It is undeniable that the Internet is the fastest and most effective way of reaching as much number of people around the globe. It is no surprise then that Internet is also used by different industries to promote their businesses – and the real estate market is not one to be left behind. More than just the World Wide Web, though, the real estate market is also now joining the social media bandwagon.

With how hard the real estate industry was hit by the recent economic crisis, real estate agents need a stronger and more effective means of reaching home buyers and sellers. Since more and more buyers and sellers are making Internet an important part of the buy-and-sell process, tech-savvy realtors are joining in on the fun: they have started to connect to clients via the World Wide Web. And some are attesting to its success.

Sarah Elle Boggs, a real estate agent, has made it a routine to leave location-based whereabouts tips to the virtual world and to update her Twitter while making a showing of one of the downtown Miami condo towers. Micro-blogging, Facebook updating, and real estate-related application downloading have become just a few of the social media-related activities that Boggs have incorporated into her work. She says it is working so far – she’s had two new clients over Twitter in the last month alone and is now working with a buyer over Facebook.

True enough, social media networking is now not just a hobby for Realtors. Real estate firm board rooms and trade meetings are now discussing the importance of social media to the industry. Even various online platforms are now being used by companies to track return on investments.

ONE Sotheby’s International Realty has also included social media as a core component of its marketing campaign. The company’s Facebook page currently has 1,200 fans and 185 links, including those leading to its Twitter account, YouTube channel, website, and blog. Marketing director Brad Nelson explains why it is effective.

“If Facebook were a country, it would be the third-largest country in the world. I don’t know of a single newspaper, of a single television program, or a single radio program that has that kind of reach,” Nelson says.