“If I can pass along one meaningful piece of advice for sales associates who use Twitter, it’s this, ‘No one cares that you’re going to a closing, taking the day off or are upset about something,’” says Edwin Gerace, a sales associate with Russell & Jeffcoat Realtors in Lexington, South Carolina. “A doctor doesn’t post when he’s going to surgery. Use Twitter to post real information and understand the ramifications to what you post.”

Twitter is fast becoming a huge marketing resource to real estate professionals who use it correctly. Gerace has been using Twitter to complement his marketing program and has found success. “Social media has impacted my business directly. I was able to work with clients I hadn’t had contact with since high school and college. In addition, I have clients who understand the impact of Twitter and like that I use it to promote their listings.”

Gerace finds Twitter to be an effective addition to his marketing program but is careful not to place all of his eggs in one basket. “I do not hold it as the new end-all, be-all for sales associates. However, Twitter is more powerful than many social outlets because Twitter Google indexes your posts at a high rate, which means that the key phrases you post on Twitter are coming up in Google searches,” says Gerace.

Here’s how Gerace uses Twitter:

1. Post listings. Since Twitter is indexed with Google, Gerace finds that his listings get better exposure this way. In addition, he’s seen a direct increase in his listings being viewed. “I use a virtual tour-based system that uses Twitter and that’s been effective.”

2. Build relationships. Gerace uses Twitter to build relationships with others who also Twitter. “It’s all about building a network of real estate professionals, clients and consumers.” So, Gerace follows others and retweets information he finds useful. In turn, his followers do the same. But, it’s not just about listings; it could be a market update, interesting article on real estate or even a weather report. “I use it to spread information to my followers that I deem timely or important.” However, Gerace is quick to point out that he does not use Twitter to “promote my political views or opinions.”

3. Tours. Gerace uses Visual Tour, which allows him to post an URL to Facebook, Craigslist and Twitter, as well as other social media sites. “That’s powerful. I had one listing that within a week was viewed 400 times.”

Overall, Gerace says Twitter has helped him get timely information out to clients and friends and promote that he’s informed about real estate. “It’s helped me learn about social media and how to harness the power. And, it’s made me aware that this is just one tool to a successful marketing campaign.”