Facebook and Reality January 25, 2009

Okay.  What’s up?

My company, Rubloff, is encouraging all of the agents to sign up for Facebook. What is going on?   Why are we all signing up for Facebook?  If we really wanted to keep in touch with our High School chums, wouldn’t we pick up the phone?  If we want to sell a $5,000,000 property, won’t we have to eventually turn off a computer and meet a client?

I have been ruminating on this since talking with a dear friend yesterday.  I have come to 2 conclusions:

1.  The chances of a client coming to my website via a Facebook page or group is slim to nil.  Who are these people and why do I care what they are eating for breakfast?  Facebook seems a wonderful way to keep in touch, albeit voyeuristic, with acquaintances.  Friends, I will just text and meet for dinner.  Clients – well I don’t really think a multi-million dollar sale is going to be impressed with the fact that I took a sick cat to the vet (or some other insane “Wall Post”) .  I am still going to have to earn the right to represent my clients and that will only happen by my ethics and professionalism.  Facebook is a nymph that will lure you into complacency.  Realtors must continue to work, not just post.

2. Facebook is great to get spiders to recognize us however we must be careful with posting things we don’t want commented on or broadcast, or identifying “friends” that may in reality be clients and not entirely comfortable with Susie Realtor broadcasting her client base. With all the media flooding cyberspace however, how do we stay in focus?  How do we keep our profile, and business, in front of the spiders that are crawling the web looking for updated pages, posts and links?  Facebook is a tool.  Period.  I will  jump on the bandwagon if it will draw 1 more prospect to view a property I am listing.   If my posts can help my company rank higher on Google, then great.  Let’s all be above board and see it for what it is.  Placement.  Most people really don’t want to know “what you are doing right now” and I know my clients do not want their identiy broadcast to the world.

Just my thoughts….

Speaking of $5,000,000 properties – I represent a fabulous building that has a few:  Lincoln Park 2520.  Visit our site!

Artist rendering of the Grand Lobby

Lincoln Park 2520

Chicago, IL

2009 Where do we go from here? January 24, 2009

While many are lamenting the economy and the real estate market throughout the country, I have a different spin: I think it is a great time to buy!  Yes, I know it is not popular to say things will get better, but there it is.  In Chicago, we have an absorption rate of approximately 6 months and buyers are enjoying declining prices.  The hand wringers and chicken Little’s will decry everything associated with real estate, but when the bottom comes and the market rebounds, it will do so at a more sensible trajectory rate and those that have kept credit scores strong and savings high, will enjoy a healthy profit on properties purchased at a more reasonable price.

I had the opportnuity to show a very interesting property to a client this week.  It is a former bank turned casket liner company turned real estate company turned mortgage company.  Check out the photos!

Lincoln Park, Chicago