I only wished you’d asked Michael when he’s bringing his stellar market reports to Phoenix.

And he’s right about HitTail, it’s da bomb!

If the person reacts to questions in person from the consumer, by mulling it over and coming up with a response later, and not immediately most times, then it’s a match.

From an consumer perspective, if someone is looking for someone who will “get back them on that” after reviewing the question from all possible dimensions (which we ALL need to do at times), then the blog personality matches the perceived personality of the reader.

If someone is looking for an agent with quicker response time…then shoot from the hip might suit that consumer better. I personally draw the line at “online chat” and don’t go there. Others welcome short quippy “messenger” conversations with clients. Email quickly, yes; IM, no. That’s my experience.

Choosing an agent from their blog writings is a new artform. Writing in a manner that elicits the readership you are targeting is part of that artform. We continue to explore the process, and 2007 will be more telling on that than 2006 or before.

I don’t see the connection between a slow blogging process and the lack of personality. I don’t want to call Michael a reserved guy (he definitely has an outgoing element to him!), but even after a few beers, I’ve always gotten the sense that he is careful with his words, and in particular, when talking about the real estate industry.

I think his personality shows through bright-and-clear on his blog and it someone who is analytical by nature and yet knows how to distill lots of information down to the bare-bones where it is most interesting.

At first I wondered if they were both Virgo’s

To me, this manner of fine tuning the final product contradicts somewhat with Michael’s other statements with regard to people knowing the blogger before they meet the blogger. If the copy is agonized over and fine tuned in advance, does it really reflect the person as much as shoot from the hip “stream of consciousness” blogging.

Greg Swann is the only one I know who can do both at the same time, his having been a writer since forever. Shoot from the hip requires a thicker skin, for sure, but I think making blogging easier and faster for the blogger is needed, as we move into and through 2007.

If Michael is reading…can you give some tips on how those who blog in your style (as opposed to mine) can shorten the process? Is it easier now than it was when you wrote your first few articles? If so, what changes did you make to cut down on the time from deciding to write an article to its completion?