When I started blogging, Todd Carpenter of Lenderama was the first real estate blogger I got to know. Looking to spread the word about rain city guide, I signed up on his list of real estate and mortgage blogs, which led to some interesting conversations that moved from email to a message board after he opened up this interesting forum for all things mortgage related. He seems to quickly pick up on real estate and mortgage technology trends, making his blog a great read.

As a Mortgage Technology Specialist in Colorado, Todd has been at the forefront of mortgage technology as both a user and a speaker for over a decade.

What inspired you to start blogging?

I read a book from Hugh Hewitt called Blog. I realised that I had no real interest to talk politics, but that a blog covering my industry would make me a bit of a Pioneer. The first time I Googled “Mortgage Blog” back in January, there were about 100,000 results. Now there are over 6,000,000

Are there any special topics or issues that you enjoy covering?

I like finding stories about other mortgage brokers in non-industry related situations. Like the broker who went to the Texas Hold um championships.

What have you done to personalize your blog?

I have a personal blog called the Pagan Capitalist. Otherwise, I keep Lenderama pretty much business focused. When I post about a story, I generally like to share my opinion of it, or possibly joke about it.

Do you have any favorite posts?

Not really

What are some of your favorite blogs (real estate or otherwise)?

http://growabrain.typepad.com/growabrain/ because it’s funny
http://bendegrow.com/ a local libertarian
http://www.freakonomics.com/blog/ it makes you think
http://www.lileks.com/ because it’s funny AND it makes you think

What tools/websites do you find most helpful in putting together your blog?

Blogging and web publishing in general are a lot easier if you know some HTML. I learned everything I know about it at http://htmlgoodies.com/ .

How does blogging fit into the overall marketing of your business?

Besides personal sales calls, Blogging is my only form of Marketing. By blogging to other mortgage professionals, instead of direct to consumers, I have gained some what of a reputation for being an industry expert.

What plans do you have to improve your blog over this next year?

What are you talking about? My blog is perfect! 🙂

What is the one tool or feature that you wish your site had?

A search engine that was specific to the real estate/mortgage industry . One that I could personally edit to keep only relevant links in the data base. Sort of like a searchable version of my Big List http://blog.mariah.com/dir.html

What do you think real estate blogging will look like 3 years from now?

Bigger, much bigger. There’s no reason why EVERY agent shouldn’t be blogging. It’s simply an online version of the same “keep in touch your client” marketing plan that every Realtor is already using.

(Read more interviews with some of real estate’s top bloggers under the Real Estate Q&A category)