Comments on: 7 Reasons Why Your Local Real Estate Blogging Peers Are Not Your Competition

By: Mike Netzel

Mike Netzel — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:15:24 +0000

Real estate is a fascinating field.
We compete and work together every day.
Why should blogging be any other way?
The true competition for me is not Prudential, ReMax, Coldwell Banker.
The true competition for me is not fellow agents of excellence
like Nancy Pschirer Evans, Kevin Mihm, Linda Honeywill.
The only true competition for me is me.
To slay my habits, wipe out what I “know”…
and focus on the consumer – our client.
We who meet his and her needs best win.
As Zig Ziglar said:
You can have anything in life you want,
if your willing to help enough other people get what they want.
Thanks for making us think!
Mike Netzel

By: Dee Copeland

Dee Copeland — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 03:09:01 +0000

I agree wholeheartedly. I love having so many great bloggers in my area. We have Lani, Sam Chapman, Steve Crossland, Eric, etc. We comment on each others’ blogs and help each other in any way.
I’d actually suggest that bloggers find out who their respective client bases are. Sam works lake areas, Eric works North, I work with investors for South/Central and Steve works rental investors. We totally have a referral network that doesn’t overlap much, so can send deals to each other all day long, only maximizing our business.
Had I not reached out to all of those bloggers, I’d have not realized how we can help each other.

By: Bonnie Erickson

Bonnie Erickson — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 03:33:43 +0000

When one shares the market with the likes of Teresa Boardman, one has to remember daily that there are plenty of fish in the sea and there’s enough work to go around for both of us! 😉 Not to mention the other talented real estate bloggers in the greater Twin Cities area. My take on blogging is that we attract people who like the personality we expose in our writing. We each are different and blogging is actually a way to distribute the clients to the agents they fit best with!

By: Toronto real estate agent

Toronto real estate agent — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:03:03 +0000

Jim, Thank you for these advice. I came over your article while looking for something completely different and I am happy that I opened your site. I work as a Toronto real estate agent and I have been thinking about writing my own blog for a long time now. Your article pointed out the things I should avoid and helped me to make a final decision. I am positive that real estate agents should write their own blogs and contribute to the real estate community.

By: Jamey Bridges

Jamey Bridges — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 01:25:51 +0000

Jim,
I like the aspects you point out. I think prospective buyers and sellers often gravitate to voices in the blogosphere that they can relate with. I always tell real estate professionals to write the information (whether it be BLOG or their website) from their perspective because that is what people are attracted to. Some people want the cagy veteran helping them and others want the agent who is up to date on the latest tools for buying or selling. 🙂
So whatever the angle that people succeed with, go with that online! Have no fear of hitting the post button as not everyone has to be perfect, just has to get the voice out there so people can hear it.
Thanks Jim.

By: Gena Riede

Gena Riede — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:39:26 +0000

Jim,
How true. Comments are always welcome on Sacramento Real Estate Voice and when I am not working with clients, I love to comment on other blogs.
Can you do something about increasing the 24 hr thing?
Need a few more hours in the day.
Oh, just in case you forgot, I too blog about Sacramento…where’s my email? ha, ha
Great comments.

By: SuccessCREEations, Inc.

SuccessCREEations, Inc. — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:32:35 +0000

Should You Be Worried When Your Competition Starts Blogging?
So you just noticed that one of your competitors has started a blog. Should you be worried?
The answer to that question really depends.
If the only web presence your business has right now is a traditional static web site, then yes you probably have so…

By: Joseph Bridges

Joseph Bridges — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:33:44 +0000

Jim,
Most cities only have a handful of agents doing real estate period. Of those that do any significant business most will see blogging as a chore and will refuse to do it. Bloggers who care, meaning the produce relevant consumer driven posts, will compliment eachother as the great athletes did that you mention in your article. My brother(James Bridges) and I are always surprise when agents ask us why we teach agents how to improve their web presence as they say we will only take business from ourselves. There is enough for all to share.

By: Jim Cronin

Jim Cronin — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 02:07:22 +0000

Sean,
Comment of the week!
We walk in stride. I know that I weaved in an out of the sentiment of what I meant by Competition. What I meant to say, but knew would have less impact is that “A Little Friendly Blogging Competition In The Local Real Estate Blogosphere Is Not Such A Bad Thing”. But how lame does that sound?
Thanks for the great comment.

By: Sean Purcell

Sean Purcell — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 01:57:45 +0000

Jim,
Saying this is an interesting post feels hollow, as just about all of your posts are interesting. What I should say is I agree with many of your points but they lead me to a different conclusion. Local bloggers, if they are campaigning anywhere near your community (long tail niche), are competition by definition! The recognition of which should do nothing to lessen our encouragement of them for many of the reasons you laid out, but we cannot close our eyes to their nature.
”Coke Needs Pepsi. (but)…Coke can’t be in all places at all times. So Pepsi is there to provide the thirst quench” is exactly why other bloggers are competition. Do you agree that Coke would prefer Pepsi not exist: that their consumers drive a little further or go a little longer to reach their product over buying the competition out of convenience? ”Trust your fans. Let them go, and be confident that they will come back to you…” makes perfect sense and is great advice in that it furthers point #6: “Competition keeps you sharp and keeps you driven.” We must continuously sharpen our skills, not only to attract new clients but to retain them once they have landed. This is one of the things that make competition so important. Of course, we must first recognize the competition.
Your point that “you are delusional to think that your audience is only reading you” rings loud and true; as does: “people gravitate towards the unselfish.” Both salient points but both eclipsed, once we recognize the competition for being exactly that, when you said “initiating conversations in emails and in the comments of your peers’ blogs will both establish the recognition of your name and your blog as well as help you earn their trust and their visit.” Yes, yes, yes! Here is the crux of the matter. When our common customer is looking at your blog (drinking Pepsi) I want to still have name recognition and (hopefully) raise my perceived level of expertise. I want them to read my comments (sip Coke) and be impressed with my trenchant analysis, difference of opinion or magnanimity in recognizing something the poster has said. Bottom line, however, is that I want the customer to recognize ME and see a reason to go back to me for their business (keep buying Coke).
Finally, you point out that “blogging is not for everyone” and imagine there won’t be “… more than 1% of agents in an area becoming truly active bloggers.” To which I respond: GREAT! This is, in the end, a form of marketing and the less people doing it the better. Imagine Coke’s ecstatic response to learning that Pepsi has decided to forgo television as a medium for advertising.
I appreciate your posts for exactly the reason I appreciate all great posts: they make me think. Embracing and encouraging blogging among competitors is a healthy and rewarding endeavor, just as you suggest. Real estate is a peculiar business: the practitioners spend their time in competition with one another until, from time to time, they join together as a team to help two clients reach their needs and achieve their goals. Blogging is a great way to exercise the competitive nature while building the necessary bridges for teamwork. I do not know if I “added (my) two cents” but I sure hope I “acknowledged a great article.”