Ask Us: “Should I even start a (real estate) blog?”
June 26, 2008 – 10:14 am | by thefrontstepsWhere readers ask and we try to answer:
Dear Front Steps, [It's theFrontSteps, but we'll let it slide.]
I am a Realtor in Daly City and I read your blog almost daily. I think it is a great resource and I’m wondering if you can give me some advice on how to start my own, and wondering should I even start a blog in the first place.
Thanks,
CD
Thanks for the question. I’ve always known we had a bit of Realtor traffic here on tFS, especially considering the turnout of votes for our Sexiest Realtor in San Francisco contest, which we’ll likely do again, but I never imagined we’d get a question like this. (It’s funny, I actually met with the head of MyTechOpinion the other day and talked about this very thing.)
This is a tough one to answer because tFS has been a great source of business and leads for me, but also an enormous drain on my time. There are many days I think I should pull the plug on it, but simply enjoy it too much. I never intended it to be a lead generator, and never started it with the same intentions that most Realtors start a blog (marketing). I wanted instead to provide a platform and place for as many SF Realtors as possible to post information about the market without the sales pitch. But we won’t go into the reasons why I think that ain’t happenin’.
With that said, I would suggest you do start a blog, but not a real estate blog. (Check out wordpress.com or blogger.com for easy platforms.) Start a blog about you, or something that is important to you in your life. A perfect example of one of the most successful “real estate” blogs out there is Grow A Brain. The editor is clearly a real estate agent, but does not focus on real estate, rather has fun with blogging, with a little “Census Realty” type thing on the side.
Most important is to do your own thing and keep it simple. The shorter the post or article, the better. Don’t write a novel, because very few people will read it online (think 1-2 minute maximum attention spans). There are a lot of agents out there now doing exactly the same thing, and it’s getting tired. Don’t just look at a successful site like this and try to duplicate it. Do something new. It will be much more successful.
That’s my $.02. Hope it helps.
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Tags: real estate, san francisco, San Francisco Real Estate, theFrontSteps
13 Responses to “Ask Us: “Should I even start a (real estate) blog?””
By urban dweller on Jun 26, 2008 | Reply
I think that there is more and more desire for readers to have hyper-local information. That is, in my opinion, people just don’t want to know about Sf real estate, they want to know about real estate in their neighborhood. I am not a huge fan of the one size fits many blogs. I like TFS because it is focused on SF real estate and even the political discussions surround how SF politics impact SF real estate. Good luck Mrr./Ms. Daly City!
[Editor's note: Thanks!]
By Sophie on Jun 26, 2008 | Reply
I disagree with Alex on that one.
YES - Daly city deserves the same quality blog as SF finds in tFS.
if you need a start, just copy the TdSF posts. Dont overlap with san francisco, but a good deep overview of the houses right at the edge (where one side of the street is SF and the other is DC) would be appreciated.
And if there are no official nanomarket such as the SF ones, just create whatever you want. by lots, by building years, by group of streets.
Make DC stand up against the west half of san francisco!
By Sparky on Jun 26, 2008 | Reply
I would like to start a blog too. Mine would be design/build in SF residential.
Today’s post: Plan checker and code conforming specialist don’t agree on my project’s window layout; WTF
Yesterdays: Project #2 doesn’t actually have a foundation. What to do now…
Last week: Offered on new project, $100,000 over asking, not even in back-up. I thought this market was supposed to be tanking.
I would probably just do this as therapy for myself without an angle, or perhaps to show future clients how stuff happens and the outcome.
By urban dweller on Jun 26, 2008 | Reply
Sparky - I would totally read that blog. After my own planning ordeals and mayhem, I’d love to commisserate. Besides, it sounds like your blog would be pretty funny too!
By thefrontsteps on Jun 26, 2008 | Reply
Sparky,
I think you, me, and Fluj need to sit down and have a little chat.
alex
By anon8mizer on Jun 26, 2008 | Reply
Sparky I’d totally read your blog, too. While there are blogs on buying / selling real estate, there is not much on what to do when you own real estate — fixing things up, planning/permitting, architects, contractors, design, common tricks to ‘modernize’ a marina style SF home, etc., and how easy/hard to build a ‘pop out’ in a home in Sunset, etc. All the tricks.
There just doesn’t seem to be a lot of domain expertise in this area who are also savvy about the blogsphere…
By Sparky on Jun 26, 2008 | Reply
I am not savvy about the blogosphere, but funny, interesting or horrible things happen to me at work every day. So I can write about that.
Since I wrote the above, my demolition contractor ripped out the one tree I was supposed to save at a house, and now me and the home owner have to pull it out of the dumpster and have a ceremony and tell it “we are sorry it was a mistake”. Dead Serious.
By AMinSF on Jun 26, 2008 | Reply
i’d support a design/build or RE development blog that’s SF specific, especially since things are so damn nutty in SF. i recently got a major entitlement for a triplex (horizontal addition + garage.) definitely had some weird-ass moments with city planning, but i also realized i got pretty lucky on some other aspects.
if anything, i could sure use the therapy commiserating with like minded people!
also, ya’all know of any SF specific blogs for landlords? (yep, i is one of them too.)
By John on Jun 26, 2008 | Reply
I want to read Sparky’s blogs too.
By riathareja on Jun 26, 2008 | Reply
With real estate sector at its peak now and so much happenings in the industry.Its a good deal to start a real estate blog.Even i started few months back my own blog which updates one about the latest happenings & Trends in the real estate industry.To learn more view- http://realtydigest.blogspot.com/
By fluj on Jun 27, 2008 | Reply
Aminsf,
I’m a small landlord too. Good idea. Something interesting is in the works.
By Jay on Jun 27, 2008 | Reply
Hey, you have a great blog here! I’m definitely going to bookmark you!
I have a Real Estate site/blog. It pretty much covers Real Estate related stuff.
Come and check it out if you get time
By fluj on Jun 28, 2008 | Reply
Gee, you don’t say.