It's Okay to Be Vulnerable

Real estate agents marketing their skills and reputations online often have a few concerns prior to diving full-on into social media. "Do I have to share photos from my family trip to Scotland?" In truth, no, you do not have to be overly personal or bring your personal Facebook world into your business one. There's an underlying concern for many REALTORS® that they maintain a certain amount of privacy. But there's a difference between being an open book, so to speak, and being vulnerable. Vulnerability, in fact, is one of those risks that's essential to growing your real estate business.

This week, our partner AGBeat alerted readers that fantasy author Silvia Hartmann has started writing her next fantasy novel using Google Docs, adjusting the privacy settings so that everyone can see her write, erase, write, edit and otherwise tinker with her new book. Talk about allowing the audience to see the man behind the curtain!

More than a gimmick, this allows her readers and other authors to attend a workshop of her talents and skills, allowing for a deeper reading experience when all is said and done and the book is in stores.