I have one big problem with real estate blogging: I can’t blog about the most interesting things that happen in the course of my day in real estate.
My personal policy of leaving current and recently closed transactions off of my blog leaves me with a conundrum. The best stories go untold so that involved parties don’t have to read my site and wonder, “Is she talking about me?”
Tempting as it may be, I don’t blog about the moldy pudding cup I just found in their refrigerator. Nor will I post about how someone’s agent never returns my calls. The sellers whose home languished on the market for well over a year because they were not ready to hear my advice on pricing and short sales when the market was better are safe from reading about themselves. They are left to feel like crap on their own because they are now facing foreclosure.
So there is my problem. The best stories go untold.
Mariana
May 3, 2008 at 4:20 pm
I know! I always try to think of ways to blog about it in a way that will not violate the hundreds of laws that we are bound to … but most of the time, you are correct.
The best stories go untold.
monika
May 3, 2008 at 4:27 pm
I spent the day showing houses and had one interesting experience after another. I don’t dare blog them…they’ll be sure to recognize themselves.
Chris McKeever
May 3, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Thats why you tweet!! twitter.com
Jim Duncan
May 3, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Sometimes when I have a great post that is derived from a current transaction/client, I get their permission. Other times, I’ll write it and schedule it to post in six months or so …
Maureen Francis
May 3, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Mariana and Moni, I just thought of doing a new blog called Agent Anonymous where we could all anonymously post our war stories leaving out locations that would identify the “victims.”
Jim, perhaps I should just write them and schedule them out. Good idea.
Rhonda Porter
May 3, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Sometimes I’ll wait (I wonder what a “proper waiting period” would be?) if the story is too fresh or personal unless, like Jim, I receive the clients permission. I always changes names to protect the innocent. But…there are times I make exceptions and will blog about a story right after it’s closed–again, leaving names out. I always wait until at least after closing when the story is about an actual transaction.
Susan Hilton - Texas Aggie Realtor
May 3, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Surely we don’t have to wait too long if we change the names… Life as a Realtor is SO FUNNY most everyday!
Christopher Myers
May 3, 2008 at 7:43 pm
How about if it’s not about your client, but homes you showed, or the clients on the other side of the table? Or about other clueless agents that should really find another line of work? Yea, I guess you’re right about waiting a short period before posting…as tempting as it may be. I love the twitter idea though!
Jamie Geiger
May 3, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Oh the stories I could tell- but don’t. I agree with Susan- Life as a Realtor is funny and interesting to say the least. Sorry to say I did blog about socks and laundry this morning.
Genuine Chris Johnson
May 4, 2008 at 6:34 am
Yeah, the problem is that they can look up the transaction history to figure it out. Good call, and I’ve blogged about being in the same pickel. (Like the one about the husband that bought a house with his girlfriend. His girlfriend was using his WIFE’s ID. When the jig was up on the man, 6 months after the fact, he was arguing that it was only HELPING his wife’s credit…and she shouldn’t be mad.)
Eric- New Orleans Condos and Lofts
May 4, 2008 at 6:51 am
Most things tend to repeat themselves over and over again. However new things come along each week. Eric
Bill Lublin
May 4, 2008 at 9:56 am
You guys might remember the old school TV detective “Dragnet” which was supposedly reality based fictionalized stories where “The names have been changed to protect the innocent” In our situation we’re looking to protect the inncocent…author 🙂
I don’t know if the time limits matter or if there is problem telling a story without naming names – I think you just need to do what makes you comfortable and is in keeping with confidentiality and agency requirements.
Vicki Moore
May 4, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Oh come on. Where’s your sense of fun??
Benn & Lani – Wouldn’t you love to manage another multi-author blog? LOL 😉
Lani Anglin-Rosales
May 4, 2008 at 5:40 pm
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA, Vicki. HIGH-LARIOUS! As a rule of thumb, active transactions are never discussed until the key turns and real names are never used 🙂 Thus, as Maureen indicated- MANY great stories go untold!
Larry Yatkowsky
May 4, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Agent X-files ……… no story should go untold. They’re out there.
Glenn fm Naples
May 5, 2008 at 11:05 am
Maureen – you make a very good point that many happenings during the day, would make for excellent content on our blogs – but it sure can leave a reader with the question you proposed “what is the agent saying about me?”
Melina Tomson
May 5, 2008 at 12:03 pm
I never write about open transactions and current clients, but I do tell all of my clients that I blog. If I am going to write a blog about my experience with them (names and details changed) I do email them the post and make sure they are okay with it. No problems with this strategy so far.
I do not write posts that deal with idiotic agents. That may change in the future, but I just haven’t had any situations that have been inspiring. If I do, I would change the agents name and the details as well.
ines
May 5, 2008 at 8:59 pm
I write about those stories and store them for later use, changing names of course. Those stories are the best, so don’t keep them from us.
Faina Sechzer
May 6, 2008 at 6:29 pm
The stories make intrigue and drama, but not I don’t write about anyone specific. Blogging is a bit like writing fiction. It is based on my daily experiences, but put together in a way, that individual transactions and /or people can’t be identified. For example, when I wrote “I like working with smart clients”, I had someone specific in mind. Every client who read it, thought it was them:)
Kristal Kraft
May 6, 2008 at 10:24 pm
You are so right! The best stories must remain on “hold” until no one recognizes themselves. By then we lose interest. Your Agent Anonymous sounds like a great site. Let me know when it is ready.
It could be the re.net second life! 🙂
Toby Boyce
May 8, 2008 at 6:29 am
I follow Jim’s idea at times, or I’ll just make sure that the post is “factual” and not attacking. I.e. my Why I love showing houses when it rains post.
However, be careful with Twitter. It can be found on Google searches. And taken out of contest it can be even more concerning.