SOCIAL MEDIA PITFALLS

Once upon a time, a real estate broker decided to advertise a listing on social media. It seemed like a smart move—cast a wider net, generate more interest, close deals faster.

And at first, it worked.

Inquiries came in by the dozen. One day, a particularly curious buyer called. He asked all the usual questions: How's the area? How old is the building? What amenities are there?

Then came the trickier ones: How high are the ceilings? Does the bathroom have ventilation?

Still, the broker answered politely and professionally, doing her best to meet every question with grace—even when she didn't have all the details on hand.

Until the call took a turn.

Buyer: How big is the bathroom?

Broker: Let me get back to you on that, sir. I’ll check—

Buyer: Can I f*ck you in the bathroom?*

And just like that, the line between professional inquiry and harassment was crossed.

Take-away? Social media opens doors—but not all of them are worth walking through. Casting a wider net doesn’t just catch more leads. Often, it catches the wrong kind.

Sadly, there's no way around it.

This is the reality of modern-day brokerage. If you want reach, you go online. And when you go online, you open yourself up to everything—and everyone. The serious buyers, the curious onlookers, the window shoppers… and yes, the creeps.

Filtering out the bad leads is part of the job now. There are tools that can help, and experience teaches you to spot red flags early. But no matter how sharp your instincts, the occasional harassing message or inappropriate inquiry still slips through.

It's an unfortunate trade-off in the digital age: visibility comes with vulnerability. And for many brokers, especially women, that’s the high cost of doing business online.