Your Ignorance Is OUR Gain
Dear Texas REALTOR Magazine,
I want to publicly thank you for your current issue’s article entitled “Want to waste some time?” by Michael Parker (principal at the Blackwater Consulting Group who takes people’s money for advising REALTORS about online marketing and SEO secrets) published on the second to last page, almost as an afterthought.
The final paragraph made me smile bigger than the last time I ate at Luby’s:
“I respectfully suggest that if you want to be a successful Internet real estate agent, put all this talk about social networking, Web 2.0, and the rest of it aside for another day. Concentrate on the basics right now. If you do, Internet buyers will beat a path to your door.”
Thank you so much for (1) reinforcing the belief that social networking and blogging is a “waste of time,” (2) implying that social networking is exclusively for “teens [and] young singles,” and (3) stating as fact (not as opinion) that social media usage is “not overwhelmingly successful for a high percentage of people who use them.”
The reason I thank you is because the more you perpetuate these beliefs and the more you sell your static webpages as superior to blogs and interlinking social networks, the more us stupid social networkers will flourish by building content and unparalleled interactivity while the ones who blindly follow advice given in your article will pump thousands of dollars into companies that promise them success online the easy way (by them not doing anything other than paying for a landing page).
Thank you for guiding people away from blogging and social networking- this makes our competitive edge ridiculously better. You’re right- having a virtual happy hour where clients come to YOU and you don’t have to hard sale them (since they don’t want that anyway) is really oh so terrible.
Clients who want to find us dumb social networkers online will have no problem because we’ve left a huge imprint (Google us and find THOUSANDS of pages proving our credibility and expertise) while those who buy “the basics” as a philosophy to getting “buyers [to] beat a path to [their] door” will find their wallets quickly shriveling (as Google only produces ONE page for them which comes up on the 23th or 24th search page). Thanks, Texas REALTOR Magazine, you’ve thinned out the competition FOR us!
———
As a sidenote, I am aware that I’ve gone on a tirade with my post, but for the most part, Texas REALTOR Magazine is typically an extremely resourceful, insightful, useful read, which is what makes THIS article stand out as a terribly sore thumb.
April 4th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
I would thank them, too. The more reinforcement there is that social media DOESNT work, the less competition I will have … and the more successful I will be.
April 4th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Haven’t been a “teen or young single” in a v-e-r-y long time…
April 4th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
My Follow Up Comment: There are a lot of very successful real estate agents out there who use Web 2.0 social media very successfully, and to discount this is irresponsible.
April 4th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Setting social media aside for another day is like saying set your internet marketing aside for another day. How else (other than shelling out cash for links) would a Realtor on a budget “build traffic” as it says in the Blackwater site without networking with writers to build links, reputation in order to get higher rankings and SEO for traffic a oh goodness I’ve gone cross-eyed.
There are people who understand you have to give to get and then there is this group. From the site, it looks like there is not much wisdom for them to share that doesn’t come at a cost. Oh well, I’ve never heard of them.
Hey we are all in this together, and we can market in our own ways… some people just prefer to do it differently. And thats ok. I just really hate it when people say “beat a path to your door” that expression is so overused and false. You should make an easy path, they shouldn’t have to beat it.
April 4th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
That Mr. Parker mentions the URLs of RealTown and ActiveRain as the only two specific examples of ways for, “sharing experiences and asking for help” clearly indicates he is indeed quite clueless when it comes to the power of social networking and blogging in real estate.
And for someone that, “specializes in online marketing services for REALTORS® and real estate professionals” his inability to grasp this power is disturbing.
He’s right about one thing:
“the only things that matter are results: the quality of leads you derive from your efforts; how many of those leads you convert to sales; and whether Internet buyers can find your site in one click.”
And my “sinkhole” of a blog does all of the above. And then some.
What a horrible piece of “advice” for Texas Realtors! (well, unless you are trying to sell services to “improve” static website performance).
This article needed a “the following is a paid advertisement” disclaimer.
April 4th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Oh, and here is the “article” for those interested.
April 4th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
I am amazed at the number of people who are willing to give advice based upon their perception of something. I’m pretty sure that Mr. Parker hasn’t spent enough time investigating the reality of social media and the tremendous opportunities it provides. There is empirical evidence that suggests social media, implemented correctly, is not only effective, it promises to become one of the most important ingredients to a well planned marketing mix. It’s one thing for people to fear what they do not understand. It’s another thing entirely when professional advice is given to people without the chops to back it up. Ignore social media at your own peril. Ignore Mr. Parker at your pleasure.
April 4th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
I have to admit that I agree whole-heartedly with all of his comments and hope someone out here will write the exact same thing in the AAR bulletin.
It may mean I’m the only one available for the next real estate bloggers meet-up because everyone else who gave up is working at Whataburger, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take.
April 4th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Wanted to add this in… clipped from a recent BusinessWeek Article
Go ahead and bellyache about blogs. But you cannot afford to close your eyes to them, because they’re simply the most explosive outbreak in the information world since the Internet itself. And they’re going to shake up just about every business—including yours. It doesn’t matter whether you’re shipping paper clips, pork bellies, or videos of Britney in a bikini, blogs are a phenomenon that you cannot ignore, postpone, or delegate. Given the changes barreling down upon us, blogs are not a business elective. They’re a prerequisite. (And yes, that goes for us, too.)
-BusinessWeek Feb 08 - Social Media Will Change Your Business: http://www.businessweek.com/print/bwdaily/dnflash/content/feb2008/db20080219_908252.htm
April 4th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
“…a successful Internet real estate agent, put all this talk about social networking, Web 2.0, and the rest of it aside for another day”
Wow. In my mind, there is no such thing as being a successful internet real estate agent without web 2.0. You can’t get one without the other.
If you’re going to focus on being successful via the internet, you have to practice social networking. If not, I’m on the wrong track and should go back to bed.
April 4th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
So, like what you’re saying it that me and my BFF @KathyDrewien are totally wasting our time on these blogs. OMG, I’m just going to gag myself with a spoon and then pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for someone to optimize me. That’s Hott!
April 4th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
I knew that Texas Realtor article sounded familiar. Sure hope they didn’t think they were getting an original article:
http://www.brokeragentnews.com/news/residential/2008_2/2_19_2008_nv_1203436125.html
April 4th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Hello, all;
Jay, take a chill pill; the magazine saw the article elsewhere and asked to reprint it.
To the rest of you screaming for my head, please be aware the magazine severely edited my previous article. In it, I said the reason blogging failed for 95% of agents is that after a while, they stopped blogging; usually when the reality that it is a constant thing dawned on them. I never said blogging cannot help; I did say that unless one wants to write every day, one should hire it done by a blogging company who will maintain your blog for you.
The other major point not promulgated in the article was this: I said that the AVERAGE agent could not produce a slick, professional blog that was relevant to the industry; such as FOREM or Active Rain or Real Town. I stated that in my opinion, unless you are prepared to produce tomething on that level, leave it to the professionals.
Last, I said (and will continue to say) that Facebook and My Space are not the places folks go looking for homes; thus, why list there?
With due respect to everyone, I respectfully submit that you missed my valid point: the AVERAGE agent need not be cutting edge, technologically, to succeed on the Internet. A good site, on a good platform, with proper REAL SEO will do the job. We have 1000+ clients who agree.
Sorry to gore anyone’s ox. If it works for you, that doesn’t mean it will work for others who do not fully apply themselves to it and keep it current daily. If you argue with that, so be it.
Best wishes to all for your continued success.
Mike Parker
April 4th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Mike -
I don’t need a pill, thanks. I simply wondered if Texas Realtor thought they were getting an original article. You answered that question (in pretty typical fashion).
“I did say that unless one wants to write every day, one should hire it done by a blogging company who will maintain your blog for you.”
A horrific idea, in my opinion. Ghost written blogs defeat one of the great things about blogging — that being displaying YOUR personality, not some random ghost writers. I want my readers to connect with me, not John Doe, Ghost Writer.
PS: You don’t need to write every day to have a successful blog.
Of course blogging is not for everyone. Who said it was? Your articles imply (to me) that it doesn’t work for ANYONE. And clearly that is not the case.
April 4th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Mike,
Forem started out on a run-of-the mill blog template in 06, and is currently running on a widely-available theme. It’s not really the theme that is important when starting out anyway. I think that the content is what made it popular. Starting an Active Rain blog is ridiculously easy, and requires no tech savvy…Plus it’s a good way for an agent to dip their toe and see if they are up for writing regularly.
I think people are trying to debunk your article because you grouped Social Media, Web 2.0, Myspace and Facebook all in the same boat and sank it. Now there are going to be Realtors who will turn their nose up at the whole idea due to being educated through your article in a prominent magazine.
I guess with great power comes great responsibility, and your article will be very influential compared to say, this lively 2-way conversation taking place here in the social media realm. Maybe.
Which brings us back to Lani’s point, thanks for helping keep the mass of agents off social media and blogging.
But that stinks when somebody cuts parts out of your writing. What a bummer. You should start a blog and get into social media yourself. It’s a lot of fun if nothing else.
April 4th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Define “REAL SEO”.
April 4th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
“one should hire it done by a blogging company who will maintain your blog for you.”
While I understand your reasoning, having someone else do it pretty much defeats the purpose of a blog.
Blogging enables buyers and sellers to develop a connection with a salesperson prior to approaching them. It also enables a sales person to demonstrate value early on in the relationship. This type of connection cannot be made when the work is hired out.
The practice of “farming” is an effort to establish yourself as a resource within a community. With buyers and sellers looking for resources online when they’re considering making a change, it’s imperative that a sales person develop and online presence for themselves as a resource. A blog facilitates this sort of online farming in a simple and effective manor.
The “average” salesperson should be able to competently talk about their areas of knowledge and the communities they work in, blogging is one way to do that.
Blogging is not complicated, and requires barely more savvy than sending an email. While it’s not for everyone, it certainly is an important part of establishing a strong business.
April 4th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
So, Jay; what part of “The reason that blogging doesn’t work for 95% of agents is that they discontinue their blogging..” don’t you understand?
BTW, how many property sales did your blog deliver for you last month? If it delivered for you, wonderful. Blogging does not deliver for those who do not do it a assiduously as you do. That’s what I said, that’s what I meant.
For what it’s worth, I believe blogging–WHEN DONE RIGHT AND ALWAYS– is a great thing. The problem is that those looking for quick fixes as to what’s wrong with their real estate practice will likely not do it right or daily. I’ll take great pains to clarify that in a future article.
We all know that only 10% of agents are happy with the production from their websites(NAR), I humbly point out that 90% of our clients renew. I’d say their satisfaction with the production from their websites is high, and far past NAR average.
To quote one client (who will be spotlighted this month in an article):”In 2006, we were one of the top 25 teams in San Antonio and our sales were $16.000,000. In 2007, we were the #10 group in San Antonio and our sales were $26,000,000 Our sales were an increase in the internet clients I received from my site in 2007 as opposed to those I received in 2006. It is pretty black and white as to where our increase came from, as the only thing I did differently was subscribe to CompassSearch!”
I would love it if an agent wanting to blog really committed to it. I simply know that in this industry, like all industries, it’s the rare person who really commits to anything. Most just want someone else to do it for them. That’s where we come in. I am sorry if I hurt anyone’s feelings, but that’s my honest opinion after dealing with many agents on a regular basis.
Blog on, but recognize that others lack the committment that you have. That’s who I was addressing. You can see the entire article at http://www.brokeragentnews.com/news/residential/2008_3/3_17_2008_ax_1205786799.html
Best regards to all,
Mike Parker
April 4th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
*sigh* another typical Mike Parker discussion…
Mike, I said, IN MY OPINION your ARTICLES (the ARTICLES Mike, not your comments here) imply blogging doesn’t work for anyone. Where do I get that opinion from? Start with the Texas Realtor article TITLE, “Want to Waste Some Time?” In my simple mind, you are trying to say that blogging (and other aspects of social networking) are, well, a waste of time. TO ME, the implication IN THAT ARTICLE is it doesn’t work for ANYONE.
NOWHERE in the Texas Realtor article do you mention the “average” realtor or your 95% number.
In the other article, the word “average” is never used. neither is this 95% number (have a source for that by the way, or is that your opinion?). Now, you do use 90% in the BrokerAgent News article, but not 95% (I’m referring to the BAN article I linked to. The one you linked to was on SEO)
“BTW, how many property sales did your blog deliver for you last month?”
That’s really none of your business. I’m not the type of agent that pimps my sales numbers. But before you go off and say something like:
“One Agent weighed in from Phoenix, where his blog is high in the search engines in a very tough market. “My blog had 27,000 visits last month” he crowed.” I joined in and asked: “How many SALES did those 27,000 visits produce?” “How many hours were spent blogging?” As silence was my response, I trust that the answer was either, “not many” or “none” to the former and “plenty” to the latter.”
(by the way, you trusted incorrectly. I chose to ignore you)
Suffice it to say that 10 of our 13 current listings were generated from the blog. And that’s been a pretty consistent ratio for the last 2 of the 3 years I’ve been blogging.
I’m not a mega-producer Mike, never claimed to be. But I do OK and can support my family. My blogging efforts have allowed me to recently open my own independent brokerage, which is one reason our numbers are a little low right now.
I’ve also written and spoken frequently that blogging is not a panacea. It is NOT for everyone. Neither is door knocking, buying leads or paying for SEO. Different things work for different people.
April 4th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
I’ll thank them too! My last 3 listing (within the last 2 weeks) all came from my blog. I have a buyer under agreement and another looking..all from my blog in the last 3 weeks.
Yes I’ll thank them!
April 4th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
What a great discussion. I hope Mike Parker reads, digests, and understands Jay’s point.
I’ll give Mike Parker some stats for my production, just for this week alone: 5 new listings. And every one of them priced correctly…not needing to be “bought”, because the client was sold on me, before they ever contacted me. And as a double bonus, not one discussion about my commission. No question at all. Again, they were completely sold on my value, because my blog communicates it so clearly.
The age of my blog: 9 months old and 158 posts. That’s only an every other day average. Total cost: $9.95 from GoDaddy.com Time cost: ~158 hours to write the 158 posts. That means I’m spending 1/9th of my time marketing myself, communicating my value, saving me tons of time during listing presentations.
One point that Mike Parker makes that is true, is that blogging won’t work for everyone. Direct mail doesn’t work for everyone either. Neither does any ONE marketing tool. But to say that blogging will fail for 95% of all REALTORs…now that’s just silly and baseless. Sheesh, if I can do it, it means it’s definitely silly and baseless.
PS- Jonathon, I wish I could support putting the article into AAR…but as much as I’d like a message of “don’t waste your time with this, 95% of you will fail” I simply don’t agree.
April 4th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
I don’t either, Steve, but I’m all for less competition because they chose to believe it’s more complicated than it really is.
April 5th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Five listings in a week is definitely outstanding. I wish you all luck and it would be interesting to conduct a survey about this across all geographic areas and across all types of agents.
If I can convince a publication with a wide distribution to assist me in doing so, I will, and I will post the results in a column. I can poll our own client base, and I will do that. I also might extend that to the 35,000 folks who have requested a booklet from us in the past year, if I can tally the results automatically (I’d hate to have to go through 35,000 responses with a pencil and paer–wait! I’ll just get some of Florida’s election and voting machines from the “Hanging Chad” election; then we can have the Supreme Court decide this issue!).
It isn’t that serious, you say? Exactly. Please don’t take anyone’s stated opinion about any subject as if it were a personal insult, because it is not. I suspect that a small percentage of devoted bloggers will continue to profit from blogging and that the vast majority will not.
I still don’t see anyone telling me that they have sold many houese off Facebook, though, and that–as much as amnything– was a point made in the article. I don’t see the point of commenting any further on this issue until I get some survey results to share with everyone.
Best wishes for your continued success!
Mike Parker
Differences of opinon are what makes for a horserace, as the saying goes. I think the practice of taking disagreement personally is so widespread today that it can be hard to have a civil conversation about almost anything.
April 5th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Mike Parker,
I see nothing wrong with a healthy discussion on these issues. It would be useful to see how people are benefitting from their websites and blogs statistically.
But telling someone to “take a chill pill” in a discussion like this goes beyond the pale.
April 5th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
“the magazine severely edited my previous article”
Doesn’t the author have the final say in a published piece? If the article is severely edited, the author still has his/her name on it. The piece should still be a reflection of the author’s opinion and beliefs. No??
April 5th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Hi, Vickie;
That’s usually the case, but when a source asks to reprint something already out there (this article was originally published in Broker Agent News) and they tell you that they may need to shorten it a bit to fit it into their format, while one does not expect major points to be omitted, it can easily happen.
No worries, though! 100 years from now, no one will care!
BTW, I have had more negative posts from this blog, on this topic, than I have received in the past year on the 40+ so articles that have been published. Who knew?
Best regards,
Mike Parker
April 5th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Mike - I don’t totally disagree with the article. If you’re looking for a niche real estate site for a particular neighborhood where there’s little keyword competition, you can do it without a blog and be successful.
That doesn’t work nearly so well if you’re playing in some of the bigger ponds out there (and Phoenix Arizona Real Estate is a pretty big one.)
To my mind, backlinks are so 2005. I dumped all of mine and helped my SEO immediately. That’s an old trick that’s less effective now than three years ago.
Yes, those who aren’t committed to blogging are doomed to fail but isn’t that true of everything? Door knocking is not meant to be a one-day solution. Neither are the old fashioned mailers. All have to be done repeatedly.
I wouldn’t be surprised at the backlash here … you’re audience is a number of agents who have been very successful using their blogs and other social media to build their business.
April 6th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Here’s an email from the other side of the issue I received today.
Sent: Sunday, April 06, 2008 2:10 PM
To: mparker@theblackwatercg.com
Subject: Texas Realtor article on Blogging
Thank you for putting into proper perspective the relative importance of blogging as compared to other internet activities. I was beginning to think I was losing my mind with all the hoopla about blogging, social networking that I was seeing everywhere. I find myself spending more and more time at the computer giving me less time to interact with buyers and sellers face to face or on the phone. You are correct I think in saying that properties are not sold blogging and social networking, but dealing with buyers and sellers on a very personal and direct basis. I think you have done a service especially to young agents who might think that if they spend enough time on blogging they will be successful; you have put at least my mind at ease about this subject.”
Best regards,
Mike Parker
April 6th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Again, Mike, I don’t think anyone is saying here that one has to blog, or that blogging is the only way to be successful. We simply disagree with your statement that blogging is a waste of time.
It’s not black & white, little in this business is.
April 6th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
> You are correct I think in saying that properties are not sold blogging and social networking, but dealing with buyers and sellers on a very personal and direct basis.
And how do you get in front of those clients? How do you get them to even know you exist?
Blogging is a method of prospecting. Nothing more, nothing less. Telling people it’s a waste of time is almost as useless as my father-in-law’s advice when I first started … “You gotta work hard.” Okay, so how do I get in front of people? “You just gotta work hard.”
Okay, whatever.
April 7th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Mike- something to think about.
“BTW, I have had more negative posts from this blog, on this topic, than I have received in the past year on the 40+ so articles that have been published. Who knew?”
I think your statment speaks volumes, and maybe not the type of volume you’d want it to speak. It is exactly how social media is powerful for any agent wanting to gain instant voice in their market. Warning not to do it 1/2 ass is great, but the louder point is that it should be a #1 priority. Looking at todays results is ignorance when you look at two years from now and start after the train has left.
Think of it like this, in 1994-96 we all wondered why we would want a “domain name” or be on the “information super highway” - we’re in that moment again in 2008 with social media. this aint rocket science.
sorry your article was chopped but at least you got to use the power of social media to redirect your points.
April 7th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
[...] of you in order to do face-to-face. Blogging, or any concerted web presence, can help you do that. Simply telling new agents they need to get in front of people without giving any indication how isn&…. Because what you’re doing is setting them up to spend a fortune buying all of these [...]
April 9th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Wow- what a great discussion to read. I’m no real estate agent, but seems to me like you can somehow strike a balance between the two sides. Certainly not a black and white issue here.
April 12th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
I read the article, and it seems to me that the concern is valid that blogging is being pushed so hard when, in reality, the vast majority of bloggers fail. Yes, it works. But most of you here are GREAT writers, disciplined, and you obviously like blogging. I too am concerned about advising the everyman to blog. I think it should be approached carefully. Not everyone is cut out for blogging.
April 18th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
So true - let them perpetuate ignorance, and those of us who blog will continue laughing all the way to the bank. No testimonials here because I’d prefer my competition not know how well blogging works. By the way, I’m not in my 30’s or single (a 5-time grandmother) and many of my blogging buddies and readers (more important) are, as well.
April 18th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Margaret–
I ran your site through the SEO Digger, and I cannot see that you rank for any terms that people are searching for to any degree. From where are you getting your traffic?
May 30th, 2008 at 12:15 am
[...] We all know it’s not a total waste for everyone… but are you willing to take the steps to become better at it? That is the question. [...]