If you have never heard of Clubhouse before, or have heard of it, and are wondering what all the buzz is about then this post is for you.
This post will touch briefly on:
What is clubhouse app?
In short, Clubhouse is a bit like an interactive podcast. Room ‘visitors’ are able to listen to, or actively participate in live discussions. Social Media Examiner referred to it as ‘a unique live audio platform’.
The conversations happen in real time. There is a main speaker, referred to as the person ‘on stage’. The speaker can invite other people to come up on stage to speak. The room may have several speaker’s, or it may have only one.
The main speaker/presenter/room host can allow others to join him or her on the stage.
Audience participants can:
- Search for topics of interest to them. Find a room and then listen in
- Raise a hand to be invited into the discussion. This lets you actively participate instead of being just a listener in the audience.
- Build networks and connections with people that you would likely never meet in the real world.
- Increase awareness about who you are and what you do
- Attend live talks (think Ted talk quality) that would normally cost you thousands of dollars to attend, all for free.
- Connect with influencers in your industry
- Build authority and credibility as the expert in your field.
Note: it is against Clubhouse rules to record conversations.
How to get the Clubhouse app.
Clubhouse is an invite only platform. You can download the app; however, you cannot enter the room or hear speakers on stage until you have been invited to join Clubhouse.
Each new member receives one invite that they can use to invite one other person to the platform. This is the only way to get in. The scarcity and exclusivity of the club is fueling the desire to want in.
Some have taken to selling their invites on eBay as the demand is so high. As at the time of writing I am still trying to get in. If you have a spare invite, I would love to hear from you so that I can try it out for myself.
What makes it unique to other
social platforms
One of the other features is that there is no option to post comments or images. It is all about the conversations taking place. The platform is purely audio, nothing else. I am imagining something like a conference call without the visuals. This makes it very interactive as the conversations are happening in real time.
Unlike video, stage presenters do not need a lot of prep work to present. They can turn up unwashed and naked if they wish and nobody is going to be any the wiser. There is no concern about the need for good lighting or slideshow presentations. You just need to bring your voice.
As agents we spend our days talking with and educating others. When we are not doing that, we are often looking for opportunities to increase our sphere of influence, grow our knowledge and improve our performance. Clubhouse seems to be the perfect platform to do that.
It is the hottest topic in the online world right now. The exclusivity of this Club is only fueling that spread. Online influencers are pushing it out to their followers and many are desperately trying to obtain an invite.
Worldwide interest
Let us take a quick look at the online interest of Clubhouse.
The following graphs show the monthly search volume as of 6 January 2021. I have included three graphs.
Graph 1: Worldwide online searches per month.
Graph 2: United States online searches per month.
Graph 3: Australian online searches per month.
Note the recent spike. Also note the low search numbers per month in Australia. The wave has not hit us here yet, but I believe it will. As a nation we usually three to six months behind the social media trends of the US. This provides early adopters a significant opportunity.
How can real estate professionals use Clubhouse for lead generation?
I feel that the opportunities are endless for those working in real estate. Think about when you listen to podcasts. Why do you listen to them? Is it because:
- You can listen on the run
- You can take in valuable information without the need to read it.
- You feel that the presenter is credible
- You feel connected and up to date
If you are a regular podcast listener, you will know that you can quickly form a strong opinion of the person you are listening to. Often within minutes you will have formed an opinion. Are they are friendly, knowledgeable, or credible? You will also sense whether they can be trusted and if they have your best interest at heart.
This gives agents and property managers, a perfect opportunity to start educating and assisting your ideal client. You could connect with investors, developers, renovators, FSBO’s.
You could connect with people who want to know about selling start a chat for first home buyers. The are countless ways to connect with your target audience.
Let us say that you opened a room to discuss issues faced by investors. Many are Mum and Dad type investors with limited experience. They are often unaware of what makes a property appealing to a tenant.
When you share your real estate knowledge on the Clubhouse platform you are effectively giving a speech from stage to not only an interested audience but to a very receptive one. There is no better way to build trust and make connections then by offering something of value to others.
Think outside the box a little. Talk to tradespeople about how they can improve their referral base by working with agents. Explain how your clients often need tradespeople when preparing for sale or after purchase.
Property Managers can educate tradespeople about how to serve your mutual clients better. Discuss the stress it causes the tenant, the landlord, property manager or selling agent when they do not turn up on time, cannot be contacted or just do not communicate effectively.
Give them a friendly lesson on how to interact with tenants, landlords and selling agents and tell them how their referral network will explode. The upside is that you will have passionate business owners queuing up to work with you and your clients.
Current limitations – What users are really saying about the Clubhouse app
When it comes to predicting it’s future, there are many parties on either side of the Clubhouse fence. Many social media gurus and influencers are predicting it to be the next big thing in the social media space.
Others are more cautious stating that small user numbers will limit reach when trying to connect with the right people.
Other comments being bandied about are that it is time consuming and promoting FOMO so many. Or that it is not the most effective ROI from a time perspective.
One thing that both parties agree on is that the app is best suited to business owners, networkers, influencers, marketers and the like. As real estate agents we are all of those things.
Disclaimer: This post is intended for real estate agents to give them a very brief overview of the Clubhouse app. I am not a social media expert. At the time of writing I am still waiting on my invite so have not used Clubhouse……yet.
My thoughts on Clubhouse as a lead generation tool for real estate agents.
I believe Clubhouse offers an enormous opportunity for real estate professionals to:
- position themselves as an expert of real estate
- build their credibility
- connect with their local community,
- increase their sphere of influence,
- grow their pipeline, and
- learn from experts in the field.
At present the app is still in Beta Testing. I believe the opportunities are limitless. If Clubhouse learn to monetize and implement the feedback suggestions of their beta testers, then I believe that they are here to stay.
Note: At this stage, the app is only available to iPhone users. There are plans to roll out an Android version, but no date as yet.
Where to now?
To delve deeper into Clubhouse and what it offers for the user check out Social Media Examiner’s article here.
This article from Mashable shares feedback that is not as glowing
Want a walkthrough video tutorial of the Clubhouse app?
On her podcast, Build Your Tribe, Charlene Johnson shares her thoughts on the Clubhouse app.
For more ways to reach your community and dominate your market, click here.
