How Becoming a Real Estate Blogger Made Me a Better Agent

Let’s start with the basics for those of you that are still wondering what this blog thing is all about.

So what exactly is a blog?

I hear this question a lot around my office as I’m enthusiastically telling everyone about my new adventure. Simply put, a blog is similar to a journal that a person or group keeps on the web that is available for anyone to read. The blogger posts articles daily or weekly that will hopefully be interesting to readers. Readers stop by to read articles, and might even add the blog to a feed reader or subscribe via email so that they get informed every time there is a new article posted.

Consider starting your own blog:

Blogs are a great way to keep in touch with people. Some bloggers write about their daily lives, sharing their experiences with their friends and family, and anyone else that happens to find their lives interesting. Many others choose to focus on a hobby or passion.

Are you into photography? Maybe you are an avid knitter? Do you find tracking investments fascinating?

Regardless of the topic, there are plenty of other people out there already writing about the subject, and they always welcome one more to the blogging community. Try it. Pick some unusual hobby and do a Bloglines search. I bet you’ll be surprised at how many blogs are out there.

Why did I decide to become a blogger?

Let’s be honest. As a real estate agent that makes a living by helping clients buy and sell homes, the primary purpose of my blog is to increase my business. I hope that visitors will find the information interesting enough to keep reading so that when they eventually do need a real estate agent or know someone that is looking for an agent, they’ll think of me.

I also think that my blog is a great way for me to pass on really helpful information to my clients and anyone else that wants to learn more about real estate or the St. Louis market. There are so many things that I want my clients to know, but we can only talk about so much each time we get together. Over time, the posts on this blog will become a primer that my clients can use to get up to speed on a number of issues.

I know that picking an agent is a huge decision and can have major financial consequences for home buyers and sellers. I hope that people who have met me or have been given my name as a referral will take some time to read my blog and get to know me. Hopefully the information they find here will make them feel comfortable deciding to hire me to be their agent. And if they decide that I’m not the right agent for them, well…this blog probably just saved me a lot of wasted time with someone that would have eventually used another agent anyway. (Hint hint…if you know someone that is planning on moving, please send them a link to my blog and tell them how wonderful I am!)

Surprising benefits that came with becoming a blogger:

When I started blogging, I was looking for a way to communicate the knowledge that I have about real estate to current and potential clients. I never expected that blogging would make me a better agent.

In order to write well about a topic, I have to really understand the issues. My research in preparing articles has given me a much broader base of knowledge. I also started tracking market statistics, and really understand what is happening in the market compared to simply going with my instincts about trends (which is what most agents do). Seeing which articles are more popular also helps me understand which issues are most important to home buyers and sellers.

The most unexpected benefit of blogging has to be discovering a world of other bloggers that are interested in the same issues as me. I now have colleagues all over the world to collaborate with and learn from. Jay Thompson (Phoenix), Jim Cronin (California), Norm Fisher (Saskatoon Canada) and Suzanne Stephens (Washington) have all become trusted resources…and are always so willing to share their knowledge. Without blogging, I would never had ‘met’ these fine folks.

So…could blogging help your business or connect you with people that share your favorite hobby?

Tomorrow I’ll post Part 2 of this series – 10 Basic Tips on How to Start a Blog.

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Possibly Related Posts:

1. Hiring a Real Estate Agent ~ Little Things Matter
2. How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Missouri
3. The Next Chapter in My Real Estate Career
4. Real Estate Agent Numbers are Dropping

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