Being as used to connectivity as I (and my clients) have become accustomed, not having reliable internet access is potentially damaging, both from a business and psychological perspective. The next five days should prove interesting. Neither the real estate market nor client representation take breaks.
Date Archives June 2007
Does blogging get clients?
Jay has a great post yesterday about whether blogging “gets” clients. After nearly 1900 posts in two and a half years, I can say unequivocally that yes, you can “get” clients from blogging (and surely lose some as well). Without working at blogging and building offline relationships, I wouldn’t have gotten this in an email:I am comfortable selecting you to be our buyer’s agent without interviewing other realtors. One, your whole philosophy and style is right there on your blog; two, Merv vouches for you.I have written many times before – if the goal of your blog is purely to “get” clients, don’t bother.
A sustainable University and beyond
It seems that whenever I miss something cool (to me) in Charlottesville, one of my first thoughts is,” I hope Charlottesville Tomorrow was there.” Once again, they have come through with their coverage of UVA’s “Greener Grounds” conference the other day, leading also to UVA’s new sustainability website…. UVA is a leader in many different areas:All new buildings constructed at the University of Virginia will be built to LEED certification…. Efforts to save water and electricity will be continued, resulting in a lower environmental impact and increased cost savings.This is one huge step closer to being able to declare green “mainstream.”I’ll reiterate my prediction: If builders aren’t building green within the next three to five years, they will be left behind by their competitors.
Realtor competence at an all-time low
Shocking. Anyone who has been in this business for more than three years can attest to this:”With the expansion of the number of Realtors, the level of competence has fallen to its lowest point ever,” says former NAR Chief Economist and best-selling author Dr. John Tuccillo……. real estate is no longer a part-time, halfway station on the road to making a quick buck. The new online consumers are expecting a great deal more than their counterparts a decade ago.I still think that NAR would do well by the professional Realtors to advocate for the use of a competent Realtor, rather than any Realtor; maybe local associations should triple their dues
The changing news cycle
What about you?That’s how news breaks and then takes in my world. I am sure most of you who read this blog do it the same way I do. I am equally sure that we are the minority and that most people are going to read the news for the first time this morning in their local paper. But I think the way it goes down in our world is the way of the future and services like Techmeme are going to be the new arbiters of how news takes.Recognizing that most do not yet live this way is key for marketing to that large segment (boomers).
For all Charlottesville agents, buyers and sellers
When I look at MLS photos I want to see the front of the house, the kitchen, some pasture and a barn if there is one…. Unless it’s an award winning designer bathroom we really only need one shot but not in place of the kitchen.In Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson, there are 2,597 properties currently listed as “active” in the MLS. Of these:2140 – Have more than one photo391 – Have only one photo67 – Have no photos at allFrom my perspective, it sure seems that there are more properties with only one photos or terrible photos…. For those of you buying or selling in the Charlottesville/Central Virginia area – do you have any advice for those marketing properties that you want to share?
If you’re interested in real estate blogging
You’d do well to visit Real Estate Weblogging 101, if you’re just starting or continuing the journey. Greg’s ability to see and implement audacious things is astounding. I expect that there will be much buzz today about the launch of this site. Keep up at Technorati.Courtesy of Google Trends: Now would seem to be a good time to start explaining things.