This is a bittersweet post to write.
It was almost 10 years ago that I started this little blog on a small corner of the Interwebs. Ten years is close to an eon in “blog time.” Since then, The Phoenix Real Estate Guy (or “TPREG” for short) went from a readership of one (well, three or four if you count family) into having over a million unique visitors in its last full year of prime activity. It helped us open a brokerage, and it opened a lot of doors.
‘Twas quite the ride.
Today, I am excited, thrilled, a bit apprehensive and yeah — a little sad in some ways to announce that I’m turning over the reigns to TPREG. Yep, it’s been sold — to three world-class human beings that I’m proud to call friends.
Dean Ouellette, Nick Bastian, and Shar Rundio have agreed to purchase the domain, blog and its assorted attachments and accouterments. Having poured quite literally thousands of hours into this site, it’s not easy to just sell it, walk away and let someone take over.
But I couldn’t think of three better people to hand it over to.
You, oh avid readers, are in terrific hands. I’m super-excited to see what Dean, Nick and Shar will do here, and it’s going to be interesting to watch TPREG come back to life.
The new Phoenix Real Estate Guys (and Gal) have big plans for TPREG, and it’s going to be fun watching what they do with it. Francy and I wish them the best and we hope know they will be wildly successful with it.
Just be careful folks, it’s kind of like turning over my baby for someone else to raise. Be good to TPREG, write for your readership and most importantly, have fun with it! (As I know you will.)
Maybe the new owners will invite me back for a guest post or two…
As I said in the first post ever published here, “who knows what this will bring.” We’re about to find out what the next decade has in store!
The Phoenix Real Estate Guy was started by Jay Thompson, and I have a little blogging problem... he liked to say...
Jay and Francy,
Thank you SO much. We are honored, humbled and excited beyond belief.
Your friendship means the world to us and we promise that we will take *really* good care of tPREG.
Cheers, my friend.
We couldn’t have asked for a better set of friends and professionals to take over the reigns!
You guys will rock this for Jay!! Congrats to all.. this blog has been such an AMAZING example and resource to so many. Best of luck!
Congratulations to every single one of you. This is huge for TPREG, and huge for RE blogging. You couldn’t have passed the torch to a better group.
I’m really excited to see what comes. Well done!
Thanks, my friend…
Flashback to what you said when you hired me all those years ago …“Thrilled” may not be a strong enough word to describe my feelings… Let’s try “jubilant”. http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/thompsons-realty-welcomes-shar-rundio/.
I’m humbled, thrilled, honored, jubilant about the opportunity to care for tPREG and it’s readership…but even more so to call you both friends. You know you’re always welcome here when the mood strikes. Much love!
Jubilant! Now there’s a good word for all this.
Can jubilation become the word of the day?
I love your hint – “You know you’re always welcome here when the mood strikes.”
Awesome… 🙂
Jubilation it is! Word for a good while…
To quote you, Jay, it’s “freaking awesome”!
Wishing you all great success.
Thanks, Dru! 🙂
Thank you, Dru!
I thought it was going to be an April Fool’s joke . . . congrats to all involved!
Thanks Joshua! Going to be fun
Oh wow, that is exciting news. I think I completely understand how you feel, my blog isn’t quite a decade old, but it’s getting close. It would feel really strange to handover the reigns to someone else. You did a great job here Jay. Congrats!
April fools day, really?!? You waited until today to roll this out? I’ll know its true based on the answer to one question. Who got the license plate?!?
In all seriousness, congrats to all! Excited to watch this one evolve.
if I didn’t have a biblical verse plate I’d be all over thatv
Thanks, Phil. We’re going to have some fun, for sure!
Thanks, Phil! I thought you heard all about it last week? 😉
In my mind, it isn’t so much a sale or turnover – its 3 amazing people building on something started by another amazing person to take this site farther than any one person could. Greatness is achieved by a team of people working towards something more than the sum of its parts. Congratulations to all 4 of ya – Looking forward to the Evolution!
Thanks, Kent! It might be a wild ride. We plan to hang on really tight! 🙂
Thank you sir!
Congrats to all of you!
Thanks, stranger!
Congratulations all around. Happy to call you all friends.
Wow. What a purchase! And yeah, I trust them to take good care of it for the future. It makes a lot of sense, with all the content and good stuff on here. Well done on Dean, Nick, and Shar to come up with such a plan.
Jay, it won’t be easy to say goodbye, but the good news is, you’ll never have to. It will always be here and I know that they’ll fill it with even more goodness.
To the new owners, I say congratulations! I look forward to seeing what comes next.
PS Jay, guest blog posts are always available to you on anything I do. Just in case you’re ever bored.
Thanks, Matt!
Thanks, Matt! Appreciate the kind words.
Thanks, Matt! Looking forward to more great things ahead!
Congratulations….bam
Boom not bam
Thanks, Jay! When you headed this way again?
Congrats Jay!
hmmm… on April 1st huh. 😉
Well if it is legit I know Nick and Dean are a couple good mates to hand it over to.
Cheers
Chuck, Jay wanted to wait a day to announce because of it. Nick and I agreed 4/1 was perfect time
Perfect timing, for sure. Thanks, Chuck!
Congrats Jay and Francy. It’s good to know the blog will stay in good hands.
Congratulations! guys
Thanks, Teresa!
Congratulations to all involved. Several of the names involved in this post and comments have been around for some time. Feels like the training wheels fell off a long time ago!
Congrats to all. Jay, I know how hard this was for you. In many ways, this blog defined you or you defined it for years. I’m quite certain, however, your legacy is in good hands. 🙂
Thanks, Jeff! We’ll make Jay proud and continue the legacy he started!
Thanks, Jeff. We certainly have some very big shoes to fill. I think we all agree that this was a business AND a personal decision. The three of us understand that Jay put his heart and soul in to this space. Going forward, we plan to do the same thing. Thankfully, we’ve left enough of the door open for Jay to stop by ANY time he sees fit. We hope to do some fun stuff with the Thompson’s in the future. Maybe some charitable work? A tPREG foundation, of sorts? We’ve already started to kick around some fun ideas for all of us to work on. This space will be business and personal for us, just like we feel it has been for Jay. For certain, we plan to have the legacy live on. 🙂
Congratulations to all of you!
Thanks, Sue!
Congratulations to both of you! Brilliance rules!
WOW that really is like giving away your first born. Jay, I am sure it is a bit difficult for you to turn over the ropes. You were a trail blazer in the blogging community. You chose the best of the best to take over. Congratulations to Shar, Nick and Dean! What an amazing opportunity and huge adventure that awaits them.
Thanks, Carmen! Definitely looking forward to the adventure!
As an agent with a 2nd home in Scottsdale, I referred to this blog many times, but mainly to teach me how to work a blog. Just realized I’m celebrating my 10th blogging anniversary but wish I was a fraction as successful with mine as Jay has been.
Congratulations to Jay, Dean Nick and Shar. Best of luck to all of you!
Thanks, Mike!
Awesome!
This will be fun!
Thanks for stopping by, John!
Fun, indeed! 🙂
A great purchase and yes, they will definitely take good care of it in future. It shares great content and good stuff here, and have been highly useful to the readers. Really, Dean, Nick, and Shar have done a brilliant job. It wouldn’t be that easy for Jay, if it won’t be in good hands. From now, it will always be there and will bring more goodness.
Congratz to The Phoenix Real Estate Guy..