Katerina Brosda is the president of Brosda and Bentley Realtors working in Miami.

Every week, we ask a real estate professional for their Short List, a collection of tips and recommendations on an essential topic in real estate. This week, we talked with Katerina Brosda, president of Brosda and Bentley Realtors, to share her straightforward methods for maximizing your Internet exposure. 

The city of Miami has grown significantly in the last decade and emerged as one of the most expensive cities in the U.S. to buy or rent a home – even though home prices are still lower compared to other metropolitan cities throughout the world.

Foreigners swoop into Miami real estate with piles of cash and according to a published report, buyers have paid nearly $1.9 billion to acquire fewer than 1,750 new condo units during this real estate cycle; and the amount of luxurious new developments being built is notably increasing wherever you look.

However, one area in particular has established itself as the focal point of Miami. That area is Miami Beach. More luxury properties have been traded here over the last few years than almost anywhere else in the world. Sun, sea, sand and great service come as standard to those who choose to buy a home or condo in this part of the city, which has only lead to the area becoming synonymous with quality, attracting the most discerning of investors from around the globe.

5. Brosda and Bentley – At The Heart of the Movement – While innovative development projects are fundamental to an area’s ever-increasing affluence, the importance of the real estate broker cannot be overlooked. If buyers don’t feel they’re able to navigate the markets as freely as they’d like to, the financial side of any development project starts to look bleak. Buyers go elsewhere, to different areas or different cities entirely. Condos within these developments don’t sell as they should, and Miami Beach looks a less attractive place to invest money.

At Brosda and Bentley, creating a real estate brokerage service that allows a potential homeowner to get the maximum amount out of the real estate sale process was our No. 1 aim. We knew that by serving our clients and those selling their properties, we’d make the Miami Beach real estate market healthier, and as an added bonus, we’d benefit from its health too.

When we launched our boutique brand many years ago, transparency, customer service, availability of information and speed of sale were all things we identified as being important.

4. Embracing the Internet – From the third millennium onwards, people across America and the world started to use the Internet more and more to also search for real estate online. Suddenly, marketing real estate online was no longer just an alternative method of promotion, but an essential one. Both buyers and sellers took to the Internet to deal in property, and as a result, required a company with the online proficiency to make these web-based dealings a success.

Brosda and Bentley knew from the onset that the Internet needed to be embraced. We knew Miami Beach was a stunningly beautiful place, and had houses and condos for sale located here that were more than just edifices. The Internet allowed us to provide a unique service to our customers. Suddenly, we were able to showcase many of our best properties in a way we’d never done before. While other brokers stuck to paper-based sales, we saw the Internet as a method of communication unlike any other. Buyers were able to view a property instantly. Details could be understood within seconds, and families could browse through our image galleries at their leisure. The Internet was a great tool for us and everybody who incorporated it, but it was about to get even better.

3. Succeeding on Social Media – Due to the success of our Brosda and Bentley website, when social media became a large part of the Internet, we were just as happy to embrace it. It allowed us to do more of what we wanted to. We could pass on the latest news instantly to everybody interested in our local market. We could update anybody interested in Miami Beach developments. We could communicate with buyers and sellers better, and provide a faster, more efficient service that just couldn’t have been provided if we’d have remained a company focused solely on traditional methods of sale.

Nowadays, we’re the undisputed No. 1 Miami real estate broker on Google+. Serving as a “social layer” across Google’s many services and apps, the platform allows businesses and professionals to reach and interact with a large audience, now numbering 540 million active users. To further maximize our reach, we synergistically combine our state-of-the-art website with rigorous social media campaigns centered on Google+ to reach potential buyers from all over the world. That’s how we make the phone ring with buyers from China, India, Brazil and Argentina, and lure New Yorkers to Miami. The numbers within our network show we’re among the most visible real estate companies on the whole of social media and especially within all of Florida.

2. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram – The three social media platforms mentioned above are simple to use, yet extremely effective when done right. As a company, we’ve found a combination of professionalism and personality works best for us. Buying property is exciting, so why not make it feel that way? We combine information about the latest development projects and the odd amusing picture to keep our followers entertained. It’s a formula that works brilliantly for us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. We’ve found through trial and error that this is the formula that engages our customers. It gets them excited. It peaks their interest in our business and what we offer.

Our Twitter follows topped 12,000 recently, and are growing at a fast pace. On Facebook, Brosda and Bentley Realtors have received five star service reviews and have attracted hundreds of likes and follows. Maximizing Internet exposure doesn’t have to be complex. As we’ve found out, simply provide ongoing value to customers and show that you’re passionate about what you do. They’ll align themselves to you once you do that. It’s easier than ever before to communicate this passion, but there’s no faking it. You either love the property industry or you don’t. If all you care about is money, consumers will realize that and be put off by such selfish motives.

1. Looking Forward – As our social media and website user numbers are extremely impressive, I guess you could forgive us if we became complacent. After all, we’re property specialists, not online marketers. But we have no intention of doing that.

We realize the Internet is important to virtually everybody who buys real estate in Miami, and we want to connect with them on a platform they’re familiar with.

The company looks to expand its online footprint by continuing to do what it’s done best. We want to provide those interested in real estate with the best deals around, and let them know about the most exciting opportunities before anybody else does. While we’re able to keep doing this, Brosda and Bentley’s service will always be valuable to those looking to own a home in Miami.

Since 2007, Katerina Brosda has worked to turn Brosda and Bentley Realtors into one of the most visible brokerages on the Web. She currently serves as the group’s president.