Facebook and MySpace are starting to get recognized as useful tools in networking for the online realtor. However, as social networking sites have become one of the front runners in connecting people on the Internet, people are starting to get interested in niche social networking: sites that connect people interested in specific subjects.
Active Rain is a network that has taken this concept and turned it into a growing community of realtors, real estate-related professionals and people looking for the right agent for them. It has pages for individuals to post information about themselves and the services they provide, forums, blogs, and a Q&A forum where people can post questions about real estate. So far, 60,000 people have become members, which makes for a lot of exposure on the site.
One does not need to be an Internet guru to create a niche network, though. It can be done with existing networking sites and applications. The key is to start out creating decent, useful information on your focus in the market. If you are selling homes in the Sunset Hill neighborhood of Seattle, by all means, start a Facebook group or your own message board about the Sunset...