Inman

Leigh Brown: ‘Unless you’re trying to be a secret agent, you have to be visible’

Age:​ 40​

Years in real estate:​ 15​

Job title:​ CEO, dream maker​

Location:​ Charlotte/Concord, North Carolina

Hours per week spent on social media:​ Do I have to admit this out loud? Probably 30 all added up?​

Social media accounts: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest

Target demographic:​ Good people​

Average number of posts per day: Two on Facebook, one or two on Twitter, one on Instagram, four on Pinterest, and one a week on LinkedIn.

Which social channels do you work more? 

Facebook, primarily.​​

How many friends, likes and so on do you have?

​I have 4,503 friends on Facebook and 4,345 followers on Facebook.

Does that number matter to you?

Nope. My only concern is hitting the Facebook ceiling​.

Do you ever give it a break?

​Nope. I will if they ever find a way to do an out-of-office alert, though​!

Does social media help your business, and how?

Heck yes! Social media makes me relatable, helps me relate to others, helps me stay top of mind and helps me keep up with industry information​.

What’s your goal for your favorite social channel?

To​ be engaging enough that no one wants to hide or unfollow me, and to get my friends list to think of me for anything associated with real estate​.

What’s your strategy to achieve it?

Don’t be annoying. Be funny. Be real.​

Is it worth it? Why?

There is a high return on investment for me on Facebook. I’m still learning on Twitter, but it’s worth it for the news and information. Social media, in general, is worth it to reconnect and connect with real people in a real way. This is not fake!​

What’s your craziest social media-related story?

I​ don’t really have one that I know of!

What actions do you take that have gotten the most results?

Posting engaging photos like the stripper pole in a listing (I asked a staging question: Should it stay or go?) and being bold on Twitter (which got me on Twitchy).​

Is this more about “social” or about business?

​Both. Unless you’re trying to be a secret agent, you have to be visible … and that’s what social media is.​

How do you monitor the channels? Do you use software or apps to manage your account, and which ones?

I have​ push notifications on my phone for Twitter and Facebook messages only. Otherwise, my battery goes dead too fast!

How many hours per day are you on social? Do you check it daily? Multiple times per day?

I check multiple times per day. Many of my clients communicate through Facebook Messenger and Twitter direct messages, so I can’t hide from those​.

Do you ever think of retiring?

At least once a week​.

Do you consider yourself an influencer?

Yes​.

Are you social in real life?

No.​

What did you do with your time before?

I​ played more piano and read more real books​.

How do you leverage your prominence or influence on social media?

I’m​ not sure that I’ve figured that out yet. I don’t want to be unapproachable or fake. Social media does help me get more speaking engagements, and my passion is to help Realtors better define what it means to be a Realtor in a positive way, and to improve their businesses and profitability. So social helps me get that message out there.​

Do you have someone helping you?​

Nope​!

Whom do you follow, and why?

Lots and lots of people. I follow positive people who do and who aren’t all talk and fluff​.

Where do you find the content that you put out?

My head​.

What has been your all-time hit share?

My son was in the hospital for testing … and wow, did people respond with love and prayers. My heart is still full from that.

Would you like to participate in Inman’s social media profile series? Email contributors@sandbox.inman.com.