Social Flat Hunting
Posted by Guillame Foutry @ August 28th, 2009 in New Media Tips
I recently went through, as everyone does now and again, one of the most awful experiences of modern life in any big city: flat hunting. Time consuming, tiring and stressful experience: I hate it. But what I discovered recently is that you can use social media to make it less painful and more productive. So let’s go step by step to see how you can do this:
1. Where to live (in which neighbourhood)?
If it is a city you are new in or even your hometown, always ask your friends the best areas you could live in. As they know you, your interests and probably have a good idea of your budget, they are very good advisers. You can also ask for their opinion on a specific area (as some streets might be better or more dangerous than others). So do not hesitate to publish a status update on Facebook or to send a tweet about it.
You can also check what others users are saying about the area: a search on Facebook, Twitter or Yelp will quickly help you to know what is happening there and if there are any good restaurants or coffee places around.
Tools to use: Facebook; Search on Facebook; Twitter; Twitter search; Yelp
2. Getting the flat
Your friends or people around you always know someone that knows someone who… So inform your friends and your community that you are actively hunting. Create a group on Facebook like “Help me get a flat” where you give precise information on what you are looking for, your budget and the areas you are interested in. As you tweet about it, invite your friend to RT the info: you can potentially reach hundreds of people in a very short amount of time.
Tools to use: Group on Facebook: Tweets with mention “Please RT”
3. Being the hunter (but still needing advice)
You are now on very active mode, going through one website to another looking at different ads. As it might be hard to make up your mind on a place, you can ask your friends what they think about the flat and its location. Since there is always someone on Facebook or Twitter, you may even get a reply straight away.
Regarding the ads, have a look at Google Map and as soon as you have the full address, Google Street View. Having a look at how the building or the house look like can avoid you a big disappointment and save you some time.
Tools to use: Facebook status updates with link; Tweets with link (you might decide to send it to certain people); Google Map; Google Street View.
4. On the ground
This is really the hardest part of it all, when you are going from one flat to another, with high hope and crossing your fingers that the next flat you are going to see is the flat you’ve been looking for. And as you are walking to some part of town you have never been in, it might be quite hard to know where you are going. And it is at that time that having a smart phone is helpful: just copy and paste the address you received through text message and insert it to Google Map, which will help you visualize where you have to go and just follow directions. It will save you lots of time and prevent you from looking like a tourist with your map book.
Tools to use: Smart phone: Google map
5. Social media check
You saw the place, you really liked it, but you would like to know more about the people you are going to live with: Google them up and look at their profile on the different social media platforms. Check their tweets to see what they are interested in (and discover if they are party animals or not, always useful to know).
Tools to use: Google; Twitter; any network you can find
6. Inform your friends and thank them for their help
You found the perfect place and you moved in. Now it is time to thank your friends and your community for their help. Organize a party!
Tools to use: Facebook event function; Twitter
7. What the future holds in store
Geo targeting will be even more widespread: you will walk in a neighbourhood, take your smart phone and visualize a lot of data: price range for an area, all the people you may know living around that particular area and all the information mentioned before on places to go shopping, eating or for fun.
Tools: probably Google Latitude; Brighkite; Facebook (that would have evolved into something like this).
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