Civility on social media

While political posts might have few consequences on a private account, real estate agents may be leery of posting their own positions on their business pages. Consumers in general tend to be repelled by brands that stake out strong positions on heavily politicized issues. Companies that do so may be on the receiving end of boycotts, protests and social media campaigns urging people to take their business elsewhere.

A recent report of consumer behavior by the American Association of Advertising shows that 58 percent of consumers dislike it when businesses take a political position. They are also less likely to give those companies their business if they take positions that are perceived as negative or discriminatory.

Vincent Anzalone, a broker at Dream Town Realty, tries to keep politics out of his face-to-face interactions with clients but is an active social media user. He regularly posts about politics and links to news articles through his personal Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages.

“I don’t like to interject politics into my relationships with clients in person,” Anzalone says. “There are a lot of areas to cover when buying or selling a home, and I need all the time I have with my clients to make sure they have all their questions answered and vice versa. If a client wants to come to my personal media channels to discuss politics, they are welcome to do so.”

Rodriguez focuses on posting about news topics that people who are interested in Chicago real estate should care about, such as property tax increases and new developments. She saves her political posts for her private pages.

“If the purpose of your social media presence is to draw business, I don’t think expressing your political views as a matter of course is the right priority,” Rodriguez says. “If your social media presence is a personal one, then I think you ought to be able to express yourself even if clients and colleagues will be privy to some of your opinions.”