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Social media has been all the rage for the last several years, especially for anyone in business. From MySpace to FaceBook and Google+ being the big players in that technology, with dozens or hundreds (maybe thousands) of other smaller sites in play, too. There is one that was here before all the others that is often the most forgotten….LinkedIn.

I want to share some of my thoughts about this particular social media platform that was first and foremost a business-to-business relationship builder. I first joined LinkedIn in 2004 after reading about it in an online article that told me that I had to join this service. This article was about this new technology coming out called “social media” and how it was going to change the face of business. Little did I know at that time, that years later almost 80% of my information and news would come from these social media sources.

Back then, LinkedIn was only about connecting with people you already knew or had already done business with. It was basically an online résumé. You were limited in how many people you could “connect” with....

For "The rest of the Story", please visit:

http://www.realestateauctions.com/blog/auctions/linkedin-and-social-media-are-great-for-business/

Don't Steal My Photos Man!

Those who have worked with me any amount of time know one of my biggest pet peeves....... DO NOT STEAL MY PHOTOS FOR YOUR LISTING!

As a easier way to keep up with my local market, I have myself set up in the MLS's to get daily updates of new listing as they come on the market, like all good agents should, right? This morning I get my usual 5 or 6 emails from the MLS on new listings and one of them has one of my old REO listings that expired in June that was just re-listed. No problems, I expected the bank to assign a new agent as I had that troublesome property for over a year and was ready to get rid of it.

As I was looking at the report I noticed that the photos looked familiar, so I pulled up my old listing and sure enough, they were my original photos..... ALL of them! There is NO description of the house, no private comments other then “See attached documents”..... which there were not any. And other important information was missing like “No Certificate of Occupancy Issued”, etc. (new construction)

Well, I'm still a pretty good friend with the bank's property manager, so I sent her an email. One to check on her to see how they weathered the current hurricane and to let her know that she needs to tell the agent that using photos from another brokerage is against MLS rules, not to mention it's just plain lazy!

Then I looked up the other listing we had of developed building lots. He did a little better there, but I guess he did not like my photos because it looks like he just rode through the subdivision taking pictures of any open space he THOUGHT was a building lot. The funny part is he had 3 or 4 pictures of properties we SOLD last year that the bank no longer owns! The listing has no information on lot numbers that are for sale. And had a nice picture of a STOP SIGN! Lol

New Construction REO's take more research then a normal listing. And I would have gladly given this agent my folder on this property.... before now. But don't steal my work because you are too dang lazy to take a few photos of your new listing!

I want to say to any asset manager who might read this, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE double check your agents! You have no idea how much liability or lost sales these “Lazy” agents are causing! If you do not have the time to do so yourself, hire an agent in that area to “shop” your listing agents. They will tell you real quick if there is a problem! A quality listing agent will not mind at all if they get “shopped”, it helps them stay on their toes! I welcome it any time!