InmanNext has published some wonderful posts about online reputation over the past six months or so. (I encourage you to go back to each of these posts for review!)

image courtesy of Mike Bowler

Today, I will throw my 2 cents in. Here are my thoughts on rating systems, like Klout, and agent verification programs: in the future, they will play a huge role in influencing consumers. This will happen prior to agents actually doing business with them.

Are we preparing Realtors for the “Hunger Games”?

Preparing real estate agents to be rated reminds me of the “Hunger Games.” It appears everyone is getting into the “game” of finding the best agent. We have Klout scores, reviews from past clients on LinkedIn (You do have a LinkedIn resume, right?), and we have been rated by clients and customers on Zillow, Trulia, and Move Inc.’s acquisition, SocialBios.com.

The rules of business are changing — especially in the real estate industry. Consumers are asking more questions and expecting more results from the Realtor, which they should do. Agents need to be aware of the current industry rating sites like Mountains of Agents, and Verified Professional Agent (VPA). Both offer detailed verification from actual people.

By the way, what is your Klout Score? Do you measure up to others in the real estate industry? How do you show your competitive edge?

badge image via shutterstock

Ask yourself: How are you ranked with the syndicated websites, major portals, search engine marketing, and social networking sites that drive traffic to the listing on your website or Blog? (You do have a blog, don’t you?)

These are some difficult questions that need to be asked and addressed by real estate brokers, managers and agents. It’s the real “Hunger Game,” called “change.” Are you ready for it?

My point: you will be rated as a Realtor, whether you are found online or not. It could be by Klout, Yelp, Zillow, Trulia, SocialBios.com, or any of a dozen others. If you make the investment of time and establish your profiles, you’ll be light-years ahead of most real estate agents in our industry.

On Klout: It reveals your strong points and weak points on the social media platforms you subscribe to. Klout creates an opportunity to take action on those sites to improve your visibility, activity, and participation. This is something we Realtors never thought about a few years back.

As business owners, Realtors, or anyone else wanting to develop influence online, Klout will be a key program for you to use as a measuring device of keeping score. Yes, you do already have a “Klout Score.”

It is based on all the activities you perform online within Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other sites, and you just didn’t know it yet.

I would encourage you to stop being overwhelmed by all the changes, and begin to embrace them one at a time. To start off, place the same professional profile on each of the portals mentioned above with correct contact information and a professional photo.

The scorecard for Realtor “Hunger Games” will include true reach, amplification, network score and Klout. You’ll also have to show results from all those happy former clients who verify your professionalism.

The biggest critics of sites that rate you are those who are not willing to pay the price of maintaining a plan of action for career measurements.

What are your thoughts?

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