Should You Post Your Client's Photo on Social Media?

You just listed a home, sold a property, or started working with a new client and the first thing you want to do is brag on social media. It's okay, we all do it and working in the real estate industry, a client-centered marketing focus is necessary to show leads and clients why you are the perfect real estate professional for them. However, before posting your client's photo on social media, take your client's opinions into consideration.

Many people nowadays are okay with the idea of having their photo posted online. However, that does not apply to everyone and there are legal, safety, and ethical issues that need to be examined before posting a photo to your social profiles.

Rules and regulations differ from social network to network, and laws on sharing photos online are practically non-existent. When sharing photos online, take these tips into consideration and avoid the unnecessary headache that could appear from sharing the wrong photo.

Photo Release

We recommend using a photo release in your standard contracts. This simple, one page contract will provide a layer of protection for you, your employees, and your business. This will also create a perfect opportunity to sit with your clients and talk about how you market your business and the use of their photos in your social profiles and websites.

If the client refuses to sign the photo release, you know how they feel about using their photos for social use and have saved your relationship from potential damage down the road.

Leave the Kids Out

A good rule of thumb, even with a signed photo release, is to leave the children out of the photos. Many parents don't want their children's photos taken at parties or events or their pictures posted on social media.

If you are taking a photo of the family for your social profile and the parents want the children in the picture, ask them out of courtesy if it is okay for you to post the photo socially one last time.

Keep Opinions to Yourself

When posting photos on social, leave your client's opinion, good or bad, out of the comments or status. For instance, if you take your client on a tour of different homes, don't post your client's opinion of the home; the homeowner or selling agent could find the comment offensive if negative, or you could undermine your client's negotiating position by posting that your client loves the home. Another way to avoid this issue is to make sure you don't share what home you are showing your client. That will leave some mystery as to where you are.

As we continue to move forward and social media continues to grow, we will most likely see more rules, regulations, and laws regarding posting client photos online. Until then, use your common sense and think ethically about what is correct when posting on social media.

To view the original article, visit the Homes.com blog.