Are You A Realtor® Who Blogs Or A Blogger Who Sells Real Estate On The Side?

Are you a Realtor® who blogs on the side?  Or have you turned into a blogger who manages to sell a house or two between writing posts?

When Bob Stewart asked this question, it turned into the underlying theme of yestreday's Rain Camp.  And I had to boink myself on the head and think about for a moment.

There's no doubt about it.  I spend a lot more time selling real estate than I do blogging, at least on most days.  But I did have to ask, is my blogger persona is starting to impinge on my Realtor® self?  And the answer, "No," did not just fall out of my brain!  I mean, I do go to Active Rain to read comments before I sign onto MRIS to check out new listings!

I've been to many seminars and conferences about real estate technology, including three Inman Real Estate Connects and a bunch of REBar Camps.  While I've learned great stuff all these places, I have to say that Rain Camp was the first of these to focus closely on how to create a better blogger persona - and use it to make us better and more productive Realtors. 

One of the major presenters was Ben Kinney, a top agent in Washington State with a firm grip on the technology that helps him sell a couple of hundred houses each year.  Ben totally gets how to use all types of social media to drive prospects to his web site.   Then he totally gets how to use all kinds of clever little apps to turn these clicks from an email address to a real person, and how to turn himself from the proprietor of a great web site into a human being - one who people will decide is the best choice as the agent to represent them in their next move.

If there is a Rain Camp coming to a city near you, you're lucky!  It's a very different experience that REBar Camp.  Not that REBar isn't terrific.  I just really, really liked Rain Camp.

• There was a single presentation in a single place throughout the day.  You didn't have competing presentations, so you didn't have to choose among which sessions you get to miss!  
  
• The presenters at REBar Camp are not screened, and I've found the quality of the presentations to be really hit or miss.  The Rain Camp was a full day of very useful, well presented information.  It was very high quality stuff.
• My favorite RainGods were all there, Bob Stewart, Jon Washburn and Brad Andersohn.  And hanging out with these guys is totally fun!
• There were tons of blog buddies who I got to meet in person - also great fun.
• I came away from Rain Camp knowing a lot more than I did when I walked in the door in the morning.  I even now get the basics of the SEO stuff, which has always made my eyes glaze over.
  
• The after party was really, really fun!
• It's cheap - at least it can be.  For starving agents, you can sign up for a totally minimal amount of money - it's up to you.

When I checked the list, I saw that there is a Rain Camp scheduled for Washington, DC in May.  I immediately issued invitations to blog buddies to check out my pull-out couch or bring sleeping bags - of course, if there are pet allergies, all bets are off.  The Willie the Labradoodle is hypo-allergenic.  The cats are not.

But seriously, it was worth a trip from Washington to New York. 

It was worth a whole lot more than that!

Thanks again to Jon and Bob and Brad!