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Why Do YOU blog?

The other day I was asked, "Why don't I post my homes for sale on my blog?" This was a good question. I have to admit, I was sort of stumped. I thought about it a lot this weekend, and I know I have read some articles on why NOT to post homes for sale on a real estate blog, I just had to do some searching. I know WHY I don't post the homes that I am selling on my blog, for my own personal reasons number one. But also because I like having a forum, or I should say trying to build a forum for sellers and buyers to read. Do I want it to generate sales and listings for me? Sure I do, I just don't think that I am ready to take it in that direction yet, and maybe I don't know how to take it in that direction. I feel that I will not be able to create a happy medium. I think that if people want to see homes for sale, they will see them on my website and my brokers website, I know I wont LOSE business because I don't have homes for sale on my blog, but the question still remains, will I gain clients by blogging the way I am, the way a lot of real estate agents are doing? My immediate answer to this would be YES! I think that as I gain exposure or any blogger gains exposure gaining clients is enevitable. I think that buyers/sellers can read about how I feel on different situations and either like the way I see things or not. They can get a sense of who I am and what I am made up of. I know that since I have been blogging I have gotten a sense of who are the "good guys" and who are the "bad guys". I know what blogs I read each day, (listed on the left - Top Blog Sites) and I have to say they are not any blogs that have homes for sale on them. I like the blogs that have some meat to them, that have debates, that have the authors passions showing through. I love the blogs that refer me to great new sites and great articles. I like that I learn new things from the blogs.

This brings me to the the reason of why I blog, This is the era of Shared Information. I would not be blogging if I just posted my homes for sale on my blog, that would be a website, that would be my information with nothing to share to anyone. Thanks to Larry Cragun from Real Estate Undressed, I am reading "The Long Tail" and I now understand that there is too much competition out there to remain the same. You have to change with the times and try to forsee the future. I do know that there are bloggers out there that do generate clients from blogging, I have only been doing this for a few short months, so I do think that "If you write it, they will come". But for now I enjoy blogging, and I enjoy real estate, this is not just a "glorified chat room".

Posted by Christine Forgione - Associate Broker on 09/08/2006 10:17 AM

Comments (14)

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14 Comments on Why Do YOU blog?

SEP

2006

Christine, I agree that blogs are not the place to be advertising your listings, though it doesn't hurt to include a link to where the public can search for listings, or even see your own listings. The best and most successful real estate bloggers don't advertise their listings on their blogs, though they do sometimes alert readers of upcoming new home (or condo) developments, which is fine (it's part of informing your readers as a real estate professional).

I don't believe that the blog is to sell your listings. This is a forum to get ideas and share ideas

It's great to blog and share information with like minded professionals. This community has been an awesome forum for us all to share!

Great ponters, Christine.....

You look like a classy professional agent...I am adding you as an associate I would give referrals to......

SEP

2006

A blog about blogging. Perhaps I should write a blog about writing about blogs. Then someone else could write a blog about blogging about blogs that write about blogs that blog. And then, someone else could come along and write a blog that talks about blogging about blogs that blog about blogging about blogs that blog.

NOV

2006

I'm not sure I understand the concern about adding listings to your blog. My job is to sell the listings. Fact is, I posted a listing in the area specifically set aside for listings and got an e-mail the next day.

I also have my current listings set aside on my regular blog as well. Why? Because the blog may be the only contact I have with some in the general public. I don't mind them learning that I talk a good game but I also want them to see that I have game, that I'm not just theorizing about real estate but actively practicing.

Woohoo Jonathan - I actually wrote this post back in September. I did sort of change my mind - I am not against posting your listings on your blog - but I am against making your blog of just all your listings.

I set up another blog that is linked to my blog just for my listings. It seems to work better for me - so this would go with your theory that I talk a good game and I am not theorizing - but actively practicing.

NOV

2006

We have Web sites and then we have blogs and then we have Active Rain and then MySpace and then Article Gems and then Ezine and then all these other sites.

My question is how do we drive the traffic? I recently purchased the highest google search term for my town and my blog is set-up on that site. However, my "real Web site" is at another URL. I've been struggling to marry the two sites in a way that visitors will cross them and not even realize they have moved.

I know it is a bit off-topic, but it is a similar question as you brought up about directing them to listings.

Sorry, I'm talking to myself again ... and typing at the same time :-)

Hmm Toby - I am not sure if I am the one to actually answer this question. Mary McKnight seems to have a better grip on multiple sites.

But - On my site (My blog) I have my postings, articles and so forth. Consumers are putting in search items such as - Forclosures in NY, What do do if I am late on a payment, how do I apply for a loan - its not just local So, My main blog obtains more hits from those searches than my local blog for my listings. I would rather go national for the articles and stay local for my listings. BUT, what I have found is that alot of people moved out of NY and are in another state - so going national is a good thing because they might still have a home here to sell and if they are typing in such terms then I will come up. So I have my website (Least amount of hits) my Listings blogs where I post new listings, commercial, and even rentals (gets 1/2 of my main blog) and I have my main blog - It is piciking up alot of speed. By using typepad - i can have a blog MAIN and a blog secondary - like my main is my default. and that is the one that I put out "there" the most!. I am sure that this is not answering your question. Email me - maybe I can do better there..

Christine - Thanks for the input. I think that's part of what I was looking at.

For example, today my blog had 50 hits and my Web site a whopping - 2.

DEC

2006

Christine,

good post as usual... I blog to share, learn and ask questions... I get some really good answers that make me think and then I get more questions... vicious cycle, but I'm hooked.