I woke up again way too early with vlogging on my mind after my first attempt was botched by old technology and the wrong equipment. So I’ve stepped in to my home office and just logged 27 awesome topics, with notes of what to include in each one, to share with my readers – who will now become “watchers”.
As you know, my blog is called “Green Spaces Real Estate”, but the tagline is: Pacific Northwest Life and Living: Pocket parks and open spaces ~ OLAs and other pet places ~ Real estate and home graces. I specifically structured it to be a lifestyle blog so I could write about anything I am passionate about. I have been, for two and a half years. Going to video lets me teach SO much more.
Categories so far: Eat Local, “Open Spaces” Series, Off-Leash Area locations, Native Plants and their benefits, Grow your own food (p-patch locations), Great reading materials (books and mags), Green tip of the day, Walkable Communities. Most vlog posts will include a link to homes for sale in areas related to the video.I’ve been sharing information on my “green” blog since Earth Day April 2007. Starting this blog was in response to a session called “Real Estate 2.0″ taught by Jillayne Schlicke at the 2007 Independent Brokers Association conference. And a request for a business plan by my former broker, Linda Lane.
Experiencing 2 real estate barcamps this year again catapults my business to a whole new level. Rhonda Porter, “The Mortgage Porter”, has been a great example of consistency using technology to enhance her clients’ home buying experience. She has encouraged me and been very open with her knowledge and I really appreciate and respect that. I need people like Rhonda in my life, I need mentors and people to look up to.
As is my tendency, I share what I learn with the people around me, including all of my colleagues at GreenWorks Realty, and my broker Ben Kaufman. It’s as if I am trying to drag them all kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Since I have joined the firm and started talking about blogs and using social outlets to build meaningful relationships four of my colleagues have started blogs. I was grateful for the barcamp last week since it was an opportunity for my colleagues to go and hear first-ear about everything I have been trying to explain all year (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) Now I can rest and stop harping on it.
Admittedly sometimes I, and people I encounter and have lengthy and enjoyable conversations with, question my choice of profession. At the February real estate barcamp I was able to share all of the things I do for my business (barcamp focuses on using technology) and even the “experts”, people who have been doing this sort of marketing for a long time and have been successful with it, can’t figure out why it is that I am “doing all the right things” but still can’t take my real estate business volume to a sustainable level. It’s a nagging issue that just causes financial stress in my household. But the activity of blogging and sharing with others is rewarding in and of itself, and I have made some great connections and tapped in to some opportunities to attend conferences for free as a “live blogger”.
And actually, I DO have some business as a direct result of being at the Built Green conference in March (for free as a live blogger, over $300 value) and chatting up the gentleman next to me, who once he asked what I did for a living switched chairs with his companion so we could talk. My $1,095,000 listing in Monroe, Woods Creek Preserve, is a result of this. And this 37.8 acre listing intended as a sustainable community also has its own blog. http://woodscreekpreserve.blogspot.com/ Now if it would only sell so my work translated in to some income. My sister Allison lives near my listing and I have employed her as “marketing support” having her check the flyer box for me so I don’t have to make the one hour and 20 minute drive to check it myself. Because there is nothing more lame and annoying than an empty flyer box.
I have been told 4 times this summer that I should be a life coach, to include professional career advice along with how to live a greener lifestyle. I have met and become friends with two fabulous women this summer after they wandered in to my real estate office because of the name of the company (GreenWorks) with questions not necessarily related to real estate. We have had the most enjoyable and mutually enlightening conversations. The most recent challenge to my profession came about 2 weeks ago from a woman named Gwen, who is interested in working for a green company. I asked her if she *needed* an income. When she said yes, I said real estate sales wasn’t it, then, but I had a lot of other suggestions. Her homework was to get on to Facebook and friend me. I am still waiting for her but I expect it to happen!
As for blogging, I started a personal blog in 2005 (the “pink” blog http://pensandpixels.com/wendysworld/) in response to my friend Kristine’s too-high Outlook security settings, where her computer refused to download photos attached to email messages. We were headed to Italy for our 8th anniversary and Christmes/New Year holiday and I wanted to share my experience and photographs with her and my other friends and family. I am grateful to her for being a motivating factor for me – we share a passion and appreciation for art history and I wanted her to see what I experienced through my eyes. I have had trouble keeping up my pink blog this past year since my husband Stephen and I are not traveling (due to finances) AND my green blog really is where my heart is. It has to be infinitely more interesting than my walk around the neighborhood with the dog.
I am a lifelong learner and I love sharing what I have learned and experienced with new people. If anyone can think of a way I can translate that into a sustainable profession, I am all ears. Maybe I should have a travel show?