Business todayReal Estate RelatedTechnologyWindermere Real Estate August 3, 2011

Blogging does matter.

As Windermere gets ready to launch their new agent.com websites that are based on a wordpress platform it will be a huge opportunity for many of you to think about having a blog. I for one truly believe in blogging. That said there will be many of you that may not think that blogging adds any value to your business. I recently saw this video and Seth hits the nail on the head as to why blogging is important, whether you get many viewers or a small amount of viewers. (It’s important) I really hope you make the most of your windermere.com website and think about using the blogging option.

Business todaycustomer servicesReal Estate RelatedUncategorized December 16, 2010

The great Realtors put their knowledge out into the transparent world!

I get asked the questions all the time from Realtors , why would I want to blog? This isn’t always an easy questions to answer not because I don’t have the answer but because many times my answer isn’t what the Realtor wants to hear. I just read a great article from Brian Boero with 1000watt on just this topic.

Brian says this: ( click here to read the full article)

“Here’s the deal: I believe the role of real estate data formed into charts, graphs, reports, and websites has diminishing differentiating power. And difference – substantive difference – will be increasingly determinative in a world where everyone’s got the same charts, widgets and reports hanging off their professional Christmas tree.

This stuff may cosmetically enhance a Realtor’s value proposition – to a point. But it won’t sustain it.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t have market charts on your website. A market report to share with clients is a good idea. You have to deliver a CMA.

You should get these things. Soon, you will appear deficient without them. Just don’t count on them to set you apart.

Well, you could bite the bullet and blog. It will produce results if done well.”

The point that really comes home for me from this article is this. I  hire a Realtor for their deep knowledge about the areas I’m interested in living. I don’t hire them because their website rocks, or because their data graphs look great. Granted they need these things but at the end of the day it is about my trust and confidence that they have the knowhow to get me the house I want or the ability to sale my home in this tuff market. The problem however is that many Realtors keep all the amazing knowledge up in their heads and don’t let it out until they have a client. You need to use it to empress potential clients. The Realtors that do this will always win at the end of the day!

I challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and put your thoughts and information out there in the transparent world. You will see results.

Real Estate RelatedUncategorized October 1, 2009

One of our own becomes a Trulia Mayor.

So you don’t like to blog, or you wonder if blogging will really help your business. Well, if you ask Carl Medford he will tell you exactly how it’s worked for him.

Carl Medford (Fremont, CA) – Windermere Agent TruliaPro
With the motto of, “Helping You Write The Next Chapter In Your Life,”™ Carl is one of the “next generation” of Web-based REALTORS.  Carl typically transforms any local coffeehouse into an office; meeting with clients in any location and conducting business while enjoying the best coffee available! Instead of focusing on a specific neighborhood, Carl has earned the distinction of being a “Regional Expert,” tracking trends and critical information in multiple markets, thus bringing the broadest possible expertise and service to his clients. In addition to being a REALTOR, Carl is a licensed general contractor and also owns “The Next Stage,” a fully professional and accredited home staging company. Lastly, Carl has developed “The Ultimate Home Buying Experience,
™. He is featured weekly in “Real Estate Reality” in the Real Estate section of the San Leandro Times and Castro Valley Forum newspapers.

Carl has a gift to deliver a great message through his writing skills. He took the Trulia Voices by the horns and now has become one of the Trulia Mayors on Voices. What does a Mayor get to do you ask?….” From his trulia profile.

The ‘Trulia Mayor’ program is a new initiative that helps strengthen and expand the Trulia Voices community including nearly 400,000 real estate professionals.

Trulia Mayors are great social media role models and innovators, and will represent the opinions of real estate professionals in various Trulia efforts.  Mayors frequently attend roundtable meetings, get sneak peeks of upcoming projects and provide their input in content quality matters on Trulia Voices. Additionally, Trulia Mayors participate in various PR and marketing efforts, such as co-hosting local events and co-authoring newsletters and articles, to spread their knowledge and provide expert advice to consumers and professionals alike. Bottom line – it’s pretty cool.

You can identify the Trulia Mayors in the Trulia Voices community by a special Mayor badge. They continue participating on the Trulia Voices community by asking and answering questions and blogging. The Trulia Mayors are available to assist consumers when they have questions or concerns aboutTrulia or the Trulia Voices community, and they are happy to share their experiences and knowledge.

The inaugural Trulia Mayors are five real estate professionals who have led by example within the Trulia Voices community, and we’re thrilled that each of them accepted their volunteer Mayoral appointments!  It’s a great start to a program that will eventually include a representative from each state.”

I would encourage to see what Carl has done so you’ll know that there is room for all of us to excel in the world using online social networking tools. The consumer is hungry for the information you have to share.