'Top Producer' can send wrong message
Tweet Estate Update, Vol. 2
By Daniel Rothamel, the Real Estate Zebra, Tuesday, May 5, 2009.Twitter is all about conversation, and there are plenty of real estate industry-related conversations happening throughout the Twittersphere. One of the more interesting ones occurred this weekend ...
It all started with a tweet from real estate consultant Marc Davison (@1000wattmarc). He raised the issue of the often-used moniker, "Top Producer," by real estate agents on Twitter:
Marc's tweet immediately garnered responses from real estate profressionals on Twitter. One of the first to respond was Phoenix-area broker, Jay Thompson (@PhxREguy), who shared in Marc's dismay at the use of the "Top Producer" moniker:
Another reply came from Ashley Drake Gephart (@AshDHart), a real estate agent in New Mexico, who questioned the dubious nature of the term:
Pam O'Connor (@LeadingrePam), the CEO of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, quickly replied from a different perspective, that of a consumer. Her reply lead to an interesting exchange between herself and Davison, during which they discuss the need for agents to be more consumer-centric:
One of the final exchanges in the conversation came between Davison and Pennsylvania real estate agent John Lauber (@JohnLauber). Their brief exchange sheds some light on why and how agents should use twitter: 
These tweets show us just the highlights of just one of the many real estate industry-related conversations on Twitter every day. Like many of the conversations that start on Twitter, these tweets merely serve as a starting point for what can grow into a much broader conversation about the real estate industry.
You can always become part of the conversation on Twitter by simply signing up for an account. You can find our regular Tweet Estate Updates segments here (see the first installment), and there has even been a Twitter Census of real estate pros, taken by Inman Member Gahlord Dewald (@gahlord). It is a great place to start if you are looking for other real estate pros on Twitter.
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Submitted by Mark Bloomfield on May 5, 2009 - 2:47am.
I don't know, maybe it's just me (and it very well be just me)...but I think it shows just how twidiculousness is to twitter. Who cares?
Submitted by Mark Bloomfield on May 5, 2009 - 3:40am.
I don't know, maybe it's just me (and it very well be just me)...but I think it shows just how twidiculousness it is to twitter. Who cares?
Submitted by Jay Thompson on May 5, 2009 - 4:55am.
Mark -
I struggle with how learning and connecting with real people, including real estate "consumers" is twidiculous.
I've met (in real life) over 100 non-real estate, local people through Twitter. A couple of them I now call clients, but more importantly I now call dozens friends.
Jay Thompson
Broker / Owner
Thompson's Realty
Blog: www.PhoenixRealEstateGuy.com
.
Submitted by Sandra Mathewson on May 5, 2009 - 6:01am.
I have read many comments from people with the same opinion as Mark's. I believe those people look at Twitter (and other social sites) with the view that if there isn't immediate gratification ($$$)then it's a waste of time.
We run into these attitudes everyday. It's not about relationships, benefits,and the future It's all about them. If they can't earn a few bucks quickly and move on, then it is too much trouble.
Submitted by Paul Howard on May 5, 2009 - 6:19am.
Wow, Jay calls dozens of people he met on Twitter friends. Makes me feel bad. I doubt I could name a dozen people I really think of as frinds. I know a lot of people and I like most of them - but most of them are not friends.
Most of my friends already own homes and they send me referrals - so do some of by past clients that are not in the 'friends' category.
Still, I like helping people I am comfortable with (and most people fit that category). I think less than 5% of my tweets are chit chat - instead I let people see something of who I am by the information I try to provide. That seems to work but is hard to measure.
I think one word that I don't really hear that makes Twitter have value is LEVERAGE. My tweets are not confined to twitter but find there way to multiple websites plus Facebook.
Paul Howard, Broker
NJHomeBuyer.com Realty
Cherry Hill NJ 08002
856-488-8444
Submitted by Mark Bloomfield on May 6, 2009 - 3:20am.
Sandra -
In business - time is money. One may choose to use their time more or less effectively or efficiently than others, but either way time is finite. To spend this finite time telling others what they are doing or reading about what others are doing on an hourly basis may work for some, but not for me. (as I said, I may just not get it) Jay, I’m glad you entwittered some clients through it, but in the end, what was your overall ROIT (return on investment in time)?
I’m not saying it doesn’t work as a business means for all people for all situations but finding that tweedle in the haystack also takes valuable time. :-)