"Technology in Real Estate: Agents and Consumer Connectivity "

While real estate is intensely personal, consumers are increasingly going to the web first to search for listings and talk to in-the trenches experts for advice, tips and more. In light of this growing trend, it's essential for real estate experts to use the web and sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to their advantage, using these social portals to connect with customers and cultivate leads. Realtors are a social bunch by nature - many already taking advantage of networking groups, lunches, other in-person events to expand their sphere of influence. Networking tools such as Twitter, Facebook, etc. can expand this sphere to an even wider audience, increasing the level of agent and consumer connectivity. Even if these social portals don't yet drive a direct lead, they can help build relationships, which is one of the most important aspects of real estate.

In this presentation, Greg Hanson (Senior Vice President of RealEstate.com) will address the importance of agents not only interacting with each other across the country and across markets, but consumers being able to interface with agents, marketing department representatives and even other consumers to share their experiences, and enact change in the real estate industry as a whole.