jonwashburn: May 2008

To me this seems like a rather straight forward and simple topic so I will not try to mince words.  And yes this post is in relation to the recent debate about what people should write about on ActiveRain.

Before I get into my opinion about what makes a good blog post I need to say one thing a few things about the ongoing debate:

The official ActiveRain stance: As long as it does not violate the community guidelines ActiveRain members can write essentially whatever they want on their ActiveRain blogs.

It is the responsibility of the ActiveRain team to proactively find ways to highlight, or bring forward the best content, and help to ensure that consumers are able to find it. It is also the ActiveRain team's responsiblity to do our best to help provide resources so that our members can learn how to blog successfully.

Successful blogging is defined differently by different members.  Some of our members are here to network, some are here to generate business, and some are here to receive support and encouragement.  It is my team's responsibility to support our members success on the network, however that success may be defined.

If you want to write about your dog. Great! If writing market reports will bring you satisfaction. Go for it! We are not going to tell you what to write or what not to write.

Now to what makes a good real estate blog post.

Consumers read blogs because they want to get to know their prospective real estate professionals on a deeper level before they choose to contact them. Prospective clients are primarily seeking two things when reading your post:

1. They want to be entertained; Do you have a personality that is a match for them.

2. They want the real estate information that they cannot find on the listing portals, and demographics only sites; Do you have expert knowledge in your field.

To the right is a graph that breaks this down:

Most people do not want to read a dry post just about real estate.  They want to see your personality come through.  In my experience the most successful ($) real estate bloggers are the ones who let their personality shine.  They are not afraid to show their authentic selves. People want to connect with other people.  Blogging is about relating, not advertising.

Best answer wins 1,000 points.

I am sure his career is just about at the tipping point and he will go big soon (if he is not already there).

It is hard to watch you struggle by each month. I watch the production board. I know that you haven't closed anything for months and I know how hard it must be for you.

Sadly, you are not alone. In a good market you represent the majority of real estate agents. Real estate is very much a winner take all field. Now that we are in a bad market, things are much worse. Even the top agents are often struggling; I have spoken with many of them.

If you have been thinking about leaving the field and getting a "real-paying" job, I am here to encourage you to take the plunge.

I am dead serious.  This isn't one of those inspirational posts that grab your attention by shocking you by suggesting that you should leave the field, but ends by saying that if you stick it out you will be on top when the market turns.

Let this post be your kick in the pants.  Real estate sales is an incredibly difficult field and only a small percentage of the people that enter the profession are ever very successful.

If you are human, you are designed to resist change. We have a tough time imagining what things will be like in the future. We over-project how much and for how long a negative event will affect us. The reality is that if you are thinking about quitting real estate and getting another job, you will likely be happier if you follow through on those actions.

Here is a simple test: If someone offered you a job paying a market salary for your non-real estate specific skill level would you take it?  If you answered yes, then you need to take the proactive steps to secure a new job.

Start living a proactive life. Honestly evaluate where you are at and then make the necessary changes.  Years can go on where you are just hanging on or getting by. It is no way to live.

I have been a real estate agent for a number or years, starting when I was quite young. (I was a 5+ year veteran when the picture to the right was taken!) When I started I didn't have a clue what I was doing, but I hustled and in a few years I got to the point where I owned my own real estate brokerage. Needless-to-say, I know a thing or two about selling real estate and helping other agents grow their business. Although I tend to be an overly positive and optimistic person I know that helping people increase their production is not always about positive motivation. Sometimes people need to be "told it like it is". They need tough love. In the past I have shied away from writing tough love posts because I do not want to come across as negative or preachy. Plus a blog post authored by ActiveRain's CEO brings with it a greater influence on the real estate industry than had I penned it without the title. So I try to be cautious and avoid writing any controversial posts. (Maybe I will change that stance.)

Bottom line is, there are some things that I would like to say. They won't all be pretty, but hopefully in the end they will make a positive impact.