Do you Blog Dangerously?

When I first started blogging I thought it was no different than what I used to do years ago, which was constantly update my webpage.  The whole thing involved ftp uploads and a wee bit of code, but it was fun and it kept the content fresh. 

Now that I'm a year into this, I see it's a bit different.  For one, there's a lot more people doing it now.  It's a wonderful way to share your voice with the world, to show them how real or not you are and how informative you can be.  I've been blessed with some wonderful feedback.

So what's so dangerous about sharing your opinion?  

Before I jump into the dangerous aspect of blogging, I would like to take a time out for our "left coast" readers.  See, I was fooled much like my liberal friends (hey, I'm just trying to be funny here) into thinking that Freedom of Speech, means Freedom from consequences.  It simply isn't the case.  Your job for instance, is a priviledge, not a right, so therefore anything you say can't be protected by that right, however after you get fired you are certainly welcome to continue stating whatever it was that got you fired... as long as it is factually true.   So in this conversation, I would say that your real estate license, or inspector license or whoever is reading this that is an "independent" contractor license could be easily removed if you say something a bit off.

The thought that most of you have right now if you are anything like me is that you want the whole world to know how great YOU are and how bad some of the situations we as Realtors get into.

The danger does not lie in losing your job, or the ability to do your job.  No, the danger lies in unnecessary lawsuits.  So you might wonder what guidelines you might follow in order to make sure your blog is safe.  

1. Never use actual names of companies, unless it's documented as fact or positive
2. Never write anything negative, unless it is documented as fact, even if it is true
3. Practice WWYBD, Like What Would Jesus Do, except now we're talking about Your Broker.  Would they get excited that you wrote something "edgy?"
4. When referencing particular events or deals, make sure your disclosing PUBLIC records, and not personal information without something signed! by the parties
5. When in doubt, don't post it, it isn't worth it.
   

Some of you might be wondering where this all came from.  Well, I am proud of the fact that I built my business on being brutally honest with my clients and that should come through in my writings.  This past year, three instances made me reconsider blogging.  

1. I had an instance where a client's earnest money was being delayed in being returned by a large builder.  I wrote a blog about it, got the earnest money back and my client felt like a king, but I also got threatened in some pretty devious ways.
   
2. I wrote something about the quality of workmanship in a particular neighborhood.  Later, I had the opportunity to meet with the CEO of the company (which could mean thousands of listings... yes, thousands).  Due to the blog, I couldn't tell him to Google me, which is one of my favorite things to tell prospective clients.
   
3. I blogged about a closed deal and my client didn't feel that the deal happened the way I blogged about.  Think, "Just Sold, Full Price" and the client thinks, "Gave the home away with all my furnishings."

So at the end of the day, it's not worth it to lose my livelihood for a good read.  To recap:

Document or get people to sign before you blog, and don't blog negative!