I've had the pleasure of working with Matt Heinz in his professional capacity, so I know firsthand that he practices what he preaches in his new book, Successful Social Selling. A seasoned marketing expert with deep roots in the real estate community, Matt Heinz is an excellent resource for insight and advice. His new book offers just that – instructions on "how to find, manage, and close more business from the social Web." In it, he makes a variety of key points – I'm going to share a few that I think are most relevant to real estate professionals.

Listen on Social Media

Matt explains that, if you listen closely on social media, you'll be picking up on the "buying signals" of prospective customers. Quite early on, they'll begin expressing an unmet need or a pain point in their lives. They'll also complain about current vendors. What does this mean for real estate? You'll know when someone is ready to find an agent or switch from their current agent if you're paying attention to social media.

When you pick up on one of these signals, however, be careful not to respond with a sales pitch. Instead, reach out to them with an offer of advice (such as a link to an educational article). Be a source of information, rather than a pushy salesperson.