5 social media practices that pay off

Trends from Real Estate Connect San Francisco conference

What are the trends that will influence your real estate business now and throughout the next few years? What does it take to succeed in today’s fast-paced real estate environment? If you want to stay ahead of the curve and dominate your competitors, here are some of the latest cutting-edge ideas from this year’s Real Estate Connect in San Francisco.

1. Engage or die
It’s no longer sufficient to have a profile page on Facebook or LinkedIn. Sharing information has given way to engaging in meaningful conversations with your friends and followers. As one Connect speaker put it, “The ‘@’ sign is the universal sign of engagement.”

To make sure you maximize your return from social media, begin by spending the first two weeks just listening to what others are saying on their social media pages. This means that you must go where your potential clients go rather than expecting them to come to you. Next, notice what captures their attention and what is ignored. At that point, you are ready to begin engaging by commenting on what others say.

2. Geotarget your responses
Today’s consumers want rich information about the neighborhood and the lifestyle where they will live. In fact, The Corcoran Group, winner of an Inman News Innovator of the Year award for its Foursquare app, experienced an increase in response rates of eight to 10 times when it began using geotargeted marketing.

To take advantage of this trend in your business, review your closed transactions for the last 12 months to determine which areas are your top two generators of closed transactions. These two areas are a great place to focus your geotargeting efforts since you are already having success there.

BJ’s Employee Steals $50,000 Worth of Merchandise

Police arrested a 28-year-old BJ’s employee in Yorktown Heights this week after an investigation revealed that he had stolen from his employer. Wesley G. Post allegedly stole $50,000 worth of merchandise from July 1 to Aug. 10 

 

Thieves Steal $27,000 Rug

Thieves recently stole some very pricey items from a Larchmont home. Despite activating an alarm system when they gained entry through a rear sliding door, the thieves were able to grab a $12,000 emerald ring and a $27,000 rug on their way out. Police are investigating the incident.

 

Attempted Condom Theft at CVS  

A CVS Employee in Mamaroneck caught a youth trying to pilfer a $16 12-pack of Trojan condoms from the store. Police responded and stopped the theft. The property was returned to the store and CVS decided not to press any charges.

 

Cyclist Slashes Car Tires

A cyclist in Piermont displayed his own version of road rage last Saturday after an altercation with a motorist.

After getting into a dispute, the cyclist got off his bicycle and walked up to the motorist’s driveway and let the air out of the driver’s car tires—in front of the watching eyes of a Piermont police officer.

Police confronted the cyclist, Darren Nacht, a 49-year-old from New York City, who then admitted to sabotaging the tires. Police also contacted the motorist. Nacht was arrested for trespassing and will appear in Piermont Justice Court on Sept. 14.

 

Boating While Intoxicated

Westchester County Police recently arrested a Pennsylvania man and charged him with Boating While Intoxicated on the Hudson River in Cortlandt.

Brian Van Patten, 56, of Milford, Pa., was charged with BWI, after police saw his jet ski speeding in an area near Bear Mountain Ridge, within 100 feet of the shoreline. Van Patten’s jet ski also nearly collided with a boat.

After police stopped Van Patten because of the near-collision, they discovered that he had been drinking. They arrested him after he failed a field sobriety test. Van Patten is scheduled to appear in Cortlandt Town Court on Aug. 26.

  

Kids Roof-Hop Parking Deck, Get Stuck

Three kids who roof-hopped on a waterfront parking deck in Port Chester on Monday had to be rescued by firefighters after police spotted them on top of the structure.

The pre-teens hopped a gate to get into the restricted area and jumped over a gap, despite a 30-foot drop to the ground below. A police officer spotted the children and firefighters were called in. They used a ladder to bring the kids back to safety.

Police brought the kids back to headquarters and released them into the custody of their parents.

  

Man Arrested While Trying to Bail Girlfriend from Jail

Mount Kisco Police recently arrested a Spring Valley man when he was trying to bail out his girlfriend after police arrested her for check forgery. Twenty year-old David Malvert showed up at the Mount Kisco Police station and police recognized him as the suspect on a bank surveillance video who tried to cash a forged check on Aug. 10 in Peekskill. Malvert was arrested and taken to Westchester County Jail and was arraigned in Peekskill City Court.

 

Two NJ Women Steal $1,000 Worth of Perfume from Palisades Mall

Two New Jersey women allegedly stole more than $1,000 worth of perfume from a Sephora store at Palisades Center Mall in West Nyack.

Meecah Kelly, 23, of East Orange, NJ, and Darcy Rivera, 21, of Newark, NJ, were charged with fourth-degree grand larceny Thursday after a loss prevention officer at Sephora said he saw the women shoplift 12 bottles of perfume and try to leave the store.

Kelly and Rivera are scheduled to appear in Clarkstown Town Court on Aug. 31.