Remember the good old days when you could network, receive referrals, and meet potential customers at gatherings like your child's PTA meetings, neighborhood dinners, or even simple lunch dates with friends? Fortunately, some of these things are still in use and are very effective at helping you attract new customers for your real estate company. On the other hand, people are becoming more social online and less so offline. What does this mean for your real estate company and you?

Let's first look at two websites or businesses that serve as modern proof of this trend: Facebook and LinkedIn. With over 100 million users, Facebook has swiftly grown to be one of the most popular social networking sites in the world. Facebook was founded by a college student who is now a multi-millionaire. It has evolved from a basic undergraduate social network to one of the most influential social networks on the internet. Although it had modest origins, LinkedIn has developed into the biggest business networking site in its industry. LinkedIn enables professionals from all fields to connect with other like-minded individuals and/or use networking to locate new positions or workers. By giving them access to two networks that are incredibly simple and extensive, many real estate professionals have been able to grow their businesses. These networks enable them to find potential clients in places they might not have otherwise been able to.

Hopefully, you are following these developments in web marketing and have already begun using these networks. What if I asked you how your FriendFeed or Twitter accounts are going right now? Or how many of your photographs from TwitPic or Flickr have reached your target audience? Or perhaps, how many people have watched your movies on WellcomeMat or YouTube in the most recent month? Feeling a little out of date these days? You should because some of the most active and, thus, most successful "tech-savvy" realtors are getting referrals and leads pouring into their inboxes at breakneck speeds.

Let's go back to our original query, which was how your business is impacted by individuals being more social online than they are offline. Your potential clients are online since more than 85% of real estate transactions begin there. People who are looking to buy, sell, or invest in real estate swarm to the Internet to gather as much information as they can before making one of the biggest financial transactions of their lives, whether they are conducting searches on Google, corresponding with friends on Facebook, or viewing community videos on WellcomeMat. More than any other, this is a cause for you to: (1) be easily accessible online; and (2) position yourself as an authority for the services you provide in your area.

One of the most natural and efficient methods to achieve these two objectives is through inbound marketing, which doesn't have to be obtrusive or interruptive. If done correctly, of course, social networking is THE best example of efficient inbound marketing. You can establish yourself as a genuine resource on the web, where a pool of potential customers continues to expand every day, by planning your social networking strategy and/or hiring professionals to manage or consult you on your social networking methods.

Spend some time learning more about the social networks mentioned above and shown in the data chart provided, and be proactive in speaking with experts who specialize in these areas to learn how these new methods of marketing for your real estate company can actually grow your clientele by positioning you as an authoritative source online. If your clients can't find you online when they are seeking your services, even if you are one of the best producers in your market, they may as well choose a brand-new agent who has no experience or credibility yet. Since social networking is still relatively new in the real estate sector, it is never too late to start using it. Take advantage of this opportunity before you fall too far behind the competition.