"We Googled You." This was the response to my question to out of state clients who unnerved me by how much they seemed to know about me prior to our first meeting with them six years ago. We were riding together to see homes in a mini-van. At the time, I didn't even know what Google was. But my prospective clients had already scoped me out.
"We Googled You" is also the title of a recent case study, by Diane Coutu, published in the Harvard Business Review about a "fictional character" Mimi Brewsterwho is being interviewed for a job with a major corporation in China. As an exceptionally qualified candidate, Ms. Brewster finds that her Curriculum Vitae on the Google Search engine proves to be more persuasive than her paper version!
The case study enfolds to ask readers to submit their thoughts about how to handle the company's discovery, through a Google Search inquiry, that newspaper reports had reported that Ms. Brewster has been involved in some activities that might be considered "subversive" in intention by the Chinese government & could potentially hinder the company's ability to expand its operations overseas.
The article highlights the fact that privacy on-line is becoming an increasingly hot issue. Employers, concerned about minimizing risk in hiring decisions are going on-line to investigate potential employees. This is occuring in tandem with burgeoning Internet usage.
According to a 2006 report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 69% of all adult women & 71% of all adult men now use the Internet. Almost 83% of individuals between the ages of 18 - 49are now online & 90% of households earning over $50,000 a year use the Internet. 55% of Americans between the ages of 17 - 29 are involved with social networks & 63 % of those with profiles on social networks believe that they could be identified on the basis of the profiles they had placed on-line.
The emergence of rating services for professionals such as rateyourrealtor.com & rateyourmd.com are encouraging individuals to critique the services of the professionals with whom they interact. On both of these services, patients & clients gave their opinions & shared their experiences on the quality of service provided complete with a Star Rating System. As real estate professionals, it is important for us to be aware of these significant developments & to understand how they can impact us as we interview for the job of a home listing or secure a buyer's agent contract.
The Harvard Review magazine published the advise of 4 experts which included a professor of law, John G. Palfrey Jr. who authors a blog at http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/palfrey/, Jeffrey A. Joerres, the Chairman & CEO of Manpower, Danah M. Boyd a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Berkley who maintains a blog at zephoria.org and Michael Fertick, the founder and CEO of Reputation Defender, a company that finds and removes unwelcome on-line content. Here's a brief summary of their recommendations & some thoughts about their relevance to the real estate industry in light of the new nature of on-line investigations into the backgrounds of individuals.
- Recognize that digital information is highly malleable & can be easily manipulated. Don't necessarily believe everything you read on-line. Investigate further. Palfrey thinks we are headed for a really big backlash at some point- there are going to be train wrecks as people who post too much personal information on-line begin to realize the consequences.
- As real estate professionals, most of us are just beginning to participate actively in the arena of social networking. From reading Palfrey's summary, I would conclude that it is important for us to be aware of the far reaching consequences of our on-line behavior & also be careful to withold judgement pending further investigation about what we read about others.
- According to Jorres, "Today, qualified candidates can be Googled out of the contention for a job before they even get a foot in the door for an interview"...Many new high school and college graduates don't truly understand this until they are sitting in a job interview and the HR manager opens a file that includes not only their resume but also their latest blog entries and party photos. Online content is public information, and it is fair game for employers to ask about it."
- As real estate professionals, we should understand that every listing & buyer appointment is a job interview. Several professionals are already using the Internet very effectively to highlight their services to potential clients. This can result in an advantage in a hiring decision if an online presence is well managed & presented. Joerres suggest that professionals invest time in building their web content online to create positive impressions. Being proactive in this brave New World is infinitely more beneficial than not knowing what is being said or being passive. Blogging is an excellent vehicle to build positive online content.
Boyd:
- Ms. Boyd, a veteran of Internet blogging (10 years) has an interesting perspective. She states "Part of living in a networked society is learning how to accessories our digital bodies, just as we learn to put on the appropriate clothes to go to the office." She indicates that the best minds of her generation are involved in social networking & to find "creatives," employers will need to change the ways in which they evaluate potential hires.
- We have become an increasingly narcissistic society and the real estate profession certainly reflects this trend. It's all about ME! Witness the nature of most of our marketing materials, bill boards, personal brochures, personal CD's etc. We seek fame in all sorts of ways, not unlike the popularity and rise of reality TV shows. Our online websites & blogs reflect this on-going evolution in personal & professional development. We are all still learning what it means to be human & to function in cyberspace...learning requires the making of some mistakes. A vibrant presence on-line provides a lot of opportunity for professional interaction & growth as well as exposure to the latest trends.
- "If you Google anyone hard enough, you'll find some dirt. This is the new reality."....Your CV is no longer what you send to your employer - it's the first ten things that show up on Google." Fertik's firm specializes in removing the dirt from your on-line profile. But even he is limited in terms of what he can do to expunge certain types of records. For instance, he would not try to remove unfavorable newspaper articles because in his opinion this would be "bad constitutional practice, and in almost every case, we would fail."
- As real estate professionals we should ask ourselves...Do we know what the first 10 Things which would show up on Google if our names were searched online? It's important to understand that our employers, including those who are seeking to employ the services of a real estate professional will increasingly use this medium to create a more comprehensive profile.
- Fertik indicates that we need to be aware of what is being said about us online. This is more true today as information reaches a much broader audience. One of the easiest methods of being notified of online conversations is to create a Google Alert. An alert can simply be your name or may incorporate titles of recent postings. Either way, you will find that this gives you up to date information about information which you can respond to or correct as appropriate. This is one area in which it is "risky behavior" to be taken unawares.
In the closing of the article, the fictional boss & his wife are having a conversation about why Ms. Brewster's application was denied. "Martha was quiet for a few minutes as she tried to process the news. She didn't think anyone was going to just forgive and forget. "Internet postings are like tattoos," she said, ending the short silence. " They never go away."
Lola Audu, is the Designated Broker & Owner of Audu Real Estate. Our company specializes in helping people buy and sell homes in the greater Grand Rapids, West Michigan area. We've had the privilege of helping hundreds of clients succeed in their goals of purchasing and selling property including demonstrated success in the negotiation of Short Sale Transactions. You can contact us via e-mail @ info@auduhomes.com or by phone at 616-791-0511.
Lola~
As a read your post tonight, I thought ..."here's an article for print media..." your article is so well thought out, so finely researched, and so informative...and we get to have it first!!! Once again you prove to me (and all your fans) why we subscribe to your BLOG. Thanks for the time and energy you put in to this piece and for sharing it with us.
Hi Lola, very good post. I will bookmark it and read through the links. I did not know about Google Alert and will check into it. As always you have provided a well researched piece with good comments on how it relates to the real estate industry. Thanks!
Very well put together Lola...awesome job on this. I do look people up on the internet also, not background checks or anything like that, but search for their names, websites, and articles they were in.
Mary, Thanks for your comments. Google Alerts can be a very helpful tool in keeping up with online converstations or articles & information about any topic, including yourself.
Vickie, Thanks for your comment.
Ana, I appreciate your stopping by & commenting
I found the statistics very informative.
This article really hit home. I was just telling a new agent some of our internet rules, and one of the things was to think how whatever she wrote on a blog, listings, or her own website could be interpreted by the general public. It is so true that the internet, and Google, have changed how we work. I know of agents that google prospective clients to make sure they are who they say they are.......as we really don't know who we're driving around.
The bottom line for me is Perception is reality....and when we put the effort into being professional, we appear professional, including the efforts we put into our online presence. For me, my Marketing is short, consise, and to the point. The fluff comes later if and when someone wants more information. I may not get all the listings, or sales, but the ones I get ususally make it to a closed Escrow......
Good post and good information.
Carolin Benjamin
Bob and Carolin Benjamin
The Benjamin Team
Keller Williams Integrity First Realty
Gold Canyon Arizona
Lola, good research. Excellent post.
The first ten things that show up on GOOGLE for my name are ALL real estate related......
I have told people who want to know how to get in touch with me when I don't havce business cards on my person.....
"Google me"...
They will be impressed!! =-)
The Internet allows you to reach anyone in the world but it also should make you consider how important every word that you write is. Don't write something that you wouldn't want to back up in person. You can't control what others might write about you but you can control how you respond to it. Then it's up to the reader to decide.
This is very good.
I often get telephone calls or e-mail from folks I sold a home to many, many years ago. I don't do a lot of follow up because I prefer working with new people and if an old client needs service I have to help them myself and not give them to an agent. They may be out of my comfort area geographically since I have moved several time since I've been licensed and have sold all over Maryland and Northern Virginia.
But, find me they do. On Google.
"Lenn. I'm so glad I found you. I just put your name in Google and there you are. Can you help me sell this house that you sold to me 15 years ago?"
So, you can do nothing to follow up with past clients these days and they'll track you down anyway.
Lola,
Your comments and blog are intriguing and so well-thought out. I appreciate your blog because you are not just writing to write - you actually have good information... which is what it is all about!
What's next?
It has become almost second nature to "Google" someone that you are doing business with, or anyone you are interested in learning more about for that matter.
Great Post.
Carmelo Buttitta
AML & Associates, Inc
www.amlassociates.com
Hi Kelli, Thanks for your comment. I'm glad you found the information to be valuable.
Susie, Appreciate your stopping by. I have learned so much from members of this Network; it is a privilege to give back!
Kathy, Thanks for sharing your insights. You make a good point...checking on an individuals credibility online is something that agents can also use to verify before taking a client out. This is certainly a "brave New World"...the real one is slowly being usurped by the cyberspace one! :)
Shekira, Thanks for your comment.
Brian, Truly appreciate your compliment & the rating. I think awareness is the crucial aspect of this process. A lack of awareness about how what we do may impact us can be very debilitating. It is also important to be aware of what is being said.
Jeff, Wow...I don't think that many individuals realise that even edits can be retrieved (unedited) if they are picked up through a feed reader & published. The anonymity of the computer screen tempts us behave as though if we're not seen, it's not real. Nothing could be further from the truth; in many instances, the unseen has much farther reach than what we can readily see, touch or feel.
Bob & Caroline, Thanks for stopping by & commenting.
Steven, Thanks for your comment. Being intentional about what we feed the search engines is prudent, wise & good business!
Missy, It is weird how the "mind" of the Internet works!
Leon, Thanks for your comment.
Allison, Thanks for stopping by & commenting. I'm so glad you enjoyed the post!
Alex, You are a part of the "forward thinking" agents in our industry who understand that this is an opportunity...indeed a unique opportunity in history to present & consolidate information in a way that is useful & provides value to the consumer. There is a lot of positive application to what Google has done...we just need greater awareness in the industry about the potential benefits & downfalls.
Lea, I appreciated your thoughts & comment...particularily "The internet age sort of brings the intimacy of a small town to the world--and the world watches." Soooo very, very true!
Bruce...Google knows all...or at least all we choose to tell it! :)
Lenn, How interesting to hear about your experience with a client to whom you had sold a home 15 years ago! I had not thought about the fact that Google can in a sense function as a permanent "newsletter." I have had individuals/clients use this method to locate me as well. Over time, this will probably increase. Thanks for stopping by & commenting.
Mark, You've hit the nail on the head! We have to learn how to strike a happy & intelligent balance when it comes to disclosure of information online. Regardless of whether we like it or not, information once it is public can be utlized in a variety of different ways.
Chris, well said...A word to the wise!
Paul, Thanks for reading & commenting.
Tammy, Thanks for stopping by & commenting. This is an important subject which has far reaching implications for our society. Active Rain is an excellent forum for professionals to share their thoughts on issues like this & to get feedback & insight from others in the industry.
Carmelo, I don't know what's next, but we can at least deal with what's here by being aware of some far reaching implications with participating in online activity.
Jeff, Thanks for your comment. Give it some time...More people will be Googling you! It's a sign of the times....
Hi, Lola!
Thanks for the great tip! Keep posting!
Nalliah Thayabharan
Commercial and Residential Building Inspector
Expert Building Inspections Ltd
Ed, Thanks for stopping by & commenting. The idea of potential employers utilizing Google to investigate before the interview is becoming a more established norm in the marketplace. Real Estate agents are finding this tool can be a double edged sword.
Nalliah, Thanks for stopping by to read & comment.
Great words of wisdom. Hopefully more folks will realize that posting "just anything" can have long term consequences. Thank you for reminding us all of that.
Googling someone is pretty common these days - potential clients,vendors, new acquaintances ... and knowledge is power. Don't just stop after the first couple of pages - there are important kernels out there buried in the "long ago".
Tina, It's good to have a Google Alert at least on one's name. I don't think that when Google was founded, it was intended to be an investigatory tool...it's perhaps one of those "unintended consequences." The users of Google have developed other ways to utlize it in ways that benefit their goals & agendas.
Sharon, Thanks for stopping by & commenting. I find the amount of information overwhelming sometimes. Even a search for "myself" rarely goes beyond the first 10 pages! :)
Teri, Thanks for your comment.
I wholehardetly agree that one should set up a Google Alert. I have one set up for me, my team name and several other items that I follow. Don't forget to check the other search engines and use quotes to get direct hits on your search terms.
Maxwell McDaniel
Hi Maxwell, Thanks for your comment & the tip about checking other search engines by utilizing quotes.
Ryan, Thanks for stopping by to visit & comment. There will probably be a lot of "unintended" consequences...some great & some not so great. I heard about one individual who was offered a great job because a potential employer read some blog posts that he had written. You never know where all this may lead!
Klaus... there's a part of me that shudders to think of what will be available in 10 years! It will be interesting...perhaps computers will not only be able to tell us what we shouldn't have done, but also provide a seemless path to a life without any errors or mistakes... :)
Missy, Our kids DO need to see this!
Good post... Google has helped me out with "marginal clients" as well as keeping an eye on myself. I like to see what is out there about me too. You never know
I have Googled potential/new clients. And it's surprising what comes up at times. I also use another site to research folks when I have that 'questionable' feeling about them.
It's at http://www.fosson.com/html/welcome_to_fosson_com__online_.htm
You can also Google a site called Virtual Gumshoe for lots of info.
Lola - the internet can certainly be a scary place. It is amazing what one can find out about another person -- We should all be aware of the matters you have raised in this blog. I do think over time, however, our internet footprint begins to fade away.
We discovered the power of this with our first web site. A local broker wanted to see our new site, so he did a search for 'Amber Smith' and clicked on the first site in the list - ambersmith.com (not exactly adult only - but pretty close). He called us right away and told us what an interesting site we had - but he wasn't sure what it had to do with real estate. We all had a good laugh about it.
Thanks for the thoughtful info!
Hi Carol, Thanks for your comment & the link!
Hi Joan, Appreciate your comment & insights. You're may be right in your thoughts... some of the footprints on-line may fade away...but I continue to be amazed at how the search process links so many seemingly disparate postings together.
Hi Amber, Thanks for your comment. That must have been an interesting experience that you described in your comment. Did you have any concerns about potential clients wondering the same thing? :) WE are all continuing to learn so much from this on-line experience!
Great post! It is frightening the power and potential for abuse that the Internet provides. I have Google Alerts for local competitors but I never thought of one for my company...that should have been a no brainer!
Craig & Amber : We have a similar situation with GloriaNilson.com (real estate) and GloriaNelson.com...definitely adult.
Lola, I come by a 2nd time but just wanted to re-interate your post. I commented on a blog and it was picked up in my google alerts. I had to go back and re-read it, so yes folks if there is people putting in those google alerts even your comments can be picked up. This was done when I first started with AR and didn't even understand much. But, some recently posted a comment on this blog and I was sent an alert. I have google alerts set up for my name, plus different search terms I want to be notified on.
Meme Tutorial and Alphabetical Index of all Meme's on Active Rain!
By Lucky Lang (Mel Foster Company)(Lucky Lang (Mel Foster Company))
Missy Caulk: In the comments of The First (?) ActiveRain Meme. Theresa Cavanaugh: (AHEM) mememememe...sorry about the voice, but I've been MeME'd. Thesa Chambers: Kids, Fish, Photos and Babbling - My MEME. Paul Chaney: His Other Blog ...
Lucky's Blog - http://activerain.com/blogs/lucky
I get a recruitment call at least once a week, the first thing I do is Google the companym then the principles. It works both ways!
Missy, the more I learn about how the Internet works, the more amazed I am at how it demonstrates that we are all interconnected...like the song says..."We're in this thing together." It's also astonishing how long the information stays around! Thanks for taking the time to come back & comment.
Ricardo, You're right...this search thing does work both ways. I know that many employees will probably Google their employers prior to an interview...
Brian...Interesting question. I don't know if it's a matter of right or wrong. When you prepare for a presentation to a client, a lot of things go into the research process. I wouldn't bore a client by giving them all the details of my preparation or research process. If I was asked and had done so,...I would definitely tell them. In this business, the details do matter!