real estate blogging: REBHOF: Jim Klinge - 08/18/08 06:17 PM
Jim Klinge - bubbleinfo.comJim Klinge understands that credibility is one of his most valuable assets. It takes chutzpah to name your blog "bubbleinfo.com" when your brokerage is located in Carlsbad, California, the epicenter of North San Diego county's real estate meltdown, but Jim Klinge understands that the best way to sell your real estate services in any kind of market is to be knowledgeable and honest about market conditions.
Jim doesn't shy away from discussing high inventory, increases in the number of NODs and REOs, or even the dreaded Neg-Am Recasts that threaten to drag out the current lending crisis for … (0 comments)

real estate blogging: REBHOF: Jennifer Fivelsdal - 08/16/08 06:54 PM
Jennifer Fivelsdal - Rhinebeck LivingJennifer Fivelsdal knows how to use a real estate blog to generate business.You may not have heard of Jennifer, but she's well known in her community through her "Rhinebeck Living" blog on ActiveRain and her posts to Localism.com. Jennifer is getting leads and closing deals by focusing on her local community, Rhinebeck, New York.Jennifer's blog covers everything in her area including upcoming events, scenic destinations, and local cuisine, with regular market reports and occasional real estate topics as well. From Bard College to a local produce stand to a local Thai restaurant, Jennifer presents the rich cornucopia … (3 comments)

real estate blogging: REBHOF: Teresa Boardman - 08/16/08 06:50 PM
Teresa Boardman - Saint Paul Real Estate BlogTwo things set Teresa Boardman apart from most real estate bloggers.The first and most obvious is the incredible pictures that grace her blog. Teresa produces original, amazing photos of local architecture, nature, and lifestyle that are so compelling they make you want to visit Saint Paul and perhaps even live there.
In fact Teresa's photos are so good that she's becoming known mainly for her photos. That's a shame, because the second thing that sets Teresa apart from most real estate bloggers is that she writes about her city and its neighborhoods as much … (0 comments)

real estate blogging: Industry: Real Estate Blogging Hall of Fame - 08/16/08 06:41 PM
There's a famous scene in "Glengarry, Glen Ross" where Alec Baldwin berates the salesmen of a boiler room operation selling worthless vacation lots. One of the many great lines that sticks out in my head is "Go and do likewise!"
I've written numerous posts about how to write a great real estate blog. The advice in those posts was based on a survey of great real estate blogs I found on the internet.  I've decided to recognize the best consumer oriented real estate blogs individually in the hopes that agents reading this blog will pay those blogs a visit, make the … (1 comments)

real estate blogging: Strategy: See what you missed at Inman Connect? - 07/24/08 01:41 PM
Today, Inman Connect held a workshop on blogging. Highlights can be found by clicking here.For those who couldn't make it or decided to spend $800 (plus hotel and travel) on something else, here are links to six posts on the tech4REpros blog covering many of the same issues.Strategy: Objectives Of Real Estate BloggingStrategy: Choosing Effective Blogging TopicsStrategy: Whatever happened to Real Estate Blogging?Strategy: Is Anyone Reading Your Real Estate Blog?Strategy: Sell Your Neighborhood!Strategy: Choosing Real Estate Blogging TopicsIn brief, blogging is a new publishing model. Real estate blogging is like drip marketing, the goal is to attract and retain clients and … (2 comments)

real estate blogging: Strategy: Recycling And Repackaging Blog Posts - 04/26/08 04:39 PM
Another strategy for consistent blogging is recycling good posts from the past that are still relevant. This week, I taught a workshop on real estate blogging. Since I had directed my students to my blog, I decided to recycle a pair of posts discussing the objectives of real estate blogging and tips for maintaining consistency. These posts reinforced our workshop discussion and also tied in to my recent posts about common real estate blogging mistakes.Brokers and agents can also recycle old posts. Buyer and seller tips are always relevant, but they could easily be missed in the archive. Once you've written … (3 comments)

real estate blogging: Strategy: Are You Still Blogging For Other Agents? - 04/22/08 10:53 AM
There are some things that are worse than copying and pasting jokes from chain letters into your real estate blog. One of them is devoting precious consumer facing blog space to writing for and about your real estate blogging buddies, otherwise known as "the blogosphere", especially when they are fighting.When you see a pie fight forming, don't reach for a pie.Earlier today, a conflagration sprung up when an agent made fun of Redfin and a Redfin agent responded. Naturally most in the industry sided against Redfin. That's all well and good on peer-to-peer blogs, though most of the participants who thought … (12 comments)

real estate blogging: Strategy: Choosing Real Estate Blogging Topics - 01/31/08 09:19 AM
In response to my posts on the objectives of real estate blogging and getting organized to blog consistently, a couple of readers have asked for advice on choosing real estate blogging topics. 
The first step for any author or publisher (bloggers are both) is to identify the intended audience.
Who are you trying to entertain, influence, impress with your real estate blog?
I see four potential audiences for a real estate blog.
Peers are fellow real estate professionals.  Because they are licensed, they are unlikely to become your clients.  Peers from other areas may refer clients to you, but it is hard to build a … (11 comments)

real estate blogging: Strategy: Getting Organized To Blog Consistently - 01/30/08 06:45 AM
Yesterday, I discussed the objectives of real estate blogging. One of the keys to achieving those objectives is consistently blogging at whatever frequency fits your business model. Remember that how often you post determines how often your readers will visit your blog.Start by creating a blogging game plan.
Create a list of 3-5 topics that you plan to discuss in your blog. I started with six topics: Strategy, Software, Tools, Templates, Info, and Industry. Write your topics on a piece of lined paper, leaving several blank lines between each topic. Now brainstorm subjects for each topic. Don't bother editing your ideas now, just write down a … (9 comments)

real estate blogging: Strategy: Objectives Of Real Estate Blogging - 01/29/08 10:06 AM
Why should real estate professionals have a blog? 
Here are five objectives of real estate blogging:
Reduce publishing costsReal estate professionals traditionally market themselves by mailing out newsletters, flyers, and postcards. That type of marketing is limited by the expense of printing and postage, while blogging is limited only by time and ideas.Increase relevance of informationDo you talk about the latest news and events on your website? Probably not, because updating a website is often difficult and time consuming. Posting comments on a blog is easy, so you can quickly respond to breaking news or advise prospects and clients of upcoming events.Increase frequency of communication … (6 comments)

real estate blogging: Software: Solving Blogger.com's Porn Problem - 01/24/08 04:57 AM
A few weeks ago, I received feedback about the Next Blog button at the top of my Blogger.com blog.

One of my visitors had clicked on the Next Blog button to see how different bloggers used the Blogger.com platform to communicate with visitors and was surprised to discover pictures of scantily clad models in suggestive poses. I had clicked the Next Blog button a couple of times when I originally created my blog, but I hadn't seen anything like that.
I clicked the Next Blog button and saw pictures of a toddler. I clicked again and saw pictures of a family pet. I … (17 comments)

real estate blogging: Strategy: Have You Posted A Real Estate Glossary To Your Blog? - 01/19/08 02:25 PM
Earlier today, I posted my tech4REpros Technology Glossary.  It's a glossary of technology terms for my target audience, real estate professionals.  I added a link to my standard post page so that it would always be easy to find.
 
Have you posted a real estate glossary to your blog?  A real estate glossary is a natural part of a real estate blog.  Insert a link to your glossary on your standard post page and link back to your glossary from posts where you use jargon terms.  Because your real estate glossary is in a blog post, it will be easy to update when needed.
One of the … (14 comments)

real estate blogging: Strategy: Think you're too old to blog? - 01/14/08 08:33 AM
Think you're too old to blog? Think again.One of the world's most famous blog writers is a 96-year-old grandmother from Spain named Maria Amelia. Maria started blogging on December 23, 2006. As she explained at the top of her blog, "Today it's my birthday and my grandson, who is very stingy, gave me a blog."
For over a year, Maria has entertained tens of thousands of readers with stories from the past and her views on modern life. Maria loves the internet because it gives her an opportunity to keep up with the news and meet new people.Blogging and social networking … (7 comments)

real estate blogging: ActiveRain: Can We Teach The Spell-Checker How To Spell Blog? - 01/12/08 07:16 PM
How many of you have ever tried the spell-checker here at ActiveRain?
Have you ever noticed that it doesn't know words like blog, blogs, blogged, blogger, and blogging?
Does it not seem odd that a spell-checker which is meant to be used on a blog can't spell blog?
Does it not seem odd that a spell-checker which is meant to be used on ActiveRain can't spell ActiveRain, or am I misspelling ActiveRain?
I don't think we need to create five groups to begin discussing new terms to submit to the spell-checker.
I would think common sense would dictate adding some rather obvious terms to the spell-checker … (9 comments)

real estate blogging: Info: What is Viral Marketing? - 01/10/08 08:20 AM
Viral marketing is when you create a marketing message so entertaining, interesting, or compelling that others voluntarily spread that marketing message for you. In the old days, before computers, we called this "word of mouth advertising", also known as "referrals", and recognized it as a valuable resource for generating business.Are you distributing marketing materials and messages that are so entertaining, interesting, or compelling that your clients and prospects would pass them on, or are you simply sending out stock newsletters and "just sold" cards (aka "brag cards") to remind clients and prospects that you haven't left the business yet?What does it … (5 comments)

real estate blogging: Strategy: Sell Your Neighborhood! - 12/27/07 11:58 AM
Am I using the holidays as an excuse for "fluff" posts? Not at all. What does Lincoln Avenue have to do with technology and marketing for real estate? My post on "The Heart of Willow Glen" was an example of the sort of local content that will draw clients and prospects to your real estate blog. But more than that, it was an example of how an area expert sells their neighborhood, not just their listings.I moved to California thirty years ago. Before that, I lived in New England. I grew up in Portand, Maine, not a large city, but definitely … (4 comments)

real estate blogging: Strategy: Whatever happened to Real Estate Blogging? - 12/05/07 05:11 PM
One need only look up at the right corner of ActiveRain and see 60,488 - 1,007 Online Now to start wondering if real estate blogging was just a fad, a benevolent MLM where the people at the top didn't get rich and the people at the bottom didn't lose their money and friends.
I started blogging several months ago when I was asked to develop and teach a blogging class.  Since then I have gone out of my way to explore ActiveRain and especially outside, customer facing broker and agent blogs.  At the risk of offending, I haven't been impressed.
Set aside the vast … (9 comments)