nothing to do with business.
Maybe what we do in private doesn't have anything to do with our businesses, but it becomes public when it is tweeted about, blogged about, shared on Facebook and when the photos are published on the Internet.
Prospective employers -- in my case, buyers and sellers -- see it all out there in a nice transparent way when they use Google to get information about me.
Last year I took some heat for an article I wrote about how I avoid drinking at some of the after-hour parties at real estate conferences because I don't like being photographed holding a drink. It isn't so much the photograph but the fact that they all end up on the Internet.
Yes, my clients know that I am a grown-up and I don't have any clients that have any kind of aversion to a Realtor who drinks socially, but what tends to happen is there will be 20 photos, and 19 of them will be of me with a drink in my hand, and the other will show me dressed in a suit up at the podium.
My clients get to see that while their homes languish on the market. Sure, it is my free time and I can spend it anyway I like, just like my clients do, but it leaves an impression that isn't a true picture of who I am.
I spend far more time working than I do going to parties, yet there are very few photographs of me working. I remember thanking a friend at the last Inman conference for taking a photo of me in a suit.
It is possible for business contacts and clients to form opinions of us based on what they see on the Internet, which is usually a mix of business and personal. For that reason I think we all need to be selective about what we share on the Internet.
This month I am serving on a hiring committee for a nonprofit, where I sit on the board of directors.
As I go through my huge stack of resumes and fill in the numbers on my rating sheet, I also go on the Internet and do a search on the candidate's name. If I can't find the person on the Internet, I have some concerns about their ability to raise money for us and to get our message out. ...CONTINUED
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Submitted by Jack Fleming on February 4, 2010 - 2:04pm.
Teresa
I understand your points about transparency on the internet. However you should realize some of us lead relatively quiet lives. I've been involved in a number of church groups, civic organizations and the like. But I have always managed to keep both myself and my images off the internet. My feeling is if I can't control it I'd rather stay off it.
Submitted by Ted Jernigan on February 4, 2010 - 2:28pm.
Ted Jernigan
Ebby Halliday REALTORS
McKinney, Texas 75071
www.TeamJernigan.com
972-489-6173
Teresa,
There are things in Google archives that predate widespread use of personal computers, Twitter, and facebook. I did PR work for a major corporation and references to press releases I wrote, articles in magazines quoting me, in addition to my current materials still crop up from the early 1980's. Knowing that has made me somewhat cautious about my use of social media today.
Submitted by Chris Somers on February 7, 2010 - 6:48am.
So true ! Great reminder. Too often I see "edgy" photos of Realtors on Facebook and the like. I can understand they want to be personal there but they are also connected with past clients and potential clients there ! Also, love your example how you will search a potential candidate for hire. It is amazing the info that can be found on folks these days, so it is important that it is positive and not negative. I can relate to your analogy regarding photos of yourself as well. Makes a lot of sense.
Submitted by Josette Skilling on February 7, 2010 - 7:38am.
Teresa,
As always you have managed to peel back the layers to the truth of the matter. Part of what has driven social media's use has been this transparency and the desire to be seen as a real person - work and personal combined. I don't see how you can do that unless your values are the same for all aspects of your life and can withstand the scrutiny that such transparency brings.
Josette Skilling
http://bethesdabuzz.com
Submitted by berge charles on February 7, 2010 - 9:21am.
cb
Maybe it's time to restore a more opaque world.
The whole transparency zeitgeist is vastly overrated & insignificant in the larger scheme of things.
Perhaps minds that can create a world of transparency will also be able to restore some privacy in the universe. I sure hope so. Most people's lives are far too boring to take notice..
www.auctionrefer.com
Submitted by Michael Kelly,CDPE,CIPS,CRS,SRES on February 7, 2010 - 9:15pm.
Teresa,
I feel as you but the real world is our client's search us out, look for us on "Google", then "listen" to how we comment on topics, how our temperment is, or not! They guage our reactions to the questions posed on Trulia, Active Rain, Facebook,Twitter, etc. When I first got on Trulia I became someone OTHER than the usual good guy I percieve my public personae to be. I made some very bitter, cutting remarks about Realtors and how I felt about their questions, their answers and even how they looked! Really boorish behavior. The current President of our Chapter of Realtors gets on facebook and BLASTS certain lenders and their short-sale "short-coming" plus goes off on other issues. I needed to remind him not only can this hamper his overall business but also reflects on the thousands of fellow Realtors of our Chapter!
What is said on the Web Stays on the Web forever! It is copied, forwarded, saved, and NEVER forgotten!
Michael J. Kelly,CDPE,CIPS,CRS,SRES
Keller Williams Realty
2008 #1 Single Agent for Keller Williams Santa Rosa Market Center.
2005 & 2008 "Realtor of the Year" Santa Rosa Chapter of Realtors