Little Known Advantages of Blogging Realtors - Santa Barbara and Montecito CA.
categories: Buyer's Resources & Advice, Random Thoughts & Opinions, Seller's Resources & Advice
A few years ago blogging was almost an unknown in the real estate business. Here and there a few Realtors and other real estate professionals were blogging, but not to the extent that is seen today. In the Santa Barbara and Montecito CA areas, there is currently very little blogging done by Realtors.
To me this is very interesting since the use of the Internet continues to expand as THE MAIN TOOL (an often the main starting point) for buyers and sellers to search for homes, gather information about areas, learn real estate tips and meet potential real estate agents.
For most buyers and sellers, I feel that working with a Realtor who blogs and blogs regularly (say 2-3 times per week) gives them many advantages.
Advantages for a buyer or seller of working with a Realtor who Blogs!!!
#1 - You as the consumer get to know the real estate agent and get to establish a rapport with them even before you meet them personally. Through their blogging, a buyer or seller will learn about an agent’s values, their style, their knowledge, their interests etc. Ultimately the consumer can then decide if they are someone they trust to help in achieving their real estate goals. There will be a definite comfort level achieved before you even begin.
#2 - You gain a definite insight into what the Realtor actually knows about their particular role in the real estate market they are in. Are they writing about short sales and foreclosures…if not, then most likely they don’t know much about them. Are they writing about oceanfront property and high-end property…if so, then most likely they do know about this market. No one knows everything about their particular business, but what they do know they tend to write about.
#3 - You will learn if the Realtor is an expert is your neighborhood of interest. If they have never written about Santa Barbara neighborhoods such as The Mesa, San Roque, Downtown, Oceanfront in Montecito, view homes and so on, then most likely they are not comfortable with those areas or markets for whatever reason. A Santa Barbara Realtor that blogs about certain areas demonstrates their knowledge of the area.
#4 - Does the Realtor cite facts and figures to support their points that they are making? Are other posts and websites they refer to in their own posts helpful as well? If this is all done clearly and of help, then the Realtor is taking their time to do their research. A definite criteria that any good Realtor should have.
#5 - The presence that a Realtor has online is extremely important these days with the Internet becoming THE MAIN TOOL in researching real estate. If you are looking for an agent to help you sell your home, make 100% sure that they have a good Internet presence and knowledge of how to market your property online. If you Google them for example, will they show up all over the place or are they hidden on the Web? If they are hidden, then most likely any online presence of your home being sold will also be hidden. If they are everywhere, then most likely your home will have a very good online presence.
#6 - Is their writing clear and precise. If so, then most likely your transaction with them will be smooth with good communication. This is obviously very important during any transaction. Through well thought out good writing you can learn how a Realtor thinks and communicates.
#7 - Lastly, a huge advantage of working with an agent that blogs is that you can learn about their character. Are they ethical and professional? Do they seem to have integrity and your interests at heart? Are they responsible, knowledgeable, likable and do they communicate clearly? You will learn about many advantages that a Realtor can bring to you as a client and into a transaction through their blogging.
As an active Real Estate Agent and Real Estate Blogger here in the Santa Barbara and Montecito CA areas, I feel that I am enabling the consumer with better transparency of information. I believe that the quality of the information is also extremely important. I also believe that by blogging I am more consumer focused and therefore a better Santa Barbara Realtor.
Further Reading: Is My Realtor a Santa Barbara Neighborhood Specialist in My Area?, Search the Santa Barbara, Goleta, Montecito CA MLS for Free, My Home has Declined in Value…Can My Property Taxes Be Lowered?, Plan For Your Santa Barbara Remodel Now, So You Don’t Go Crazy Later, The 2 Major First Steps in Buying a Home in Santa Barbara CA., Search the Santa Barbara MLS and More, Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice…Your Online Real Estate Resource
For information on Real Estate here in Santa Barbara, Montecito and/or our surrounding areas, as well as any other aspects of life in our area, please don’t hesitate to contact Kevin Schmidtchen at Sotheby’s Int’l Realty.
Thank you for reading. I hope you find Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice informative. Please feel free to contact me or comment below with any thoughts.
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Kevin -
You’ve given your readers a lot to think about. Blogging really does offer potential clients a unique insight into the personality and interests of a realtor and what they can expect. My only quibble? Just because I haven’t written about it doesn’t mean I don;t know about it - I could post every day and still not cover everything!
You’re off to a great start. Congratulations on one of the less than 1% of realtors nation wide who blog.
Michael
Michael
Thanks for the thoughts. As far as your comment on the “not writing about a topic and therefore not knowing about” it is all relative for sure. From my perspective, if you start to blog consistently you should within 2- 3 years be able to cover most topics that interest a potential client that relate to real estate in your area such as…all areas you work in, all neighborhoods, homes with views, oceanfront etc.
What you said is true that you can’t cover everything, but I think you should be able to cover most important topics and insight for potential clients after a few years of good effort in posting.
Thanks for your input. Take care
Kevin, good points. One thing I might ad is that if someone understands blogging at all, they know how much hard work it is. Someone who is blogging regularly is certainly to be credited with being consistent and hard working. Good Job!
Greg,
Could not agree more. Thanks for pointing this out.
Kevin, you make some excellent points! I believe if home buyers and sellers have much to gain from working with a “blogging Realtor”; transparency is at the top of my list!