Luxury Real Estate

By IRG International Realty Group

Well, we couldn’t really escape it! We, like the rest of the world, are becoming increasingly aware of these networks’ outreach and have decided to assess its potentials, which we understand are enormous and worth exploring.

And the choice is a difficult one. There are endless social media tools available out there that we can all benefit from.

Being a company focused on luxury real estate, connected with several international networks, tools like Twitter and Facebook are a great way to communicate with those partners. Twitter’s microblogging, for example, can be a great marketing tool. Many real estates use it to promote listings. With Facebook you may launch a topic for discussion with your network partners, where everyone can join in, make suggestions and who knows help you solve a problem or clear a doubt much faster than before.

But these are merely two of the tools available and those in the industry really need to have a look at the offer and determine which one, or which ones will benefit them the most. At IRG we have decided to give Twitter and Facebook a go. Though taking baby steps still, we are determined to find out how far these two can take us.

You can follow us on Twitter on http://twitter.com/IRGIntlRG or join IRG International Realty Group on Facebook.

About IRG International Realty Group

IRG International Realty Group is one of the leading international brokerage companies in Portugal and specializes in sales of Portuguese high-end and luxury residential real estate. IRG is the exclusive affiliate in Portugal of Christie’s Great Estates, a worldwide real estate network and subsidiary of the world’s oldest auction house, Christie’s. IRG’s head office is located in the prestigious Avenida da Liberdade in the heart of Lisbon and there are also boutique offices in Quinta do Lago, Algarve, Estoril and Kensington, London.

www.irgportugal.com

By Michael Edlund

The Luxury Lounge is an exciting project we’ve been busy working on over here at Luxury Real Estate.

The Luxury Lounge is a gated social-networking community for professionals within the LuxuryRealEstate.com affiliate network to make connections with quality peers all over the world. Initially, you will be able to search and connect to people, send private messages and write public comments to others, write and comment on blog posts and discuss topics in forums.

We’ve also implemented online purchasing of Luxury Real Estate conference tickets and the Luxury Lounge will over time grow in to a hub for everything related to Luxury Real Estate. From managing your listings and exposure on LuxuryRealEstate.com to tracking your leads and much more. Rain or shine, noon or midnight. In the lounge, luxury professionals can utilize the full power of their Luxury Real Estate affiliation at the time and convenience of their choosing.

We have already started sending out invitations to a limited number of members, but will expand their reach over the coming weeks to the whole LuxuryRealEstate.com network. When you see an email with the subject “Invitation to Luxury Real Estate’s VIP Lounge” you know what it is all about. It is about embracing and empowering your interaction with the global Luxury Real Estate network.

Thank you for your participation!


Editor’s Note:
Michael Edlund is the Director of Technology with LuxuryRealEstate.com. He is in charge of all of LuxuryRealEstate.com’s Web projects, including website creation, software updates and implementation, and much more. Big changes are afoot here at Luxury Real Estate. The Luxury Real Estate Blog is gaining in popularity on Google, Yahoo and MSN searches, and now the Luxury Lounge is gaining momentum! With the rise of social-networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Naymz, many people are starting to see the possibilities opened up through them. This is a great chance to build relationships in creative ways online. Happy networking!

By Joey Pauley

As many of you know, I was on the Technology Panel at the 6th Annual Luxury Real Estate Spring Retreat. One of the websites we talked about was the social-networking site LinkedIn of which I and many of our colleagues are members of. Here is my profile: www.linkedin.com/in/joeypauley.

I have to say it looks like a lot of people were listening because I have had a plethora of members contacting me via Linked In since the conference. We have even started a group for Members of Who’s Who of Luxury Real Estate so you can chat with fellow members of LinkedIn and LuxuryRealEstate.com. This is an excellent way to pose questions for the entire group to respond to.

LinkedIn has many useful features. I use LinkedIn to keep in contact with all of my previous colleagues, business partners and so on. I also find it useful to find people that I would like to be connected with. There is also a way to check up on industry news.

For brokers and agents, it would be advantageous to get recommendations from their clients. Once you receive a recommendation, everyone in the recommender’s network is notified of the superior work you provide. The people in your network are reminded of the high-quality work you provided to them previously. This keeps you in the mind of potential clients.

This is just one helpful social-networking hint. Who out there uses LinkedIn or another social networking service to their advantage?


Editor’s Note:
As a Technical Account Manager with LuxuryRealEstate.com, Joey Pauley helps members with their Web and technology needs. He does a phenomenal job in all of his projects, as you can see by visiting the many websites he has helped design. This reminds me of Brian Langhorst’s March 10, 2008 blog entry entitled “Are you LinkedIn?” I also highly recommend joining our Luxury Real Estate group on LinkedIn because it’s a great way to easily connect with other top professionals in the high-end industry. Happy networking!

By Brian Langhorst

Many websites provide networking opportunities to connect with colleagues, business partners, friends, etc. LinkedIn is my current frontrunner among the crowd to showcase a truly professional network. It is easy to use and very efficient to maintain.

I highly encourage all of our members to use this website to showcase their business and reach. We even have a Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate group for you to join. Imagine the possibilities for referrals (incoming and outbound) if you were to really show the vast scope of your business network. Just thinking of the referral opportunities makes me excited for you.

Clients looking for professional representation from a REALTOR® need to easily see just how well-connected you are. I believe LinkedIn to be the best way to do just that. 

Log on today and see just what I am talking about!


Editor’s Note:
Brian Langhorst is an Account Manager with LuxuryRealEstate.com. He meets members’ unique needs through the dynamic services LuxuryRealEstate.com provides. I’m also a member of LinkedIn, and I recommend it, as well. It doesn’t take a whole lot of effort, and it allows you to stay connected with people you’ve known in the past as well as your current associates. Be sure to find other members of LuxuryRealEstate.com by searching with both "Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate" and "LuxuryRealEstate.com." Some members use one or the other, so it’s best to search both names for our network.