January 2010

Using Social Media to Navigate Tough Markets

why you should demand your advisor be a social media expert

By: Mark Mayfield, CCIM & Randy Graham | Managing Directors

Sperry Van Ness | Southern Commercial Real Estate | Rock Hill, South Carolina

Anyone who has endured multiple market cycles understands that market consolidations cause a weeding-out process to occur. While many tend to perceive those forced out of the market as simply not having the financial wherewithal to survive, the truth of the matter is that the reason most companies fail in tough markets is that they refused to change. Had they changed, had they adapted, had they innovated, they would have found a way to create the financial resources necessary to weather the storm. Static thinking simply does not mix well with fluid markets.

To use a military analogy, the worst thing a fighting force can do is to engage the opponent in multiple skirmishes without changing tactics.  Even the best tactical precision is subject to defeat if it becomes stale or predictable and it is precisely at this point that it also becomes outdated. As it is on the battlefield, change is an essential survival skill in the business world as well. The harsh reality is that outdated business tactics will place an enterprise at a competitive disadvantage eleven times out of ten…it’s as simple as that. 

In a commercial real estate market where many complain about deals not getting done, the fact of the matter is that deals close every day. If a deal isn’t getting done, it’s not because of the market, it’s because there is something wrong with the tactics being used to market the deal…it’s because it is not being marketed in the right way, at the right time, to the right people. It’s not a market thing; it’s a tactical thing…better yet, it’s a marketing thing. When hiring an advisor to help you acquire and dispose of assets in a down economy, do you want someone who complains about the market and makes excuses, or do you want someone who innovates and executes? The choice is yours…choose wisely.

Nowhere is the need for change in commercial real estate more apparent than in the marketing and branding tactics currently being employed by many practitioners. The successful culmination of a transaction occurs as a result of savvy marketing, especially in a down market. As much as some may wish it wasn’t so, the commercial real estate industry cannot simply stick its head in the sand and ignore social media. Old media has been simply been rendered ineffective by the speed at which new media has evolved, and the power of new media to engage in ways that old media never could.

Traditional old-school sales and marketing types that are still trying to do business in the manner as 5 years ago are getting crushed by those professionals that have embraced the leverage and scale afforded through digital mediums, and in particular, social media. Through a well conceived social media strategy that focuses on trust based conversations and engagement created via blogs, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms, it is not only possible to increase the visibility of an offering, but to do so with relevance, authority and influence. 

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In 1996, Mark Mayfield and Randy Graham started in business together and in 1999 started their own company Southern Commercial Real Estate, LLC (“SCRE”) in Rock Hill, South Carolina located 15 miles south of Charlotte, NC.  With a successful track record and established entity, SCRE expanded its services and national reach on January 1, 2007, by joining forces with a nationally recognized leader in commercial real estate brokerage, Sperry Van Ness, to form Sperry Van Ness/Southern Commercial Real Estate, LLC.

  • Sperry Van Ness was founded in 1987, when Rand Sperry and Mark Van Ness created  a commercial investment real estate firm with one key mission: To create unprecedented value for commercial real estate investors.  Today Sperry Van Ness is one of the largest, most respected and fastest growing commercial real estate brokerage firms in the industry.
  • Sperry Van Ness currently has more than 1004 advisors internationally.
  • Sperry Van Ness is located in more than 150 cities across the US, as well as in Costa Rica and Panama.
  • Sperry Van Ness completed over $11.6 billion in sales and leasing transactions in 2007. 

Experienced Commercial Real Estate Broker

Most brokers choose commercial real estate because it combines autonomy, flexibility, profitability and a passion for client service excellence. But what may be lacking is a clear point of differentiation that can give them a competitive edge.

In a study done by Pepperdine University, the top 5 things brokers want most are:

  1. National Brand Leverage
  2. Support Staff
  3. Marketing Materials
  4. Technology Support
  5. True Cooperation

Sperry Van Ness offers all these and much more.


If you're a broker who wants to make a difference in your career - one that can maximize profit, product offering, support systems and earning potential, it's time to talk to Sperry Van Ness.

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Mark J. Mayfield, CCIM

Managing Director|BIC

Randy Graham

Managing Director

1926 India Hook Road | Rock Hill, SC 29732

803.325.1000 | 803.325.1214 | www.svn-scre.com | info@svn-scre.com