Teaching Effective Blogging to Realtors?

One of the great things about real estate blogging is that we’re all making this up as we go along… What is the “right” way to blog? I really have no idea but I like to think that the contributors on Rain City Guide are on the right track…

Recognizing that we might be onto something, Russ Cofano approached me a few months ago with the idea of creating a “Bloginar” where we would travel the country teaching real estate professionals how to blog (This is before I accepted a position at Move). With his experience giving seminars to real estate professionals and our combined experience with blogging, the timing seemed right and we quickly put together an outline for our idea. Russ ran this outline past some of his contacts in the industry and the results is that we quickly signed up a few organizations to host our seminars. Our first similar was today in Portland, and for those interested, here is a high-level outline of our presentation:

Understanding Blogs

  • History
  • Anatomy
  • Motivations

Basics of Blogging

  • Creating a Blog
  • Posting Content
  • Creating Links
  • Writing Comments

Increasing Your Business With Blogging

  • Current Internet Real Estate Tools Suck
  • High Search Engine Ranking
  • High Conversion Rates
  • Long-Term Benefits
  • Low Monetary Costs

Effective Blogging Techniques

  • Linkation
  • Content
  • Complementary Tools

It is a full three-hour presentation so you can imagine that we go into a lot of detail on each of these topics!

There are a couple of things that I know are missing from our presentation… I’d really like to spent more time on how to host a blog as well as how to incorporate photos/podcasts/videos into blogs. With that said, we only had three hours so we tried to hit the “sweat-spot” of giving enough information to new bloggers without overloading them on some of the more advanced stuff. My hope is that each and every person that walks out of our seminars feels equipped (and excited!) enough to start an effective real estate blog that evening.

If you’re interested in scheduling this seminar for your organization, please contact Russ (His blog is Realty Objectives [link removed] and his site includes some more information on our seminars [link removed]). You’ll definitely want to sign up soon because with my full-time job at Move, I can only commit to a handful of presentations each month (and we’re already booked-up through July!).

Also, if you are one of the people who attended the seminar, please consider leaving a comment below with your take on our presentation (along with a link to your new blog! 😉 )

46 thoughts on “Teaching Effective Blogging to Realtors?

  1. Hi Dustin & Russ,

    I just got home from attending your FIRST “bloginar” in Gresham and found the information WAY cool! But I am the techno-whiz-kid in my office. (Did I say that like it’s a “bad thing?”)

    If I’m not out showing property, which is where I’m heading in a few minutes, I’m usually on the computer researching the real estate market and/or trying to figure out how to expand my business. Now I’ve got a most effective new feather to insert into my hat!

    Give me a few hours…and I’ll get something up. If my daughter can do “My Space,” I can certainly do this too!

  2. Hi Dustin & Russ,

    I just got home from attending your FIRST “bloginar” in Gresham and found the information WAY cool! But I am the techno-whiz-kid in my office. (Did I say that like it’s a “bad thing?”)

    If I’m not out showing property, which is where I’m heading in a few minutes, I’m usually on the computer researching the real estate market and/or trying to figure out how to expand my business. Now I’ve got a most effective new feather to insert into my hat!

    Give me a few hours…and I’ll get something up. If my daughter can do “My Space,” I can certainly do this too!

  3. Hey Leslie

    So glad you could attend today. When you get your new blog up and running, let us know. We are going to keep taps on Bloginar grads. Let us know if you need any help.

    Russ

  4. Dustin and Russ, your first bloginar class was awesome! I have not been so excited about a new idea in years. We have been searching for an idea for the fourth generation of our website http://www.MountHoodHomes.com and I am convinced this is it! I was surprised you were not selling something at the end of the “show”- I would have been first in line!!! Your Rain City Guide really hit home. I have tried to use the “guide” theme in our website after mountain guiding for thirty years- I thought the risk/knowledge angle paralleled well with real estate. My mind has been going so fast, I was up at 3am this morning ready to get caught up on my first blog I started a couple weeks ago http://www.TimberlineReunion.com

    Thank you for the breakthrough- I was getting bored with the same old stuff! I know we will speak (blog?) again… (We were front row, on your left)
    Dale Crockatt- Broker, ABR, CRS, GRI
    Oregon Realty Company
    http://www.MountHoodHomes.com

  5. Dustin and Russ, your first bloginar class was awesome! I have not been so excited about a new idea in years. We have been searching for an idea for the fourth generation of our website http://www.MountHoodHomes.com and I am convinced this is it! I was surprised you were not selling something at the end of the “show”- I would have been first in line!!! Your Rain City Guide really hit home. I have tried to use the “guide” theme in our website after mountain guiding for thirty years- I thought the risk/knowledge angle paralleled well with real estate. My mind has been going so fast, I was up at 3am this morning ready to get caught up on my first blog I started a couple weeks ago http://www.TimberlineReunion.com

    Thank you for the breakthrough- I was getting bored with the same old stuff! I know we will speak (blog?) again… (We were front row, on your left)
    Dale Crockatt- Broker, ABR, CRS, GRI
    Oregon Realty Company
    http://www.MountHoodHomes.com

  6. Thanks Leslie and Dale,

    I really enjoyed working with Russ to design and give the presentation and I definitely look forward to move of them in the future!

    Definitely keep up informed as you move forward with your blogging!

  7. Thanks Leslie and Dale,

    I really enjoyed working with Russ to design and give the presentation and I definitely look forward to move of them in the future!

    Definitely keep up informed as you move forward with your blogging!

  8. Pingback: RealtyObjectives » Blog Archive » Bloginar

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  10. Chuck,

    We have one sponsored for Seattle (I think it is September!).

    So far, our strategy has been to work with the local MLS organizations and let them take on the responsibility of registering people (and places!). So, while it is not open to all (open registration), it is open to all realtors.

  11. Chuck,

    We have one sponsored for Seattle (I think it is September!).

    So far, our strategy has been to work with the local MLS organizations and let them take on the responsibility of registering people (and places!). So, while it is not open to all (open registration), it is open to all realtors.

  12. Ditto Chuck’s question,

    Dustin and Russ, could there be one in Seattle for real estate investors who are not realtors?

    Or… Is there a technology that could facilitate a live online session with screen shots or live “co-browsing” and chat or voice so it could be given from anywhere to anywhere with multiple participants?

  13. Ditto Chuck’s question,

    Dustin and Russ, could there be one in Seattle for real estate investors who are not realtors?

    Or… Is there a technology that could facilitate a live online session with screen shots or live “co-browsing” and chat or voice so it could be given from anywhere to anywhere with multiple participants?

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  15. Dustin,
    As the lucky recipient of your ‘beta test’ version of the blogging seminar, I can only say that my head is still swimming a week later. It wasn’t just the blogging that was important but the impact blogging is and will be having on all of us, from influencing public policies to a newer and better medium for educating anyone about anything. In addition, I have to really rearrange my day to fit in just the blog reading, let alone writing. Seems I should have studied writing in school instead of flirting with the boys!
    See you soon.

  16. that looks like a pretty effective presentation! wish i could be there. On my blog, Real Estate Blog Pro (http://reblogpro.com), I offer tips, tricks and hacks to agents without trying to overwhelm them with web jargon…i believe the approachability of the technology may be one of the greatest things holding agents back.
    As always, your blog is supreme! Visit the site sometime…i really hope to eventually have a dialogue between agents who have genuine questions and at times guest bloggers who would like to share their secrets.

  17. Dustin, Thank you for continuing to share your knowledge and passion for blogging. It’s been fun watching the blog and you evolve…especially your sharing and teaching others so they easily learn and understand that blogging can easily be part of their online marketing strategy.

    You are making a difference in the industry. (keep doing it – I keep picking up great tips too)

    Best of luck at Move…I’m sure they look forward to some of your magic and passion.

  18. Dustin, Thank you for continuing to share your knowledge and passion for blogging. It’s been fun watching the blog and you evolve…especially your sharing and teaching others so they easily learn and understand that blogging can easily be part of their online marketing strategy.

    You are making a difference in the industry. (keep doing it – I keep picking up great tips too)

    Best of luck at Move…I’m sure they look forward to some of your magic and passion.

  19. Thank you for the class on blogging. I shared some of the information with brokers in my office and they would love to attend next time you are in the Portland area. We are currently developing a new website and will be incorporating blogging into that site, using Dustin’s suggestions. I will let you know when we get it put together so maybe you can check it out!

    I agree with everything you both said about the new way of finding a realtor is here to stay. I truely believe that a successful realtor in the future will need to incorporate both old school charm and new school technology.

    Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

  20. Dustin,

    I’ve been reading and learning a lot from your posts on effective blogging.
    So although I haven’t had the opportunity to attend your seminar yet, I have learned several helpful techniques from you and the Rain City guide on blogging. For that, many thanks.. Will you be coming to Orange County, CA. soon? Or, anywhere in CA? I’d like attend one of your events as well as bring some other members of my team…My blog, http://www.myagentphone.blogspot.com is titled, “Leveraging Technology to Sell Real Estate.” I plan to research out the best of breed technologies to use to assist the real estate sales professional. Topics include, Blogging, eCommerce, web lead gen, hotline lead gen, listing tools, IVR, effective ad tracking, CRM solutions, low cost telecommunications systems and more..
    I’ll continue to inform my readers on your techniques and send them to see the incredible job your whole team does on a daily basis.. We’ll get to daily soon..:-) Thanks again for everything and keep up the excellent work! Damien Zamora

  21. Dustin,

    I’ve been reading and learning a lot from your posts on effective blogging.
    So although I haven’t had the opportunity to attend your seminar yet, I have learned several helpful techniques from you and the Rain City guide on blogging. For that, many thanks.. Will you be coming to Orange County, CA. soon? Or, anywhere in CA? I’d like attend one of your events as well as bring some other members of my team…My blog, http://www.myagentphone.blogspot.com is titled, “Leveraging Technology to Sell Real Estate.” I plan to research out the best of breed technologies to use to assist the real estate sales professional. Topics include, Blogging, eCommerce, web lead gen, hotline lead gen, listing tools, IVR, effective ad tracking, CRM solutions, low cost telecommunications systems and more..
    I’ll continue to inform my readers on your techniques and send them to see the incredible job your whole team does on a daily basis.. We’ll get to daily soon..:-) Thanks again for everything and keep up the excellent work! Damien Zamora

  22. As EMAR staff, I confess I wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of having to attend the May 5 Bloginar – I figured it was one more technology fad to resist learning. Boy, was I surprised!

    Thanks to your passionate and simple, but thorough presentation, I discovered blogging is a lot easier and more fun than I thought it would be. I especially appreciated the explanation of Google ranking and the importance of linkation. As a singer/songwriter, I can already see some great applications for myself, as well as my husband, who has his own landscaping business. Thank you!

  23. Sally,

    I’m so glad you enjoyed the presentation.

    I like to think that it’s easy to be a good salesman if the product is good, and selling the concept of blogging for real estate professionals is easy because it makes so much sense! 🙂

  24. Sally,

    I’m so glad you enjoyed the presentation.

    I like to think that it’s easy to be a good salesman if the product is good, and selling the concept of blogging for real estate professionals is easy because it makes so much sense! 🙂

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