The key trend over these next few years (2009-2012) will be understanding the impact and successfully engaging in the social media/networking marketing strategy.  It has been amazing to watch how what was a small niche in our industry has reached “the tipping point” stage.  It can no longer be ignored by agents and more importantly, companies without the risk of losing opportunities that could be the difference between future success or failure.  Many of us do not like change and if we had our choice, we would rather do business the way we have always done it.  Our company believes that we need to lead our Realtors into the world of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.  It is uncomfortable for most of us but something we need to have a handle on if we want to communicate with this next generation of buyers and sellers.  Therefore we at Roy Wheeler Realty Company are striving to be proactive in offering social media/networking classes to our agents.  The key element is agents sharing how it has impacted their business.  At the same time, we must never forget that nothing replaces the time honored and tested fact that however we create business relationships, personal (hand written notes, phone calls, dropping by to say hello) follow up is what will always set us apart from everyone else.  Whether our clients are 1st time, move up, or buyers purchasing a farm or estate, we believe they want us to know how they want to get their information.