Every few days I moderate through the Activerain MLS Online Group and remove posts that do not follow the group guidelines. Without fail, just about every time I go through I come across at least one or two agents that have posted anywhere between 10-20 listings in a row. When I see this, I normally take a few minutes to view their blog to see if they are using their blog as an MLS extension, or if they are also integrating in localized content about their area.
Almost every time, the agent is only posting their listings on Activerain and nothing else! It saddens me when I find these blogs because the agents are missing out on much more of the assets that Activerain has to offer. Remember, if consumers just want to find a listing, they are going to be searching sites like Realtor.com, and Yahoo Real Estate. The reason the consumers find your blog on Activerain is simple:
- The Consumer is interested on more information on an area than just what homes are currently listed for sale.
- The consumer is trying to find out more about the real estate agent they are about to use to make one of the biggest purchases of their life. Remember, consumers want a local expert to help them buy or sell their home. The way they determine how competent we are is by reading our content.
- Consumers are reading blogs to learn more about the personality of the agent they are about to hire. A buyer or seller want to make sure the agent they are hiring is a good fit for them.
Now don't get me wrong, I think posting listing on your blog is a good idea. The name of the game on the web is to get yourself and your listings exposed to the largest group of people possible and your blog is a great device to accomplish this. However, if you are only doing this, you are missing out on much more.
Content controls almost everything in your blog, so make sure to fill it with quality content and a good quantity of it on a regular basis to be most effective!
If You Are Using Activerain as an MLS, You Obviously do not Understand What a Blog is or Social Networking!
Via Jeremy Blanton (ActiveRain Corp.):
1 comment • Sandra White • April 06 2009 05:52PMResearch from the National Association of REALTORS®
Consumers are 5 times more likely to sell a home through the Internet than
through newspaper advertising and 24 times more likely to find the home
they purchase on the Internet than in a real estate book or magazine
0 comments • Sandra White • April 06 2009 12:11PMContent © 2009 'Frequent Contributors'. Design © 2009 ActiveRain Corp.
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