A Social Network for Real Estate Professionals

New social network allows real estate professionals to work together to move properties more effectively. NovaRealtyGuide.com Connects Northern Virginia and D.C. Realtors Looking to Split Commission on Properties.  NovaRealtyGuide.com is a free network for real estate professionals based in the Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. areas. NovaRealtyGuide.com allows real estate professionals to contact each other about splitting commission on properties that they may be having a hard time selling or lack the time to give the property the appropriate amount of attention.

“We firmly believe that two minds are better than one. Whether you are looking for a property that you can sell or you are listing one that you already represent and would like someone else to sell for you, we welcome everyone!” said owner Richard Verdugo.

Real estate agents can list properties and set the commission they are willing to pay. Other agents can contact them if they are interested in selling the property on their behalf. All terms and conditions of partnerships are worked out and agreed upon by the individuals. NovaRealtyGuide.com has no part in any deals made.

Some of the features offered by NovaRealtyGuide.com are News Feed, Listings, Chat, Profiles, and Invite. News Feed allows members to see recent updates and listings of properties where other professionals are looking to split commission. Listings is where they can list details and photos of the property for which they would like to split commission. Realtors can also make a listing for a type of property they wish to sell so other agents can contact them about one of their properties that meet the criteria. The chat room allows users to chat directly with other members who are online. This is a great networking tool. Users can chat in the main room with everyone or can chat privately with a member. Both options are offered. The Profile section allows realtors to upload photos and information about themselves. Private messages may be sent to other members by going to their profile and clicking ‘send message’. The invite option allows realtors to invite their colleagues.

Is this a good idea?  An interesting question, but the real question is whether real estate agents find value in such a website.  There are good and potentially bad points for agents putting information the site. The good points are that information can be freely exchanged.  In addition, agents may be able to list their homes on the site and if they are having trouble selling they can at least get a portion from another agent selling it for them.
 
The bad points?  there aren’t too many, but certainly trading secrets and listing a property on the site may mean someone else sells it and the listing agent gets only a portion of his/her  commission rather than the full commission.

Splitting commission on a property is a last resort. Why would a realtor do this? It is a realtor’s job to keep their clients happy. That includes selling their home in a timely manner. If many months or even a year has passed by and their home is still on the market, it may be time to seek outside help. NovaRealtyGuide.com attracts a wide variety of realtors. It may be that the properties that agents are having trouble selling may not be their specialty. Some realtors specialize in condos while others specialize in single family homes. Maybe it’s a townhome that is troubling them. Whatever it may be, there is someone out there who specializes in the areas that others may not. The site is also a great forum to seek advice. Asking other realtors for tips on how to present and sell certain properties is a great service that NovaRealtyGuide.com provides. Unlike other social networks, all information is open. Members don’t need to add each other as friends in order to see someone else’s profile. Of course each member has the ability to set their profile on private.

All in all, NovaRealtyGuide.com is a great utility for any real estate professional who wants to sell their properties in a much more effective manner, to network with local realtors or to seek advice. This is a sound idea and the site will be of great benefit to real estate agents.  In fact, one could imagine similar sites for other sorts of industries.  For example, a similar site for brokers, financial managers, venture capitalists, etc. could be a great way to exchange business needs and ideas. Let’s face it folks, this is the information age, and it benefits everyone if we share information.