Matt Tillotson
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Five ways real estate agents can use Foursquare

Real estate agents have a long list of social media tools at their disposal -- and Foursquare isn't at the top for most. The popular check-in application lets you share your location -- and not only with your Foursquare network, but with Twitter and Facebook, too. It's a fun app, but does it have value for real estate agents? Here are five quick tips and resources to help you use Foursquare in your real estate business. 1. First thing's first. Here's how to set up your Foursquare account:

Download one of Foursquare’s mobile apps on your phone. They provide apps for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Palm phones. Third party developers have built applications for other platforms, like Symbian and Windows Mobile. If there’s no app for your phone, you can check in through Foursquare’s mobile site. Register for an account on Foursquare’s website or through the mobile app. Be sure to upload a profile picture so you can be eligible for mayorships! Link your Facebook and Twitter accounts to make it easy to find your friends and share your current location on your favorite social networking sites.

  1. Add your listings as Foursquare places. As you (and clients) check-in for showings, you will add visibility to your listings:

Listing agents can add their listings to foursquare as a tracking and feedback mechanism. Imagine that every showing was accompanied by the showing agent “checking in” and using the tip as feedback. Listing agents and homeowners alike can check and see who is showing the property and how often they are coming back.

Bonus tip: set these listings up under the "homes" category in Foursquare. After you sell the property, go to the listing's venue page on Foursquare.com and delete it as a courtesy to the new owners. 3. Connect Foursquare to your Twitter and Facebook accounts. As you check in to showings and open houses, push those check-ins to your other networks. You will increase the reach by leveraging your connections on other networks. 4. Watch Foursquare for opportunities to promote and connect with other businesses. Nice tip here from AgentGenius.com:

If you see a location being checked-into often or a person rising in the local stats, blog about them (with permission) and have a weekly or monthly Foursquare Highlight Post(s). People and businesses love to see their name in lights.

  1. Use Foursquare to share listing photos. Foursquare mobile apps let you attach a picture when you check in. Use this opportunity to share photos of the property. And don't just think exterior -- you can post a new photo every time you check in. Use the opportunity to highlight different features of the home. Foursquare offers real estate agents another opportunity to build local community connections and expand listing visibility. And it's low-maintenance; once your profile is set up, using Foursquare mostly consists of quick check-ins and location additions on a smartphone. Definitely worth looking into.

(And after that home sells, please recommend that your clients move with PODS Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 ® -- the best moving and storage idea ever!)