Social networking is full of people writing nonsense - sound familiar?

Twitter this and Facebook that. Social networking is constantly in the news. Many estate agents still do not know how to fully utilise social networking and say that it's full of people writing nonsense about irrelevant things like making a sandwich or stepping in something on the way to the shops.

This seems to be the general consensus with estate agents. They understand that they have to be on Facebook but do not use it in hopes that business will just materialise out of thin air, whereas Twitter is either considered as too alien or not for business purposes.

Social networking is about people interacting with each other, which is why it's 'social' and many people forget this when promoting their business. Estate agents that endlessly promote properties won't get the interaction that the user is looking for.

Try relating to them on a personal level. Letting the user know that there are real honest people behind your business will provide that extra interaction that a savvy internet user requires. Answer their questions, discuss about how the latest local development plans will affect the local area, and talk to them about their hopes and the realities of their current situation.

Think about your target demographic. Some of the oldest generations might not be using social networking websites now, but daily more and more users are joining social networking websites and integrating it into their everyday life. Even older generations have started to add their children online as 'friends', which means that it is no longer a playground for inebriated pictures. It is a two-way flow of information that lets estate agents communicate to customers and potential customers on a personal level.

Therefore estate agents that put in the foundations of their online presence now will reap the benefits. Do not feel that you're alone. Check out estate agent, Colin Bibra's Facebook page on http://www.facebook.com/pages/London-United-Kingdom/Colin-Bibra-Estate-Agents/89200480762?sid=6612891809087feec4bbda8f9b11d362&ref=search or call Resource Techniques on 0208 457 4777 for personal social networking guide.