active rain: Catching a Cup of Coffee with Cindy
- 11/16/08 04:08 AM
Sometimes you just have to step out of the Social Media web world and interact with your Active Rain friends in the real world. Like today, I had a morning appointment to show some townhouses in Belmont Bay in Woodbridge, Virginia. Knowing that my friend and fellow RE/MAX agent and Active Rainer Cindy Jones lives and works in Belmont Bay, I gave her a quck call to see if she was available for a cup of coffee after my appointment. Cindy said she'd be holding an open house all afternoon at the condos she represents there and I should stop by … (21 comments)
active rain: Reblogging etiquette -- A Reblog
- 08/11/08 01:16 PM
This is a Reblog from Tumblr. If you don't know what Tumblr is, go read Jonathan Washburn's post Get ready for the ActiveRain reBlog revolution... and watch the questionably hilarious video (I think it's hilarious and so does Jonathan, but it's questionable whether you will find it so). Anyway's this Reblog is on Reblogging etiquette. Certainly food for thought. Opinions? Anyone? Oh and by the way, I'm just getting started on Tumblr. Feel free to follow me at 10.5 Miles from the White House REBLOG (and of course you should free to Reblog this to your heart's content): bryanmckay: getupgetout: If … (34 comments)
active rain: Google Keyword: Delicious
- 07/19/08 10:12 AM
Just the other day, a package arrived in the mail from Danville, California. The company line in the return address was plain and simple: GOOGLE What was this behemoth of the internet sending me in a package? I certainly hadn't ordered anything. Maybe it was some Google Juice? Pretty close, actually. First there was a letter. "Dear Brian A Block, Since you began advertising with Google Adwords six years ago, you've played a key role in our success and we hope we have in yours. As a sign of our appreciation, we'd like you to have a few … (22 comments)
Don't worry. Nobody is going to get hurt. The system will continue to work just fine. Your blogging and commenting will carry on as usual. Active Rain management itself anticipated the coming explosion and has prepared by digging in their heels with the server upgrade over the past weekend.
What in the heck is Brian talking about?
Pamela Geurds Kabati writes on page 6 of the latest REALTOR Magazine that according to NAR's 2008 Member Profile: "8 … (69 comments)
As REALTORS, we belong to the National Association of REALTORS, our State Associations, and our Local Associations. Some people even list these memberships on their websites and their business cards (as if there was room). Membership takes little more than paying yearly dues and subscribing to the REALTOR Code of Ethics. In most cases, REALTORS join the association for access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and because it is a requirement of their broker.
We receive the monthly magazine which may or may not have articles useful to … (34 comments)
active rain: Free Drinks: You are Invited to the Brian Block Blog Brawl Tailgate Party
- 03/03/08 01:51 PM
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You like me... you really really like me. For those of you who don't know, the Virginia Association of REALTORS has just kicked off its first annual Real Estate Blog Brawl. This March Madness college basketball style tournament pits real estate blogs from Virginia and across the country in a no-holds barred competition for the title of Blog Brawl Champion.
Just 4 days ago, I put out a call asking for your help to nominate my blog, Virginia Real Estate News (http://blog.brianblock.com), for the competition. You've obviously responded in droves. The tournament is divided … (40 comments)
active rain: Who Else Did I Meet at Inman Real Estate Connect? Some of the Vendors
- 01/17/08 10:57 AM
Attending Inman's Real Estate Connect conference in New York City last week was a fantastic experience. In my previous posts Stay Tuned for More from NYC, Inman Connect -- Day 2, and My Roommate Tom Plant, you had a chance to see the lighter side of the conference.
Meeting and hanging out with your friends from Active Rain is certainly one of the top reasons to attend this event. Oh yeah, and you get to meet and party with the Active Rain triumvirate of Matt Heaton, Jon Washburn (and his lovely wife Sara), and Bob Stewart, and Jerry Van Gelder, the … (45 comments)
active rain: Active Rain's a Master Class -- Who Are Your Instructors?
- 12/02/07 07:12 AM
Have you ever been to a Master Class? During my Thanksgiving trip to Florida, I had the wonderful opportunity to sit in the audience during a Master Class given at Lynn University Conservatory of Music by world-renowed cellist Orlando Cole. Watching this amazing 100 year old virtuoso instruct seven students 1/5 his age on the finer points of their beautiful cello performances was mesmerizing and awe-inspiring. At his advanced age, Mr. Cole truly remains a master of his art with a fine attention to detail and discerning ear for musical prowess.
Wikipedia defines a master class as a class given to students … (38 comments)
active rain: Books Overflowing from My Shelves -- A Book MeMe
- 12/02/07 02:07 AM
While I'm not a Feng Shui expert, I'm more than well aware that my bookshelves need some help. You see, the problem is that I buy books faster than I can read them. And I'm an avid reader. These days with blogging, business, and broker classes taking up the lion's share of my time, I've had less time for cracking open a favorite book and relaxing on the couch or my favorite massage chair.
So, when my friend Tom Plant tagged me for a Book MeMe, I had to give it some thought. I've been known to discuss books before in my … (25 comments)
This behemoth 3,263 page directory lists all the agents throughout the country and around the world who have obtained the coveted Certified Residential Specialist designation.
Out of curiosity, I put this thing on a scale. It weighs in at a hefty 8 pounds! By comparison, my Verizon Yellow Pages for Northern Virginia which lists many Realtors, but also plumbers, pizza delivery shops, cobblers, and beauticians, weighs in at a comparably lighter load of 5.0 … (180 comments)
active rain: Please Check Your Ego at the Door
- 10/28/07 07:57 AM
Some people call it image advertising -- those giant highway billboards with 2 story photos of your neighborhood Realtor. Or those bus-stop benches where commuters plop themselves down on another Realtor's smiling face!
You may call it image advertising, crazy, or whatever else you like, but what it really amounts to is EGO.
Bottom line: there are much more effective and affordable ways to market your real estate services than plastering your image all over your town.
When it comes to ego, Realtors are notorious. Have you ever seen a lawyer, accountant, or banker hand out a business card that says "Top 1% nationwide"? … (117 comments)
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse applies this expression literally as they serve their filet mignons with melted butter on a sizzling hot metal tray. You hear the sizzle while the waiter walks over to your table and you almost salivate waiting to take the first bite. Go there tonight -- you'll thank me. Boy, I'm making myself hungry.
Certainly you've heard this expression before, especially if you've ever taken any marketing courses. Have you truly applied this principle in your marketing advertisements and your listing descriptions?
If you've ever flipped through the grocery store home magazines (and certainly you do), … (72 comments)
active rain: Meeting Some of the Lovely Ladies of Blogging
- 09/27/07 02:57 PM
Today, we had a mini-Bloggers Connect of sorts. After 3 months on Active Rain, I had the opportunity to meet face-to-face with some wonderful Realtors who were complete strangers to me prior to July 2007, but were already good friends before we ever met in person. Once you leave the designation of newbie behind, pass through the tween stage of blogging, and become an oldie (and believe me this can happen faster than you think), you start to notice the same people commenting on your blogs and then you find yourself commenting on their blogs. Before you know it you establish connections, … (43 comments)
active rain: Where Were You on September 11th? (or how September 11th launched my real estate career) - Part 1 of 2
- 09/10/07 10:57 AM
Part 1 – September 11, 2001 – The story of my day and a tribute Part 2 – (How September 11th launched my real estate career) Where were you on September 11th? Were you at home? Were you at work? Were you near your loved ones? Did you have people close to you who died on that dreadful day? Tomorrow, as you know, we commemorate as a nation, the six year anniversary of September 11, 2001. Where were you on 9/11? I want to share with Active Rain, my personal story of September 11, 2001.
At the time, I was … (37 comments)
active rain: Where Your Blog Visitors Come From & Why it's Important to Know
- 08/24/07 03:45 AM
Do you know where your blog visitors live? I don't mean their street addresses. When you blog, your writing and posts are launched out into the internet for all to see. While you might be writing mostly for your local audience who comprise most of your potential homebuyers and sellers, you may have people visiting your blog from all across the nation. Why is this important? One word: Relocation I've been blogging since March on an outside blog and here on Active Rain for about 2 months. My outside blog has a neat statistic tracker called Visistat which provides all sorts of interesting statistical … (22 comments)
active rain: The Incredible Bionic Blog!
- 07/24/07 12:23 PM
I'm sure many of you remember the Bionic Man, Steve Austin, otherwise known as "The Six Million Dollar Man" (played be Lee Majors) Probably the most famous line from that 70's t.v. series was: "We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world’s first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better…stronger…faster." Well folks, this applies to real estate and most certainly to BLOGGING! WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY! I've only been blogging for a short while and an even shorter time here on Active Rain, but have already been seeing the results of the Incredible Bionic Blog. While … (14 comments)
Sometimes you just have to step out of the Social Media web world and interact with your Active Rain friends in the real world.
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