New figures from Nielsen show that, in the US at least, Internet users have tripled the amount of time they spend on social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace over the past year. With 300 million active users at last count it seems clear - as we’ve discussed before - that Facebook is a powerful medium for connecting with customers.

But, as one mashable.com contributor recently pointed out, business success in the social media era can be challenging, as customers look for transparency, availability and genuine interaction rather than sales pitches.

One Facebook tool that could help real estate agents with this challenge, recently featured on inman.com, is CenterStage. This subscription based tool aims to help agents showcase their listings as well as their sold properties.

Through CenterStage, Facebook users add a “My Real Estate” tab to their profile and upload images and listings information. The idea is that through sharing these listings with your Facebook friends, and your friends passing listings on to their friends, your properties will gain exposure throughout the social network.

As Gahlord Dewald points out in his inman.com review, “spamming” Facebook friends with listings information can easily backfire. But CenterStage seems unconcerned, stating its aim is to keep you “top of mind among your friends, family, social and business networks”. Luckily for those who aren’t sure whether mixing business with Facebook is the best strategy, CenterStage offers a free 30-day trial.