My husband and I recently purchased our first home, and throughout the process, right there by our side were our Realtors—both physically and electronically.

From the word “go,” our real estate team was immersed in our lives. From email and text messaging, to daily e-blasts about new listings, to connections on Facebook and LinkedIn, social media and electronic communication played a large role in making this interpersonal business even more personal.

It not only created an environment where my husband and I were comfortable reaching out to them when needed, but it effectively solidified our relationship moving forward. They’ve paved the way toward earning our future business—not only through providing good service, but by making it easy for us to work together.

It’s time for all of us to think about how we’re working with clients and taking advantage of different means to do so.

Have you connected with past and current partners on LinkedIn or Facebook? Do you follow their companies on Twitter? Are you sharing updates on your own successes or future plans (i.e., real time video feeds of projects on YouTube or a construction blog on your facility’s website).

I recently did a Q&A with Shane Watts, cofounder of Burt-Watt Industries, about how his firm is integrating technology into its daily practices (coming soon to www.healthcarebuildingideas.com). Watts noted that it’s up to a company’s marketer to find the best solution to leverage social media for business. In his case, Burt-Watts shares up-to-the-minute posts on both Facebook and Twitter regarding the progress it’s making on projects.

In this day and age, schedules are tight, and, often, budgets are even tighter. A word we hear in the world of healthcare construction time and time again is “relationships.” Owners are looking to construction managers and architects they feel they can trust, and construction managers and architects are looking to partner with each other based upon successful past experiences.

Social media isn’t everything and an email shouldn't always replace a phone call, but it’s a piece of the puzzle. It’s time for all of us to think about creating and maintaining relationships through a variety of means and, hopefully, paving the way for future business.