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Marketing with Blogging - Jump on Board!

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with The Tech Byte

cartoon from www.weblogcartoons.com

(Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.)

For quite some time I've operated under the premise of "Don't Reinvent the Wheel". But what if the wheel is a little bit rusty with age? Maybe it needs some WD-40 style of tweaking.

 

Marketing has come a long way in almost every industry, especially Real Estate.

 

Many of my cohorts Associates at the office claim, "Blogging? It's a phase."  It's not a phase! It is a fast growing tool that you need for Marketing as well as growth if you aren't going to be left in the dust.

 

Remember the internet when it was just getting the popularity vote?  There were quite a few people that fought it. "Oh, I don't need to learn new tricks."  Guess what? Those people have come to realize they were fighting the inevitable. It's not too late, for sure, but the advances have come so fast, that it'll be a little harder to learn.

 

Blogging is a necessary way of Marketing in today's world.  Not only to remain in your own industry and learn from others, but also for Selling Houses. If a Real Estate Agent is not blogging at any level, they will be left in the dust. Homes will sit longer because the previous style of marketing is not working anymore.

 

If a client was going to sell a house or buy a new house in Pennsylvania just five years ago, a client would expect to find their home listed in the Print Magazine that is given for free at the local stores.  Or eeeeegads... the newspaper classified section! 

 

NAR's most recent survey concludes that approximately 80% of buyers looking to purchase a house use the internet. (In my business, the number is 100%. Some more than others; but all venture and use the internet in some way to look for a home).

 

There are many agents out there that have not come to grasp with the times..... All Aboard! Jump on! ....  You need to change the way you are marketing a home for sale to your consumer.  You need to change the way you market yourself as a Buyer's agent if you want to reach most of today's consumers.

 

Begin blogging - or blog more. Increase your internet presence. It's imperative in today's world!

 

Just do it.

 

Inspired by reading Seth Godin's "A Meatball Sundae" on my way to Inman Connect in San Francisco.

Susan Mangigian
RE/MAX Preferred - West Chester, PA
Chester & Delaware County Homes, Delaware and Ches

Love, love, love the new picture Miss Kim!!  Great post.  See you in September when the kiddies are back in school.... we are so doing lunch.

Jul 28, 2008 02:47 PM
Paul Jones
Kansas City Regional Homes - Olathe, KS
PIC Properties - Kansas & Missouri

I am a rookie at blogging and I am just hoping that I haven't missed the bus!  This is not my first blog site I signed up for.  I find that it is very informative and I have learned many things about the real estate business over the weekend reading blogs. 

Jul 28, 2008 02:58 PM
Jeff Thornton
Jeff Thornton ABR CRB CRS CSP e-Pro GRI - Lansing, MI
ABR CRB CRS CSP e-Pro GRI

Kim I was reluctant to start because I don't enjoy writing and I didn't think I had the time.  I finally started and now I am hooked

Jul 28, 2008 03:00 PM
Kim Wood
The Tech Byte - West Chester, PA
Kim Wood ~ The Tech Byte

Rich
Bob's hat works on people other than Bob, ya know!

Matt
I think I finally figured it out!

Jim
Consistency is the key to so many things in life. Blogging is no exception!

Matt
If it wasn't fun, I wouldn't have kept it up this long. It is time consuming - but I agree, the ROI is worth it! That's what really matters.

Bob & Carolin
I like his stuff. You can use it - you just have to link it.

Christopher & Stephanie
I'm so glad!!! Yay!!!!!  I'm glad you jumped on board - I'll go read your posts/blog.
::Gentle Teacher Voice:: It's not nice to link to sites in a comment. Please only take that as helping guide you along!!!!

Laura
People do deny it! But as Linda Davis said at Inman.. if your business is crap, a blog won't help. (paraphrased)

Courtney
Yay! Glad you are - wait till you start getting clients - then it really rocks!

TLW
What a great testimony to the blogging way! Seth's book helps to put the old school in its place. You might not like it ;)
Miss you on Twitter, BTW :)

Jul 28, 2008 03:03 PM
Kim Wood
The Tech Byte - West Chester, PA
Kim Wood ~ The Tech Byte

Kate
Yes! After you begin blogging you become to realize you CAN do it and you LIKE it! For most people, anyway :)

Diane
Hats make me happy. haha. True, preaching to the choir, but I'm sure there are plenty of lurkers out there, not sure about taking the first step :)

Sandy
Yay! It is here to stay - glad you are on my team.

Property Connections
What? People still believe that? No thanks! They prolly aren't using an MLS - the old book system?

Elizabeth
Yay the blog has brought business! That's the ticket! Thanks for Congrats! You did a great job as well with lots of "other" exciting things in your lives too! Not easy!

Mike
LOLOLOLLLL  Funnier cause I can picture you..... you goof! Of course if you would have caught us, you probably would have filmed it!

Lola
It isn't going away, and some people will still be jumping on for a while !  Hope they jump soon so they can enjoy more of the rewards!

Brenda
The girl on the side of my page is from meez.com you can make one for free! Fun to play with it too :)
PS I like the hat better on me too :) heehee But Mike is funny, I have to say.

Anne
Good job for the persistence!

Gary
Ok Bob wears it well too :) But what about the smile?
I'm spending most time , therefore money on blogging, internet marketing. Definitely paying off!!!

Vickie
We all remember the first time we hit submit.... ahhhh... refresh, refresh, refresh....   Find Bob Stewart at the next conference, he's sweet and will probably let you borrow if you ask real nice.

Ant
I've asked/invited many local agents to join ActiveRain. NONE have taken me up on it yet (ok, my MOM team member did).
Yeah, no more newsprint for me!
mwa!

Stephen
There are also many new people that read our posts. Lurkers that haven't been able to quite get it yet.... hopefully they'll see it as some value : )

Kimberly
Same-name-Kimberly!  ha. Guess that's true!  Go hat :)

 

Jul 28, 2008 03:05 PM
Kim Wood
The Tech Byte - West Chester, PA
Kim Wood ~ The Tech Byte

Ant
Yeppers. Surprised that Heather and I sported the same hat? And Ginger Wilcox.... where ya been on twitter, Dear?

Scott
Glad you are using blogging now. Its just always important to evaluate where people/target market are listening to - and go with it!

Lane
Nice to meet you :)  That's right - Just do it!

Jackie
It was said at Inman, "Read at least four times more than you write" So read all the time!

Russ
Yay! One of these days maybe she'll say it in regards to blogging, eh?

Emily
Yay!

Susan
No ifs ands or buts about it!

Paul
You haven't missed the bus unless you are getting ready to retire and you don't have some time to devote to begin. Jump on board !!! Blogging will be here for quite a while, even as video gets added to it.  ActiveRain is a PERFECT place to learn - I mean it!!! I'm going to check when I'm done replying to see if you've written a post yet - if you haven't , really.... Just do it!

Jeff
I'm still not so sure I'm a "writer". I used to struggle so much with it. I have two friends that are journalists and they also struggle!! It flows much easier now as I took the first year not to get to fancy - just to WRITE!  Just do it, Jeff! See what happens... it'll be worth it :)

Jul 28, 2008 03:09 PM
Nick Bastian
Realty Executives - Tempe, AZ
Real Estate Agent - Tempe

Well said, my friend... I am so glad to have met such a famous person in San Fran last week!

You know, the hat looks way better on the 3 b's than it ever did on Bob! :-)

Jul 28, 2008 03:10 PM
Brenda Tressler
Crye-Leike Realtors - Clarksville, TN

Kim: Thanks for the tip... I will give it a try. Mike's hat did make me smile! Have a great evening!

Jul 28, 2008 03:18 PM
John Novak
Keller Williams Realty The Marketplace - Las Vegas, NV
Henderson, Las Vegas and Summerlin Real Estate

As much as we've shown over and over that blogging gets results, less than 5% of all real estate agents are here in the Rain ... hmmmmm. Wonder if the next NAR Survey of Buyers and Sellers will have questions specifically about blogging?

Jul 28, 2008 03:39 PM
Dawn Maloney
RE/MAX Trinity Northeast Ohio Real Estate Specialist - Hudson, OH
330-990-4236 Hudson & Northeastern Ohio

Good hat! I love it!

I have invited lots of agents, but many are so overwhelmed by the market, they don't want to try anything new. It's too bad - since they would love the camaraderie, the tips, and the uplifting ways of the AR community. On the other hand, it gives me a chance to zoom ahead of the pack by the time they realize it's good. Oops, my competitive side is showing again...that happens way too often!

Jul 28, 2008 04:18 PM
Ginger Wilcox
Sindeo - San Francisco, CA

I was told yesterday "you are the only agent I know in this area who is blogging."  Shhh.. keep quiet, I sure know a lot of people are reading!

Jul 28, 2008 04:53 PM
Paul Jones
Kansas City Regional Homes - Olathe, KS
PIC Properties - Kansas & Missouri

Kim,

Thanks for your encouragement.  I promise I will post something soon.  I don't know if I can measure up with the knowledge and writing skills I see on this site.  I agree with Dawn above that this is a great way to learn and network with other agents.  Many times the agents in the office are not really willing to give to much away.  I have found on some sites that Realtors in other states are more willing to help you as they don't see you as their competition but rather an ally for referrals.

Jul 28, 2008 04:55 PM
Christine Donovan
Donovan Blatt Realty - Costa Mesa, CA
Broker/Attorney 714-319-9751 DRE01267479 - Costa M

The numbers just keep increasing year over year for the number of people searching or learning about real estate on the internet.

Jul 28, 2008 05:06 PM
Paul S. Henderson, REALTORĀ®, CRS
Fathom Realty Washington LLC - Tacoma, WA
South Puget Sound Washington Agent/Broker!

Face it blogging just makes sense in today's market place...

Jul 28, 2008 05:22 PM
Ana Connell
G & C Properties - Burbank, CA
Burbank Real Estate Agent

Love your post, very true I think this is the wave of the future.

Jul 28, 2008 05:42 PM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Blogging at AR works. I get so many contacts this way. Not all of them turn into work but it is fun to talk to people from all over the country.

Jul 28, 2008 06:38 PM
JB Brookman
JB Brookman Photography - Franklin, TN
High School Senior Portrait Photographer

I'm inspired by your post and I need to get started with my blog.  Thank you for the push!

 

JB Brookman

Castle Homes and Estates

Ladera Heights, CA

Jul 28, 2008 08:15 PM
Kathy Anderson
Arizona Luxury & Lifestyle Living - Cave Creek, AZ
Arizona Homes For Sale

I think there are going to be a lot of agents down the road, who had a fairly good business going and think "this blogging is just a fad", who slowly start to realize their business is dropping off.  The numbers just aren't what they used to be.  By then those of us that see the value will be light years ahead of the rest of the pack.

Jul 29, 2008 02:41 AM
Pippa Mac
Chevaux Group Realtor, The Woodlands and Spring - The Woodlands, TX
The Woodlands TX Real Estate

I love blogging ... it is a part of my job but I really enjoy and have increased my business.

Jul 29, 2008 08:12 AM
Jeff Thornton
Jeff Thornton ABR CRB CRS CSP e-Pro GRI - Lansing, MI
ABR CRB CRS CSP e-Pro GRI

Kim as I blog more and more I get a little more comfortable with writing posts.  Sometimes you wonder what you can post that will help other people

Jul 29, 2008 02:12 PM