“Best of…” lists are never easy to compile. What constitutes a “best” blog post? Number of comments, Likes, or Retweets? Number of visitors? Ones that make the phone ring with paying clients (YES! But that is virtually impossible to measure).

“Best” is subjective. What one person thinks is a great post, someone else may find to be complete crap.

So with all that in mind, I present you with what I felt was some of the best of the blog in 2011. I used a completely scientific and mathematical algorithm… I virtually thumbed through the archives and picked posts I liked. For whatever reason. Your mileage and opinion may vary.

Some of my favorite posts from 2011, in no particular order, other than chronological…

A life-altering moment. Putting things in perspective

Witnessing the aftermath of a fatal car accident — and one I thought momentarily might involve my son — made me think about things a whole lot differently. This was one of those rare posts that people reached out privately and said how much it moved them.

Does a Physical Office Matter to Real Estate Agents or Consumers?

It’s a subject near and dear to my heart. I’ll argue until the day I die that the answer is a resounding no.

On Presenting at Ignite Phoenix 10. From sheer terror to adrenaline overdose in 5 minutes.

Completely non-real estate related. But presenting at Ignite Phoenix was one of my personal highlights of 2011.

I’m suing you! You are illegally manipulating the Google!

This one garnered a ton of Likes and comments. Some folks still refer to The Google… And no, I never heard another peep from the dipwad that threatened to sue.

What You Can Learn from Lady Gaga

Even at 50 years of age, you can still learn things. This one was a lesson for me in preconceived notions…

The Final Season

It’s my youngest child’s senior year of high school. Lots of memories of “last time she’ll ever…” This one still makes me misty.

The Immutable Laws of Buying and Selling Real Estate

Any post that references Newton’s Laws of Motion deserves a mention…  One of my most stolen posts of 2011.

How Real Estate is Like a Cheeseburger”¦

Probably my favorite title of the year. This is what you get when you “crowd source” a post topic.

7 Habits of Highly Effective Home Buyers

Kicked off a (small) series. Another candidate for most ripped-off of 2011. Maybe ever.

Hacked. Or, how I spent the last 60 hours

Three pretty shitty days. Nothing like thinking everything you’ve poured into your site for the last six plus years may never see the light of day again.

What Clint Miller Taught Me About Life

Clint Miller was a champion among men. We should all learn to live like Clint did. Hands down the most difficult thing to write this year.

The Thompson’s Realty Manifesto

Why it took over three years to articulate our brokerages philosophy in one place is beyond me.

THANK YOU!

Thanks to all one million plus of you who stopped by our little corner of the Internet in 2011 (and that number still freaks me out). Without you, this place wouldn’t serve a whole lot of purpose. Your reading, subscribing, commenting, Liking and Tweeting are why we’re here. You, oh avid reader, are appreciated and I wish you a fabulous 2012!