Real estate professionals all over the country have been successfully finding and engaging their clients and customers on Twitter. Here are some simple tips that will help put you on the path to Twitter success.

1) Be helpful.

The easiest way to interact with people on Twitter is by asking and answering questions. Rather than try to promote what you do, seek out ways to help people. This way, they are more likely to seek you as a source of help the next time they need something. When you are looking at the stream of tweets from the people you follow, find out who is asking questions and answer the ones you can.

2) Avoid over-promoting.

Twitter is used primarily as a means of conversation and communication. Being too promotional is very noticeable on Twitter. Rather than simply posting links to your listings or telling everyone how many homes you’re closing today, try asking questions. Asking questions is a good way of starting conversation and getting to know people better so you can help them later.

3) Use hashtags wisely.

A hashtag (#) is a way of highlighting a term or word on Twitter so people can follow a conversation about a specific topic. Unfortunately, people sometimes treat hashtags like keywords, and they go crazy, tagging every other word in a tweet in the hope that someone will find it. Don’t do it – it’s considered spam. Only use a hashtag when it is relevant to what you are discussing or when you think it will bring value to an already ongoing discussion. Here are some common real estate hashtags: #realestate #(your area or popular neighborhood name) #NAR, #condo, #RETechchat, #greenhomes

4) Use a real picture in your profile.

Twitter allows you to create a profile picture or avatar for your account. Use a picture of yourself, rather than a logo or something generic – people want to interact and converse with people, not logos. Using an actual picture of yourself will also make it easy for people to recognize you when they meet you in a coffee shop or at an event!

5) Know your state disclosure laws.

Every state has different disclosure laws for real estate professionals interacting with the public on the Internet. Make sure you know the regulations in your state or licensing jurisdiction. Twitter can be fun and rewarding, but you don’t want to run afoul of your licensing board as a result of not following the proper regulations.

The growth of Twitter has been nothing short of astounding. Twitter has gone from a little-known social network to a source of breaking news and meaningful social interaction. Use these tips to help build a following of referrals and future clients.