Practice Safe Posting: How to Protect Your Business and Clients on Social Media

In an increasingly social world, Real Estate pros need to protect themselves and their clients.Social media. We know it, we use it, we market through it, and yet we know surprisingly little about how to function safely on most social sites. For real estate professionals, social media is an essential part of your marketing efforts. But in light of some the revelations that came out in 2018, more and more users are growing suspicious of social platforms and how much to share.

Even moreso, real estate pros need to know that their social media might involve very sensitive information: their clients names and addresses! You (or your agents) could end up in legal hot water without meaning to.

So how does this affect your marketing plans? And how can you make sure you’re using social in a way that doesn’t compromise yourself, your business, or your clients?

What is social media data safety?

Let’s start with the obvious question: what does social media data safety even mean? Social data refers to everything encompassed in your presence on social media. Social data can be:

• Posts you create or share from other pages.

• Every single interaction you have on social media - clicks, likes, follows, shares, comments, messages, etc.

• Information you add to your account - both what you mark “public” and what you mark “private.”

• What other people contribute to your social media (comments, tagged photos, etc.)

In other words, social data is your online persona. It’s every action and piece of information that you’ve provided intentionally by posting, or passively by clicking a link or following a page. When you consider all these aspects, it’s clear why social data is so important. It demonstrates a lot about you, your business, and even your clients.

Data safety on social media can then refer to a whole host of practices and concerns, but for this article we’re focusing on:

• Understanding the privacy settings on your social media account and posts.

• Understanding the rules surrounding what content you post and share.

• Knowing the best practices for posting to ensure digital and physical safety for all parties involved.

Why does it matter to Real Estate pros?

In 2018, Americans saw many social data issues - from continued revelations about how Facebook uses and shares user data to Twitter’s problematic “Wild West” reputation - which have shifted the way we view social media. As a whole, we now realize that the platforms we’ve enjoyed for the last decade for “free” come at a pretty high cost.

For businesses, this shift can have many impacts.

• Consumers are becoming more wary of using social platforms.

• Social media companies have begun to shift how their sites prioritize content, with a new focus on meaningful connections and relationships above businesses and promotional content. 

• Social companies are under heightened scrutiny, which in turn has led to tighter restrictions on advertisers and companies using these platforms.

Social media is particularly tricky for real estate professionals since the industry is built on relationships. Mixing your professional brand with personal elements is the key to connecting with customers...but these connections get messy online.

Relationships rely on trust. So if you’re going to use social media to build client relationships, taking steps to ensure nothing online damages that trust is essential.

I’m convinced! What should I do?

Despite the current concerns, social media remains an invaluable tool for connecting people and connecting businesses to customers. One of the first things you should consider is whether your company has a social media policy.

If you (or they) do:

• Is everyone aware of it?

• Are people following it?

• Is there any room for improvement?

If you don’t have a social policy, it may be time to consider writing one. But beyond best practices and policies, there are many practical tips you should consider when posting online. By taking a few extra minutes to ponder what you share and how it might impact others, you save yourself from much bigger problems down the line.

Keep it separated!

First and foremost, keep your personal and professional profiles separate. Don’t use your existing personal profile to connect with clients (unless you know each other personally). Set up a Business profile for your business (we explain how and why here). A few other considerations:

• If your business and personal accounts are connected (for example, running a business page using your personal Facebook account), the data from both accounts is also connected. If this is of concern, set up a new profile for your professional presence and use that to manage your business pages.

• Remember that anything you like or share on your business pages reflects on your organization, so click with caution!

• Avoid using things like quiz apps from your professional profiles. The now-infamous Cambridge Analytica scandal that rocked Facebook throughout 2018 centered on a seemingly harmless quiz. The biggest issue to understand in a case like this is how it impacts your connections. Accessing unsafe apps not only exposes your data but the data of everyone connected to your page.

Don't steal content or photos.

Always always always pay attention to where you get your content. Sharing photos that aren’t yours opens you up to a host of liability. Even sharing harmless things like memes and inspirational quotes requires careful consideration. Before sharing anything, stop and ask:

• Do I know where this post originated?

• Do I want to be linked to this account or organization?

• Do I know the history of the meme I’m about to share? (Memes can be especially tricky. Take Pepe the frog, for instance).

Don't use content you don’t own or have explicit permission to use. There are copyright lawyers and algorithms who will find (and fine) you for using material you don't own. 

Check all photos for personal or compromising info.

Don’t assume that because a photo or video is yours it’s safe to share without any consideration. Images provide a lot of information. So before you share any images stop and ask yourself:

• Is there anything embarrassing hanging out somewhere in the background that you didn’t notice when you took the photo? For example, if you take a video during an open house, can you hear someone talking about mold in the background?

• If you’re sharing pictures of a listing, does the photo show off what security system a house has? Does it show information about the sellers that could be problematic, like personalized decor with their underage children’s names or information about their school, activities, schedule, etc.?

• If you’re sharing photos from an open house, are there any people in the photo that might not want their image posted?

All of this brings us to our next point…

Check, then double check, with the client.

Some people are more than happy to lend their image to a social media update. Others are less comfortable with this. If you’re sharing images from events like an open house, the easiest solution is to not post any images containing people without explicit (preferably written) consent. When it comes to your own clients, however, a few extra questions go a long way, like:

• When you sell a listing and get that great photo of the new family with their “Sold” sign, double check that they’re comfortable with sharing the image. Posting these photos gives away a lot of information about these new owners and not everyone will like the idea.

• If you're taking a classic closing-table selfie, make sure no documents are visible on the table. If you're taking pictures around the office, make sure a client's email isn't up on a computer screen.

• If you’re working with a family, avoid posting any photos with their children. In 2010 some 90% of children aged two had photos on social media. But, with rising concerns about “sharenting,” parents are more inclined to pause letting their child’s likeness be used online.

• Consider adding a basic photo release for clients themselves, separate from any releases regarding property photos, to your contracts. Most will be happy to help, and it's always better to be safe than sorry.

Be conscious of sharing your own location.

Real Estate pros have the unique problem of needing to share their location with strangers online. When you post that you'll be hosting an open house, you may be telling the wrong people where to find you. Write in plurals: "We will be hosting," "Meet my team at the open house," or "The Real Estate Company, Inc. will be available to answer questions" - instead of writing that you (singular) will be at the open house. (Your safety is an important topic and we encourage you to read more about how to protect yourself online and offline.)

Trust your instincts.

At the end of the day, common sense and trusting your instincts online is the key. Instead of focusing on needing to share as quickly as possible, pause for a minute or two to make sure you’ve covered all bases. And if something feels off...don’t post it! Our constant FOMO when it comes to documenting and posting on social media gets us into trouble.

Bottom Line

As a real estate agent, posting with a plan is the best solution. As an organization, setting up a social media policy is a must. Not sure how to go about that? Check out our next article on creating a social media policy for your company.