Now, more than ever, businesses are realizing the importance of interacting with their market. Social media platforms present a perfect setting for businesses to engage their consumers in conversation and vice versa.

The consumer has changed and one-way marketing will no longer make the cut.

David Kramer, President and General Counsel at Castle Title, LLC simply put it, “If social media is not a large part of your future, then your company does not have a future.”

Marketing strategies need to reflect a new generation of more accessible customers.

Kramer welcomes change and believes in innovation.

“So many people complain about the market, but if you keep doing the same thing, you will get the same results,” Kramer said.

Ken Montville, Associate Broker and Realtor at RE/MAX Advantage Realty, has spent 10 years in real estate. He also realizes the need to evolve with the consumer.

“The internet is a constant flow of information. So, consumers do their research first, and then they contact realtors when they have more focus,” Montiville said.

Marney Kirk of Keller Williams Excellence Realty agrees that the consumer has changed but she points out that the flow of information Montville speaks of is not always valid.

“The consumer does have an opportunity to be more knowledgeable, but it has become more important to educate the consumer because of the misinformation on the web,” Kirk said.

For Kramer, this is where blogging comes into play.

“Effective blogging is about being an effective source of information; when people are informed transactions are smoother,” Kramer said.

Sarah Stelmok, Associate Broker at Coldwell Banker Elite agrees with Kramer. Stelmok write real estate blogs for three different sites.

Like Stelmok, all of these realtors spend valuable time on social media platforms and they believe their social media strategies are a top priority. Why?

Kramer, who spends 4-5 hours a day online branding himself and his company, explains that there is an increasing expectation for availability.

“You’ve got to be putting stuff out there and letting people know you are there, because if you’re not there doing your job, someone else is.”

Kramer has taken blogging to the next level and is “putting stuff out there” in a video blog. He started working on Castle TV in February and went live in May. Kramer encourages feedback on his videos as he welcomes any comments, positive or negative.

“I want it to be an interactive experience,” Kramer said.

Kirk also spends a few hours a day utilizing her personal website with her blog. She also uses Twitter, Facebook and Active Rain to reach her customers.

Montville, who uses the same sites as Kirk, says that social media ranks only second to traditional real estate internet marketing such as Realtor.com and real estate specific sites.

Stelmok integrates her time spent on Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr, and her aforementioned 3 blogs into her schedule. “It’s part of my daily routine. I would say 10 minutes out of every hour at work.”

So, what is the payoff to these forward-thinking realtors?

Well, Kramer sees a couple hundred hits on each video that he posts for Castle TV. But, he explains that he has two entities to brand. “I am cognizant of two brands: my company and myself.” So, he finds that Twitter is a great way to brand himself. “I love Twitter for its simplicity.”

Kirk measures the success of her social media plan by referrals. “I do not have any official tools that I use [to measure], but as the medium costs mostly time and not money, and I have some referrals in process from the sites, I find it to be very useful and a great ROI.”

Stelmok explains that she and her clientele find it most convenient to converse through social media. “Most of my clients are under 45 years old. If I want to reach them quickly, I go to the social media outlets. They are on, all day– it’s the easiest way. She also states that social media is a great way to acquire clients. “Many of my clients from the past year actually found me through social media.”

Montville, like Kirk, points out an extremely significant benefit of social media, while it takes time it is virtually free. Montville says that not only has social media enhanced his business but it has also contributed to his personal life. “Social media gives me a feeling of connection with real flesh and blood.” He explains that his social media connections give more importance to conferences such as ReBar.

Stelmok says she has met amazing people through social media. “I have grown and become more confident because of my social media interactions. In truth, I’m a better Realtor.”

So, whether you are looking to enhance your business or personal life, get with it and get to know social media platforms.

Kramer’s final advice to keep up with the times is priceless. “It’s about latching on to what’s big and becoming an expert, a function of keeping up with the Jones’, standing out and being different.”

From DC Mud

Recent articles on the real estate market have included a small glimmer of hope, amidst all of the decline, that the U.S. housing market could be looking up. The Wall Street Journal also reported that home prices in major U.S. cities have experienced the first monthly gain in three years.

DC seems to be taking advantage of the small, but significant opportunity.

The Hanover Company, a national developer of luxury apartment residences, introduced its newest addition to Washington DC last week. A high-rise and high-end apartment building, Ashton, is located at the Judiciary Square corner of Penn Quarter.

Ashton is described by The Hanover Company’s web site as, “easily the most anticipated newly developed luxury leasable residence to appear in the District’s unique northwest neighborhoods in years.”

The 12-story glass building located at 750 3^rd Street, NW, holds 49 apartments and a parking garage. Ashton’s residents will have some of DC’s finest views, including the U.S. Capitol, Washington Monument and the National Building Museum.

Another project, just outside of DC takes its focus off of the upscale market as new public housing and mixed-income units are added to Alexandria. Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille, Redevelopment and Housing Authority Executive Director Roy Priest, and developer EYA will break ground for the construction and rehabilitation of 102 homes off West Glebe Road near Mount Vernon Avenue.

48 new apartment homes will replace the out-of-date public housing currently located on the 800-block of West Glebe Road. Two apartment buildings will be renovated, as well as the addition of a new apartment building and 18 for-sale homes to create 54 units on the 900-block of Old Dominion Boulevard. Ten of the homes will be targeted for workforce families.

Two or three-bedroom 1,024 to 1,416 square foot workforce homes will be priced from the low $300s, with a financial subsidy from the City of Alexandria to the buyer. The two or three-bedroom town-homes will range in size from 1,920 to 1,944 square feet and will be priced from the upper $400’s.

The real estate market is far from recovered. Credit is still difficult to come by but it is nice to see that the DC market is still going.