Blogging, like social media, is a form of self-promotion that its proponents claim you must do if you're to survive in today's real estate market. On the other hand, the nay-sayers claim that blogging is already passé, and if you haven't already started to blog, there's no real sense in it at this late date.

Do I think it's necessary to blog to survive? Absolutely not. Just as you don't have to cold-call, door-knock, mass-mail, Twitter or Link-In. Blogging is simply another avenue to build your business; if it's right for you, it'll work for you. As with any other prospecting method, blogging is right for some … and not at all right for others. If it's right for you, it truly can be a significant source of business for you; many real estate agents are finding their blog to be their most significant business source. Others, well, not so much.

It's not hard to determine if blogging is right for you, really. Ask yourself:

• Do I like to write?

• Am I a reasonably good writer?

• Am I a decent speller and do I have a grasp of proper sentence structure?

• Am I reasonably computer-literate?

• Do I enjoy communicating with others online?

• Does the idea of sitting down several mornings (or evenings) a week to write a 300-500-word blog sound like something I'll actually do?

• If I were asked right now to come up with four or five topics to blog about, could I?

• If I were sent out to spend a day in my favorite neighborhood, taking pictures, previewing homes, visiting the parks, shopping in the stores, eating in the restaurants—do I think I would come home with a sweet little list of interesting things I observed to write about?

Some agents simply aren't suited to developing an online persona and that's just fine! We all know agents who are delightful in person, but put them in front of a computer (after you've dragged them there kicking and screaming) and all that delightfulness quickly fades. They lose their spark and it's obvious they'd rather be doing anything other than sitting at that keyboard.

Others tend to be far more delightful online (Brad Paisley's song, I'm So Much Better Online, comes to mind!) than in person and can happily sit at a keyboard for hours at a time … and have to be dragged away kicking and screaming to venture out into the “real” world!

Of course, those are the two extremes and most of us fall somewhere in between. But you probably already know yourself well enough to determine if blogging is something you want to invest your time and energy in…or if that precious time and energy are better focused elsewhere. Trust that feeling.

Published: August 25, 2011

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Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn was a top producing real estate broker in Denver, Colorado before writing her first book in 2007. Since then, she has written several more books about the business of selling real estate including her flagship book: Sell with Soul: Creating an Extraordinary Career in Real Estate without Losing Your Friends, Your Principles or Your Self-Respect, the sequel, If You're Not Having Fun Selling Real Estate, You're Not Doing it Right and her latest, to be released in Spring 2011, Prospect with Soul for Real Estate Agents. Jennifer believes that the secret of success for real estate agents is not in aggressive marketing techniques or hard-core sales pitches, but rather in being competent in one's craft. Competence begets Confidence. And in today's world of increasingly suspicious and ad-weary consumers, having an air of self-assurance and enthusiasm will be far more effective than a slick sales campaign. Jennifer writes and speaks with this philosophy in mind. She preaches that salespeople should follow the Golden Rule in their day-to-day practice of business - treating clients and prospects respectfully, as the salesperson him or herself would like to be treated. Being competent, reliable and fair, and motivated by a true desire to earn a paycheck, not just show up at closing with hand outstretched. She is a regular contributor to several real estate newsletters and magazines, a member of the RE/MAX Hall of Fame and one of the industry's most popular bloggers. You can learn more about Jennifer's "soulful" philosophies at www.SellWithSoul.com. Subscribe Below to Enroll in the Daily Seduction Newsletter Mini-Clinic - Tips and Strategies to Generate Business and Referrals From Your Sphere of Influence! Your Full Name Your Email Address