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Are WE the next Real Estate SuperStars???

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Kate Writes Right

If only 3-6% of the current agents have the ability to maximize the use of a blog, will we be the next group of agents positioned to be highly paid professionals?

I wish I would have bookmarked the post of a video recorded at the Inman Conference earlier this month.  Thanks to the post of one of my fellow Rainers, I listened to a panel of experts discuss the future of social media and Web2.0 as it relates to real estate.  Obviously, there was much excitement about the power of this type of media both in building a community presence as a local authority and Google search placement.

Because I cannot find the video to get the number recalled precisely, I will tell you what I recall.  It may be inaccurate, so please give me some grace.  If you know about this video and the author, please comment so I can give credit to them in this post.

A real estate company manager was asked the percentage of agents in his franchise that will be able to maximize this type of approach to marketing and building a book of business.  His response was a percentage under 10% - I believe it was something like 3-6% of agents that he believed had the skill in writing, the discipline to follow-up, and the expertise to give good advice to buyers and sellers.

That statistic has rolled around in my head for about a week now and it has raised the question in my mind:  If social media is the wave of the future...if such a small percentage of agents have the tools to access that wave...if we (as Active Rainers) are at the forefront of the wave and gathering experience...can we be the next sought after, highly skilled and highly compensated real estate professionals? 

As our franchised real estate companies become more corporate focused, will we have the power to be paid very well for our abilities - on a generous salary? 

Or would it be more likely that our skill will give us the ability to break away from the corporate trend and thrive as independant agents with no need for a franchised company?  Will we have staffs of admininstrative help to process all the buyers and sellers of real estate that come from the enormous success we have created in this new meida?

What do you see in the next five years that will allow those who have developed the skill on Active Rain (and other blog sites) to monetize those skills?

Consult your crystal ball and let me know what you think.

Heather the Realtor Orlando, Lake Mary
LemonTree Realty - Orlando, FL
First Time Home Buyers, Bank Owned Homes
Wow I cant believe the percentage is that low. I will have to do a search for that video over the past week I have been to a few seminars and you would think everyone was blogging.
Jan 30, 2008 12:07 PM
John Walters
Frank Rubi Real Estate - Slidell, LA
Licensed in Louisiana
I have heard that over eighty percent of buyers use the Internet first.
Jan 30, 2008 12:07 PM
Kathi Frank
Kate Writes Right - Houston Heights, TX
The Woodlands TX

Heather - I assure you that not everyone is blogging.  In fact, if I were to do an informal survey in my office, I am confident that fewer than 10% have ever posted on a blog.

Jan 30, 2008 12:10 PM
Kathi Frank
Kate Writes Right - Houston Heights, TX
The Woodlands TX
John - I think most agents are aware of the fact that buyers are flocking to the internet.  They just have no real idea of how to capitalize on that fact.
Jan 30, 2008 12:11 PM
Martin Dorgan
Prudential Indiana Realty - Columbus, IN

Lets see Now! Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?  My crystal ball is still a little vague...Maybe I should look in my magic mirror on the wall, and say "Mirror Mirror on the wall, Who will profit most from their blog, if at all?" I tossed the dice they came up rolling "7", There were 6 tea leaves in the bottom of the cup, so I went to NAR to check out some statistics, that helped somewhat.(You can check out the NAR stats for internet related subjects, I don't wish to missquote!)

Then I thought to myslf, do a little local research, so I flipped from page to page of my three local Homes Magazines. To my amazement the average from all three was extraordinary. I looked specifically for "Agents" that have their own websites, not agents that have a web page through their brokerage. The average was a mere 14.  So my conclusion is, that if you take that kind of website participation, and you check out Active Rain participation, the average drops! Probably comes out around 3 - 5% maximum. 

Do yourselves a favor, check out your particular state, your county, your city, and then you decide, it looks like pretty slim representation of bloggers. So if agents are not embracing technology/internet for one, they don't have a website for two, those that don't participate in a blog for three, then it seems very clear. We are on the forefront of the next generation of agents in a "Brave New World"

Jan 30, 2008 12:28 PM
Kathi Frank
Kate Writes Right - Houston Heights, TX
The Woodlands TX
Martin - I like your analytical approach to the numbers.  I think your assessment is "right on". 
Jan 30, 2008 01:03 PM
Kathi Frank
Kate Writes Right - Houston Heights, TX
The Woodlands TX
William - A corporate salary does not necessarily mean a cap.  After all, look at the marketing managers for corporations.  Their incentives for production can be twice as large as their guaranteed salary.  It is really how much a company is willing to pay for the expertise (and the control of the marketplace).
Jan 30, 2008 01:06 PM
Kathy McGraw
CELLing Realty - White Water, CA
Riverside County CA Real Estate
Kathi- My crystal ball is broken, so I will just guess....I would say that the people that use technology to their advantage will always be ahead of the game.....:)
Jan 30, 2008 01:09 PM
Kathi Frank
Kate Writes Right - Houston Heights, TX
The Woodlands TX
Kathy - There is no doubt that you are right.  My global nature simply wants to create a vision for where we are headed.  Thanks for your comment.
Jan 30, 2008 01:20 PM
Gary Woltal
Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX
Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth
Kathi, I would venture to say the even the word 'blog' to some agents is a mystery word.
Jan 30, 2008 02:29 PM
Kathi Frank
Kate Writes Right - Houston Heights, TX
The Woodlands TX
Gary - Sometimes it feels that we are on the "magical mystery blog" - but atleast we are aware of the existence and can recover from the dream.
Jan 30, 2008 11:49 PM
1~Judi Barrett
Integrity Real Estate Services 116 SE AVE N, Idabel, OK 74745 - Idabel, OK
BS Ed, Integrity Real Estate Services -IDABEL OK
If 70-80% of homeshoppers nse the internet to research homes & agents AND we are the ones present on the internet, that, I would say, should take care of that. Good Post!
Feb 01, 2008 12:09 PM
Kathi Frank
Kate Writes Right - Houston Heights, TX
The Woodlands TX
Judi - It's exciting to be part of the new wave of technology.  It's not easy all the time, but we do what we need to do to reach our client needs.
Feb 02, 2008 05:41 AM