It’s all over the RE.net. Inman News has named the 25 most Influential Real Estate Bloggers. If you’re not reading these blogs and you’re a Realtor and/or in a leadership position within the real estate profession, you need to be.If you’re a real estate consumer – buyer/seller/voyeur – you can can tremendous insight into how some of the best minds in the real estate world think.Kevin provides nicknames for many of the bloggers.Update 4 October 2007: Jay posts his 26-50, and I couldn’t agree more other than the fact that he excluded himself from the list.
Browsing Category RE Blogs
Mistakes made in real estate blogging?
The audience will be the Policy Board (they’re “important”) and whomever else decides to stop by…. Likely one of the topics will be required disclosures on blogs – covered here before…. (I’m a Realtor) Here is my biggest mistake that I can recall – I deleted a comment three months into blogging, and haven’t made the same mistake since…. The caller found my blog, castigated me, I deleted his comment and then re-posted it after having immediately regretted my impulsive decision.
A family in need
There is a camaraderie in the real estate blogosphere that I hope will continue throughout its growth. With that in mind, I give thanks to Lani’s brother’s life and my thoughts and prayers to his family. I’d like to think that the real estate blogging family (and others) will come through in her family’s time of need.Per Greg:Aaron Anglin is survived by a wife and two very young daughters. The way I’m reading things, he died without life insurance, which puts those three ladies on a very hard road.If you can spare something for them, put it in the form of negotiable funds — cash, cashier’s check or money order — and overnight it to:Aleisha Anglinc/o Lani Anglin2719 Costa Azul CoveLeander, TX78641April is working on setting up a donation account with Bank of America, and I’ll amend this post when that account becomes available.But: I will promise you that there are people who will want to be paid now, and this young family will have immediate and ongoing needs.
60th Carnival of Real Estate
Is up at For Sale by Locals.
Another reason blog “leads” are better
The differences between leads generated from blogs and “leads” purchased through one of the various blood-sucking non-value-adding referral companies are many. Some of the most crucial differences are that blog clients:1) Are typically further along in the process of hiring an agent (whether buyer’s or seller’s representation)2) Have vetted me, at least a little bit, by reading what I have written over the past 34 months, which makes the process more efficient for both of us.3) Frequently are more aware of the current market and some of the factors impacting the market.4) They’re not “leads” per se, they’re typically conversations about whether we might work well together.4) I would never have gotten this question from a blind internet lead:(b) We’d obviously prefer to avoid dual agency if at all possible. If an appropriate listing comes up through your C21 office, though, what safeguards are in place to protect both sides?I love that this question is asked up front! Fortunately, I have an opinion on dual agency – get rid of it.All in all, the hours spent reading and writing every day are worth it for my own knowledge and ability to represent my clients.
Virginia Real Estate BloggerCon
Count me in. I’m curious to see how many show up. The response to the “Beer with Bloggers” at the Inman Connect Conference in San Francisco was extraordinary. Let’s hope there’s beer…. Thanks again to Ben Martin for his initiative.
Getting ready for another MLS PAG
Working in a vacuum sometimes has the feeling of working in an echo chamber, no matter the extremely high caliber (myself excluded) of people assembled.Selectively cutting and pasting from the comments at the GeekEstate post:Real estate brokers go to only one place to search for homes to show their buyers: their local MLS…. Now the conversation is confusing Trulia, Point, Google Base, Zillow and others with the MLS, when, in fact, the MLS isn’t technology at all but a process by which competitors have agreed to cooperate with each for the good of all involved in the transaction….Yet consumers don’t want to search many sites, they want to search one…. Arguably, MLS’ have the best historical data available, and perhaps the best current housing data – current actives as well as under contract (pending) properties – that is one of the reasons that local and national Realtor associations are called upon to give market analyses for the media.If Realtors can guide their associations and members to see the value of working together in this, we might have something…. I, for one, would love to to be confident that I, as a buyer’s agent, was searching the entire inventory.Two final choice snips from the excellent GeekEstate conversation:However, it seems as if both entities would better serve the interests of their customers – the agents – if they became more part of the conversation like the smart people at the FBS Blog.The truth of the issue is that in the near future there may not be an opportunity to have this discussion.We would do well to move forward with expediency, urgency and efficiency.