Real Estate Blogging is catching on, big time!
A lot of people ask me what kind of business would I start if you were starting a blogging business from scratch. Usually I scratch my head in awe and make up something like advertising. After pondering this for awhile I now understand the marketplace a lot better and understand some of the do’s and dont’s of blogging.
If I had to start a blogging business today I would enter the growing field of Real Estate Blogging. In a recent survey done by Blogging Systems, a leading real estate blogging service 68% of real estate agents said they would be focusing on blogs as a marketing tool in 2007!
Remember when real estate agents hired high schoolers to flyer homes? This was the old days. Now the tables and technology has grown and real estate agents understand the need to market online now more than ever. This is a unique situation for blogging companies and real estate agents.
According to Richard Nacht of Blogging Systems:
“Real estate blogs are an excellent way for real estate professionals to establish or expand their internet presence. The Internet is now the number one place for information for home buyers and sellers. If REALTORS® aren’t found online, there’s a good chance they won’t be found at all.”
More and more companies appear to be heading towards real estate blogging, and other web based marketing. One Phoenix Arizona company called Famous Agents helps realtors setup blogs and handle copywritting.
So if you ask me again what kind of business I would start if I had to start from scratch it would be Real Estate Blogging and I would do it NOW.
Related posts:
- StrutYourHut surfaces as real estate social network
- Catylist adds Vast.com to distribution network for marketing real estate online
- Online community for real estate flippers launched
- AOL taps Fidelity for real estate listings
- Condo.com launches real estate social networking platform
Do you like this article? Submit it to Blogosphere News!
David,
Just started my blog this year, and felt it was a necessity in my area. Good to see things out there like your blog confirming my hunches!
By Amy Broghamer on February 19, 2007 8:18 am
Yeah I agree. It’s never to early to start blogging. :)
By David Krug on February 19, 2007 8:47 am
[...] of my time, Real Estate blogging wise David Krug today recommends doing a Real Estate blog, if you wanna make money. Heh, I got our real estate guy, Stan Mackey, to [...]
By Ahead of my time, Real Estate blogging wise « Scobleizer - Tech Geek Blogger on February 19, 2007 12:01 pm
Hi, David. I appreciate the enthusiasm of agents who want to start blogging but some indicators suggest the demand for their services is diminishing.
The Freakonomics guys wrote early last year in NY Times magazine that, “There will always be some home sellers who prefer full-service, full-fee agents, and a handful of these high-end agents will undoubtedly thrive…But more and more home sellers, armed with data from real-estate Web sites and facing a variety of pricing options, will surely choose another route”.
Even though Blanche Evans said in her July 29 2005 Realty Times piece that the real estate portion of the Freakonomics book amounted to a “flawed study”, logically speaking it seems clear that putting the data directly in the hands of sellers could mean that the economic value provided by real estate agents will decrease over time.
By Pete Thomas on February 19, 2007 1:26 pm
Paging Paul Chaney!
By Jim Kukral on February 19, 2007 1:41 pm
And why not? People selling books have blogs .. people selling gadgets have blogs .. people selling their services have blogs .. why not people who sell houses too?
It’s funny though, because although it’s getting more popular .. I still see more frequent changes on “websites” that are not blogs .. when you would think the “blogs” would be the one with more frequent updates – at least up here in Canuck-Land.
By HART (1-800-HART) on February 19, 2007 2:18 pm
There’s only so much you can write about real estate, even different markets. The early bloggers who have a following in Real Estate, or in their communities, will be the winnners. The rest of the late-comers will find few readers for their me-too blogs.
There are over 1 million agents in the U.S. If a lot of them blogged in 2007, there would be a lot of crap that no one would care to read.
Note about Blogging Systems – this is a company that charges many times the price of TypePad or other tools for basically the same stuff. They are ripping Realtors off so badly that they won’t even publish their pricing on their site (www.bloggingsystems.com). I met one of their guys at Real Estate Connect and had a hard time getting him to quote me a price – this is not the kind of company that a technically-challenged Realtor (as many are) should be doing business with.
Any survey data from BS is just b.s. IMHO.
By CrunchBack on February 19, 2007 2:33 pm
Real estate “sales” blogs are nothing new. What is needed in the online real estate world is more indpendent blogging aout market trends, stuff like that – not just another lame sales pitch from some big titty bimbo trying to sell me a house. I’ll masturbate to her picture, but I won’t buy a house from her. Well, unless her tits are REALLY big. I like big knobs.
By Fred on February 19, 2007 2:34 pm
I have been coaching all my clients to get blogs, but its an uphill battle. People either can’t see the value in them or dread having to write.
Remember, when writing blog posts the title is the most important. Spend 90% of your energy creating a catchy, interesting and unforgettable title and you will be on your way to huge readership.
By CVOS on February 19, 2007 3:41 pm
[...] Real estate blogging is catching on By Jim Duncan Surprise, surprise! [...]
By Real Central VA - Tracking the Charlottesville and Central VA real estate market and more » Real estate blogging is catching on on February 19, 2007 6:05 pm
I think Blogging is better from the consumer point of view. I have started a blog about a poor Agent I had trouble with (http://www.friedlaenders.com) and the stories that have come to me are incredible.
Molly
By Phillip Molly Malone on February 19, 2007 7:57 pm
[...] Link to 901AM [...]
By Is Real Estate Blogging for You? at Little Happy Bunnies on February 19, 2007 10:07 pm
[...] and listen when he writes. So I pass this article on to you. David Krug from 901am.com recommends all real estate agents should start blogging. Remember when real estate agents hired high schoolers to flyer homes? This was the old days. Now [...]
By Real Estate Blogging is catching on, big time! at The Future of Real Estate Technology on February 20, 2007 12:21 am
Crunchback is right when it comes to not having enough content in the sales arena, but when you throw in investment, home improvement, construction, landscpaing tips, real estate legal posts, you name it… then there should be enough content out there to keep things interesting, atleast for the time being untill someone comes up with another creative direction.
By Ryan from Property Doctors on February 20, 2007 10:42 am
Hi. I just started the real estate blog for b5media, propertycrossroads.com I aim to make it as a one-stop information resource for real estate in general. It’s not a real estate sales blog, so my topics are not limited to any specific market or area. It discusses everything that has to do with real estate from trends, news, views, buying and selling tools, latest developments in the US and the rest of the world. Ryan from Property Doctors just gave me an idea for my future topics. I totally agree that the internet is the number 1 resource for buyers and sellers…it is more accessible, saves time and you can practically search for any topic or location.
By Maricel on February 22, 2007 8:00 am
Common excuses are
1. I got no time.
2. I don’t know how to use a computer ( really )
3. My market does not use the internet
By marcel on February 25, 2007 1:44 pm
Blogging is a tool for realtors if and if use it and market it correctly. Internet, surely changed the way realtors market their services. With more people going online — it’s an opportunity wide open for everyone to join in the band wagon.
By dewita on February 28, 2007 8:35 am
[...] The Post Was Entitled: Real Estate Blogging is catching on, big time ! [...]
By 3 Simple Steps To A Killer Blog Conversation on July 24, 2007 4:18 am
Hi.
Nice site! And some really helpful information there. I’m sorry for beeing a little off-topic, but I want to ask you about the design of this site. Did you make this template yourself or got from any templates website? I am using joomla myself, but want something better..
By Lars Jensen on July 31, 2007 4:28 pm
I work on Real Estate Web sites, and I always suggest to my clients that they use blogging to create network connections and leads.
By Micah Douglas on August 30, 2007 9:48 pm
[...] I’ve spoken before about the upcoming real estate blogging market it’s still green with prospects and companies don’t seem to moving quick to jump on [...]
By Blogosphere News | Real Estate Blogging still an untapped market on September 20, 2007 5:57 pm
[...] http://www.901am.com/2007/real-estate-blogging-is-catching-on-big-time.html 29 / October / 2007 Uncategorized [...]
By Expert Realtor Web Blog » How Realtors can Increase Their Income with a Real Estate Sales Blog on October 29, 2007 1:39 am
“Real estate blogs are an excellent way for real estate professionals to establish or expand their internet presence.”
I whole heartily agree. A Blog builds a rapport with your audience and a following. Real Estate marketing for the realtor becomes easy as you open those relationships with readers and potential clients.
To top it off every Realtor should have a Newsletter that is sent out on a regular basis… (Tip: include the newsletter in posts to your blog).
Great tip…
Cheers,
John
By John- Real Estate Marketing Expert! on December 4, 2007 1:23 pm