When the folks who are helping us with our Internet presence told me I needed to start blogging, it wasn't good news.
"Do I absolutely have to do that?", I asked.
"No, but if you don't, you're probably going to be wasting the money you're spending on us.", they said.
"Oh, okay, if I really, really, have to." I was definitely not excited about this.
They suggested a half-dozen different ways I could start, and I came to AR first because the weird name made me curious. It looked like an interesting place, and there was that $1/month start-up offer, so I signed up, and started exploring.
I've been here a little over two months and I found a lot of stuff I wasn't expecting:
Great ideas - In the last two months, I've gotten several really great ideas from AR members' posts - things that will make us better Realtors to our clients, things that will make life easier, things that will help us achieve our goals. I've also picked up a lot of merely good ideas, and been warned off some very bad ones, as well.
Perspective - We share a lot with people in our office - but we've been doing that a for long time, and by now, we have a pretty good idea of what we all think and how we all react. There are a lot of Realtors here on AR, from all over the country, as well as lenders, inspectors, investors, title people, attorneys and myriad others. They all do things a little different than we do, and it is both useful and refreshing to see what's going on elsewhere. It helps us think about what we're doing and makes us more creative.
Renewal - I don't need a lot of motivation - the wolves howling just outside the door provide plenty of that. But there is so much positive attitude on display here that I can't help getting just a little bit infected by it. I know my enthusiasm and energy levels for the business part of my life are in better shape because of my time here, and I'm grateful for that. In this business climate, we can all use a timely boost.
Friends - I wasn't really expecting to make these kind of connections, but they're easily made here. I found many people I like a lot, and yes, it's their on-line persona, but if you're sharp, witty, kind, brilliant, interesting and/or engaging here, you're probably going to be like that in the "real" world too, and I'm looking forward to meeting you in person someday.
AR University - I done a couple of webinars and they were excellent. I learned not only how to do some things the right way, but why I needed to as well. I'm looking forward to completing the curriculum.
Competition - I like games, and I love the point system. At the SEO webinar, Bob Stewart explained why AR has a point system and how they benefit from it, and it makes a lot of sense. But it's also fun, and I'm a competitive guy. I wonder if those folks above me on the ladder can feel my hot breath on their necks. They better get a move on, because I'm coming for them.
Blogging - This was the big surprise. I didn't think I was going to like the actual blogging part, but I was wrong. I've done 42 posts so far, about the most bizarre array of subjects you can imagine - a lot of them are even about real estate. I'm still finding my voice - or, scary thought, I already have and it's a bizarre one. And it's cool to get comments, but even cooler to just write.
So last week, when my trial offer period expired, I signed up for the long haul. I'll be here for a while, and I intend to have a good time.
And as for that SEO stuff, that's working out pretty good too.
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