The Top 15 Habits of a Highly Effective Professional Real Estate Assistant

1.       Be interested in real estate.

2.       Be proactive.

3.       Learn as much as you can so you are constantly improving your skills.

4.       Get out there and be persistent.

5.       Practice professional telephone skills.

6.       Communicate clearly with licensees, clients and other professionals.

7.       Organize and multi-task for efficiency and ease.

8.       Be punctual, self-motivated and 100% reliable.

9.       Work well under pressure.

10.   Contribute on a personal and a team level.

11.   Creatively assist in marketing the business.

12.   Take courses – in marketing, computer systems, and writing so you become more of an asset to your employer and your clients.

13.   Cheerfully deliver exceptional service.

14.   Be honest and respect privacy and confidentiality.

15.   There are often many solutions to one problem. Learn to think outside the box.

Benefits of Social Networking

Marketing to new clients

Protecting your brand

Testing out marketing ideas

Measuring the impact of your marketing

Source: Becoming more social, (www.entrepreneur.com, Apr. 9, 2007).

Social Networking Basics

6 realities of doing business on the social web, (REALTOR® Magazine, Sept. 2009).

Get real results from social networking, (REALTOR® Magazine Daily News Online, May 13,  2009).

5 ways to master social networking, (REALTOR® Magazine, Apr. 2009).

The new world of social media, (Houston REALTOR® Online, Mar. 2009).

Social networking and the new real estate sphere of influence, (RISMedia, Feb. 24, 2009).

Getting started with social media in 2009, (Cyberhomesblog, Feb. 11, 2009).

How to build your real estate business using social networking sites, (RISMedia, Jan. 6, 2009).

Social Networking Sites

ActiveRain, "Their goal is to create a valuable resource of information and ideas for real estate professionals and their clients. They aim to help empower people by providing tools to help promote business and connect with peers all over the country."

Facebook, "Facebook is a social utility that connects you with the people around you."

LinkedIn, "LinkedIn is an online network of more than 20 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 150 industries. When you join, you create a profile that summarizes your professional accomplishments. .. You can add more connections by inviting trusted contacts to join LinkedIn and connect to you."

MySpace, "Creates a private community where you can share photos, journals and interests with your growing network of mutual friends."

Ning, "Ning is the only online service where you can create, customize, and share your own Social Network for free in seconds."

Real Estate Voices, "RealEstateVoices is a real estate social news site designed to help you discover the most interesting articles of the day, as voted and suggested by your fellow users."

Real Town, "RealTown is the oldest and most respected real estate network featuring a variety of online communities as well as a wealth of community created content."