“It would be a lot easier to walk away if it weren’t for the blog.”
Especially this year.
That’s what a friend and fellow real estate blogger said to me a few weeks ago, and I agreed wholeheartedly.
The truth is – I am far more tied to this profession now than I was four years ago, thanks in large part to the knowledge and relationships I have gained and developed from writing nearly every day, and I hear similar anecdotes from more people every week.
Self-gratification and validation is nice, but more importantly – consumers are more tied to their favorite real estate bloggers because of their blogs. If real estate blogging were just about hanging out with other realestistas it’s be cool, but not that cool.
Blogging accomplishes several things, perhaps most of all a conveyance of transparency and honesty in a world of consumers who are desperately seeking both:
Thanks for taking a couple minutes to speak with me. I am so relieved to find that there is a realtor in the Charlottesville area that realizes that Charlottesville is not immune to the ups and downs of the market. I have talked to several agents thus far, most of whom giving me the speech that Charlottesville’s real estate market is steady and should hold solid regardless of what is happening on the open market.
Emails and conversations like the above as well as the constant innovations and lessons learned from friends around the RE.net, and provide the sustenance to continue.
Blogging allows one to differentiate oneself from the chaff. Those of us who have been doing this for a while know this; those who are just entering the real estate blogging world may need encouragement and validation that consistent writing is rewarding.
The blog ties one to one’s community in a public, persistent and sticky way that makes extrication much more difficult – and this is a good thing.
What’s the takeaway? If you’ve been doing this for a while, keep doing what you’ve been doing – look up to the leaders of our world and copy their successes at every opportunity. Having just finished Made to Stick, this statement stuck with me –
“We don’t want to be first, but we sure as hell don’t want to be third.”
If you’re new, do the same.
