Preamble: I originally wrote this post for two purposes: 1) a submission to the new Real Estate Weblogging 101 site (born this morning, it already contains a wealth of invaluable info); and 2) it fits in with my topic for this afternoon’s First Southwest Real Estate Blogging Conference. I present it here for those unable to attend the conference, or unable to get past all the gems already up at REWeblogging 101.
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People — usually real estate agents (yes, they are people too) — frequently ask me, “Why do you blog?”
The short answer, one that leaves many scratching their heads, is “Because I have to”.
I need to write. I don’t know why, it’s just always been that way. I don’t write well enough to become the next mega-best selling author. I don’t want the deadline pressure of writing a column in traditional newsprint. So a blog is the ideal venue for me to write. For whatever reason, people seem to read what I put here. God only knows what possesses them to keep coming back.
Invariably after I say, “Because I have to”, the next question is, “But does all that blogging get you CLIENTS?”
The short answer is yes, it does. If I had to, I could produce documented evidence of procuring buyers, sellers, and even a small developer that became clients — paying clients — from what has been done with The Phoenix Real Estate Guy.
The immediate follow-up question from Mr. or Ms. Aspiring Real Estate Blogger then becomes, “How do I get clients from my blog?”
That is a difficult question to answer. I could spew thoughts and opinions on Search Engine Optimization. The simple fact is if no one can find your blog, no one will read it. Hence, no one will contact you to help them buy/sell/invest in real estate. I could write a post on SEO that would rival the length of War and Peace. If you want SEO info, just Google “SEO 101” and you’ll be presented with a lifetime of reading.
I prefer to answer the “How do I get clients” question from a more philosophical perspective.
Real estate is a “people business”. Yes, people chose a real estate agent based on their experience, qualifications and knowledge (incidentally, a real estate blog is the perfect medium for displaying all three of those qualities). But they also tend to chose an agent because they connect with them on some personal level.
So there is your short answer: connect with your readers on a personal level.
How do you do that? Let me count the ways…
Be you. Don’t try to be something you are not — it will come across in your writing. If you hate statistics and charts, don’t blog about statistics or put charts in your blog. If you love stats and charts, blog it!
Blog “off topic“. I’ve had many well intentioned people tell me my blog “lacks focus”. Some “experts” say a real estate blog should be about real estate — and nothing else. To those experts, I say, “fooey!”. I picked up a buyer client through a blog post about Vanilla Pepsi of all things. I’ve been contacted by potential clients from a post about my cat for Pete’s sake. Why did someone contact me from these posts that clearly have nothing to do with real estate? Because for whatever reason, someone could relate to them. Because they showed these folks that there is more to their potential agent than a brain full of home sale stats, knowledge of contracts, and other various and sundry real estate related subjects.
Be opinionated. No one wants a robot for an agent. They want an agent they feel comfortable with. They want an agent they can relate to. Humans relate to other humans that have similar thoughts, feelings and opinions. I wrote a post on some tragic “accidental” drowning deaths of children in the Phoenix area. I did not hold back, at all, my thoughts and feelings on the parenting skills of those involved. I received more than one private email from people telling me I had no right to say someone should go to prison. I received even more emails from people that agreed with me. Could I have lost a potential client from that post? Certainly. Could I have gained one? Absolutely. But I am not going to sugar coat my feelings and write a politically correct post in an attempt to appease everyone. That post expressed my feelings and people can either take it or leave it. I don’t compromise my feelings to try to gain clients.
That last sentence brings up an important point… TRYING TO GAIN CLIENTS. I’m of the opinion that if you blog for the sole purpose of gaining clients that you will likely fail miserably. Blogging is not easy. It takes time. It is difficult to quantify the benefits if you measure it solely in cashed commission checks. If you blog only to gain clients, it will be apparent in your writing — it’s going to feel “forced”. People are smart. If they feel like all you are trying to do is reel them in, they will run away in droves. Blog to learn, to become a better writer, to increase your web presence, to share your knowledge. Do those things, do them well, and clients will come.
The Phoenix Real Estate Guy was started by Jay Thompson, and I have a little blogging problem... he liked to say...
I wish I had said all that…
Does this mean I can skip customs and not have to drive to Mesa?
JD, just be there. Francy wants to meet you. That alone is enough of a treat for being there. The blockade down Central has been cleared for your arival.
Jay – Like what you said about being yourself. I also like what you said aout non real estate blogs that draw clients with like interests. Wish I could have made it today. Clients first and by the time we finished it was too late to drive up.
Douglas – sorry you couldn't make it up, but certainly understandable! There will be others, Shailesh promised!
Great post. I really liked the point about blogging off topic. I think its a great way to relate to people, especially potential clients, and it helps give the blog a more "human" feel.
Funny. My blog is my best lead generator. Really. My focus topics bring them to the site. My off topics scare them away or solidify them. I can show you proof. It's real people. But you have to be yourself. There is no receipe. (Did I spell that right?) 🙂
Very nicely done.
I still don't know that I can document clients from my blog, so in my case it's indirect. My blog and my web site are one big thing, but I do know that once I started asking for them I started to get some good intermediate conversions off my blog post (click throughs to our listings, or to general real estate search).
I couldn't agree more – I think clients get a real feel for who you are and if they feel comfortable with you and trust you before engaging. I am finding the best kind of prospects are coming from blogging – they seem to have a high level of trust, have chosen to work with us and are looking to do something in the near future – I say viva la blog!!!!
Louisville, Chris, Joe – thanks! Showing the human side is really, really important.
John – I think a LOT of gaining clients through blogging is indirect. I've had clients say, "Love your blog", "learn lots" blah blah blah… is that why they became a client? Who knows. Maybe. It sure can't hurt. And some visitors to the blog clearly move to either the main site or IDX search here. We'll probably never know if it was the blog or not. The vast majority of the time it's the combination of everything.
Stupid analogy alert: Maybe getting clients from the internet is like baking a cake. The website, on-line listings, blog, etc are all ingredients for internet lead generation success. Without all the ingredients, the cake is gonna suck..
Cyndee – thanks for stopping by and commenting!!
This is what every agent wants to know.
Very nicely done.
I had heard about your Vanilla Pepsi client from someone.
I love your blog.
You really need to have a passion for this blogging thing otherwise it just doesn't work. Your last paragraphs sums it up so nicely.
hi jay!
are you north america's most successful real estate agent blogger?
http://tinyurl.com/yqg2uv
– rudy.sellsius
Wow, I'm totally impressed. A Realtor who gets it, understands the reason behind blogging, benefits, web2.0 blog with full of functionality, external and internal tags, the whole enchilada.
This blog needs to be an example for other Realtors to follow.
You are absolutely right about expanding your blog from just real estate to other passions you have in your life. Like will attract like, here we go attraction principles again. I already knew that but I haven't applied it to my own blog yet. Guess what because of your post it's changing today.
I can't believe how many Realtors are not getting the power of this and how they could even help each other to increase their rankings in the search engines themselves.
To Your Success,
Coach Steve
I've said it before but I think all of us who blog consistently are just closet writers and this is our chance to go mainstream.. otherwise who would spend this much time at the computer.. I agree that blogging is how people get to know us.. We do the same thing.. everytime I meet up with a group of bloggers I "know" through their blogs we are already old friends..
Great post Jay. Very insightful you could have been an anthropologist, with your insight into people.
Hey Jay, another clickthru- from AR. I don't comment there much anymore, I'd rather give the comments to those personal sites I enjoy.
Great post. I'm so with you on adding your personal touches to a blog. The beauty is in the passion people portray. The passion for whatever drives them. And that's not just real estate.
Blog with passion…or don't blog.
Blogging has given me a lot including clients…which brings me money. AR Blog Tour stop
Hi Jay,
Wonderful article, really gets to the heart of the matter. Yes my blog produces clients. Some of whom have read the entire blog which just blows me away. One guy locked himself in his office for a day and wouldn't let anybody interrupt him, I was speechless. I think that was the point that I knew it was a decent blog.
Like Linda, I think your last paragraph sums it up nicely.
Thanks to all those who've commented and contributed! (both here and elsewhere on this and other blogs). Another thing that separates a blog from a static website is interaction just like this… it's a great thing and we all stand to learn so much!
It gets me clients.
I've done business with both buyers and seller as a direct result of my blog.
It also helps my SEO for my flagship website: http://www.KnoxvilleMLS.com.
Hi Jay…
what an eloquent way to explain the benefits of blogging in business, especially "But they also tend to chose an agent because they connect with them on some personal level"…
And that is the point. Standing out from the crowd either on the net or in a local community has a lot more to do with the quality of the relationships you've built, not how many years you've been in business or spouting worn out words like "quality & service".
We all prefer to deal with people we know, trust and like. Again, excellent post!
I am glad you left me a link to this, because you wrote it before I found your blog and it is an excellent post.. 😉 Sadly I don't have as much time as I would like to go back through people's archives. ;(
Snoskred
http://www.snoskred.org/
Hi Jay:
This is a very sincere compliment. This article is very well written. You are very passionate about the importance of letting your personality shine, letting it all hang out. I thought that is what blogging was to be like, from all I have read…
So I did… or Do… And it works fine in most blog venues, but it has not worked so well in some. Some blogs are CLEARLY more FLAME prone than others…. Do you find this to be true?
I could use your wisdom here. Perhaps you could help me understand a few things? You encourage bloggers to be themselves. Do other people get to be themselves too? What about nasty people posting nasty comments?
What if you get public comments that are critical beyond mere disagreement? Do you leave them on your RE blog? Do you respond or ignore? Did the people who complained in private email about your take on parenting skills of drowned children post nasty comments on your blog or just send the posts by private email as you indicate above?
The reason I ask is that, as you know, I have had some real problems at one blog in particular with folks not wanting me to be myself… It's not really me they dislike, but they dislike the me that has been portrayed by the site bullies.
Posts became heated conversations with nasty personal attacks on false basis that lead to natural defenses, which produce further false accusations – and then the inevitable, "you must be guilty if you feel defensive".
So, Jay… If somebody called you a cat hater, and you loved cats, would you ignore the post or disagree, or prove the poster wrong, or just delete the post?
I look to you as an expert in this field and admire your skill at blogging. I hope to hear some good wisdom in this particular venue which is away from the environment of that other blog. Perhaps we can have a reasonable discussion about blogs and being who you are and handling off base responses from a public who sometimes takes it on themselves to harass somebody in the blogging world…
Well said Jay, as always.
I feel your pain, Jay. The Pats stunk up the stadium for a long time! In fact the stadium itself stunk! I remember wading through waist deep water just to get a beer! Yes, it was that important!
Kraft bought the team, we got a new stadium, he made the investment in talent, both playing and coaching. Although I still kind of feel bad for Bledsoe, but it was meant to be.
Of course, Brady's a supastah but around here, Belechik is the demi-god.
Once again, Jay, you are the smartest person in the room. What a great article! And you have the patience of Job. I'd have hit "delete".
I like cats, too. And dogs!
Lonn – lots of great questions there, I’ll attempt to answer most…
“What if you get public comments that are critical beyond mere disagreement? Do you leave them on your RE blog? Do you respond or ignore?”
I have a “comment policy” (see this page, scroll past the pic of the kids) that is VERY loosely applied. Other than blatant spam and advertising comments, I’ve never deleted a single comment on this blog. And I’ve been called an “idiot”, “dumb ass”, “stupid”, etc on several occasions. I’ll respond to some of those comments. Most I just laugh at and ignore. I’ve found if you reply back in a civil manner, and toss in a little humor, it throws people like that for a loop and they just go away. It would take something very offensive for me to delete a comment (say something insulting or threatening to my wife or kids). I just don’t believe in deleting comments. The way I look at it is I’m putting my opinions and my personality out here for all to see. I know there will be people that disagree with me, and people that don’t like me. So what? They’re free to come here and say what I want. Ditto with “hijacking” threads. That practice seemed to bother you at Relib and I don’t understand why. It happens. A lot. I don’t see why it’s even remotely an issue.
I had an entire post (here) that was spawned by some rather blunt talk and opinions of real estate agents as a whole. That exchanged actually turned quite civil, with a couple of “bubbleheads” turning out to be OK kinda guys.
You and I seem to see “nasty personal attacks” differently. To be honest, much of what you called personal attacks and “nasty people posting nasty comments” on ReLiberation.com I didn’t see that way at all. I saw it as opinionated real estate professionals disagreeing on certain things. I don’t see “site bullies”. The grand total of “nasty people” I’ve seen on ReLib is zero. You want to see nasty people and nasty comments? Try looking at HousingPanicDOTcom. Relib is like pre-school nap time compared to that place.
But everyone sees things differently. That’s part of what makes the world go ’round.
Definitely different blogs and blogging platforms attract different “personalities” (witness HP.com just above). Public platforms ala REliberation, ActiveRain, forums, etc. seem to be much more inclined to pull in different types of people (just from shear traffic I suspect), and the occasional flame baiter than single stand-alone blogs like this. Those public communities definitely develop their own personalities and “rules”. No one will ever fit into every one of those, and if one doesn’t fit, I think it’s best just to move on and find one where they do fit. There’s plenty out there to chose from.
It is VERY easy to get defensive on a blog, especially when responding to what one feels is a personal attack. And defensiveness is often perceived as guilt by many humans. If/when I get really riled up, I employ the tactic of composing the response, saving it, and revisiting it the next day. Normally when I do that the response never gets published, or if it is, it gets toned down significantly.
One thing is certain in blogging. You have to grow a thick skin. If you chose to post anything remotely controversial or even just something that people will have varying opinions on, you can expect to be challenged, have people express opposing opinions, and yes, even be personally attacked. It *will* happen if you do this long enough. It’s prudent to determine your “strategy” for dealing with that in advance.
“If somebody called you a cat hater, and you loved cats, would you ignore the post or disagree, or prove the poster wrong, or just delete the post?”
My overwhelming choice would be to ignore it. I *might* disagree, gently and with some humor and grace. I would definitely not delete it. (actually, in this specific example, I’d probably point them to my “$600 Cat” post!)
Here’s a comment left here that some might consider a personal attack:
“When you wrote this, what smell was coming in to your one-bedroom efficiency, the stink from the Chinese restaurant you live above or the chemicals from the pet grooming salon next door?
I bet you’re real successful with the ladies when cruising around the Phoenix area in your ”˜88 Tempo.”
I responded here, and of course, never heard anything back.
Ditto to Howard.
I love the blog on the Cardinals! That was funny. I really have to visit here more often.
Thanks Howard.
And yes Cathy, you do!
I’m not anti-Cardinals, they just stink. It’s a fact. It truly is mostly due to ownership. The Bidwell’s are bumbling fools.
Very nice post. I am thinking about puting a blog in my web site, but sometimes I fail to see the benefits of a blog page. This post makes me realize the importance and benefits of a blog.
I am going to add bloggin to my site. Is it best to have your blogging on your domain or on a different website linking to your domain? Thanks
Jay: Thanks for the thoughtful response – which I only just now saw for some reason.