Blogging and Social Media Tips for Real Estate Market at REBarCamp PDX

Im the keynote at Real Estate BarCamp, in Portland, Oregon, at Cubespace. The event is free but sold out. If you are interested in attending, check first.

I’ll be speaking to Real Estate agents, brokers, and related industry members about blogging, social, media, WordPress, and Woopra – though not all at the same time.

My keynote presentation will be on blogging and finding your voice on the web. I’ll talk about blogging your passion and creating your online identity that carries into your professional, and even personal, life. In the afternoon, I’ll be talking about web analytics and statistics and using tools like Woopra to learn more about your demographics and the connections you make on the web.

I’ll also be a part of a WordPress lab where we will sit down and answer any WordPress issues, offer tips, set up WordPress blogs on WordPress.com, and help attendees with their blogging needs hands-on.
How the Web is Changing the Real Estate Market

I grew up in the Real Estate industry with both parents, however, my mother was the ground breaker in the Real Estate industry, becoming a company owner, teacher and industry leader. Her work on a state and national level, the world for the buyer and seller are safer today than they were many years ago. I even studied for my real estate license, though life took me in other directions.

So I’m eager to be back in the world I grew up with, surrounded by people who sincerely care about helping people find the home of their dreams as well as make the right investments for their future.

The Real Estate world has changed dramatically since I was directly involved. Then, social media meant being an active member in your community, going to social events, meeting people how and when you could, signing deals on the hoods of cars, chasing down every lead you could with phone calls, brochures, newsletters, signs, social meetings…I guess little has changed.

What is different is that while some of the old marketing techniques work, the web changes things. Instead of working your community for leads, a client can come from Britain, Dubai, or Hong Kong. You might never meet them in person, but you can build a relationship enough to call them friends as you shake virtual hands and make those direct connections across the web.

Blogs are today’s brochures and newsletters, bringing the news and information to clients, old and new. Where it once was a fad to put your face on your business cards and signs, it’s now a requirement to put your face on your blog and videos, and your voice on podcasts.

It’s not just about being a good sales person and marketer. You have to write great content, knowing how to communicate and interact with the written word.

Social media tools like Twitter changes things even more, as do tools like iPhones and Blackberries. We’re connecting through 140 characters instantly – and people demand an instant response in kind.

It’s confusing and there are so many technological changes happening, but I believe that at the very core, all businesses are successful when they serve the needs of their customers on an individual basis – or at least put their focus on the individual not just the collective. The members of the Real Estate industry are experts at connecting with the individual.

And I hope to help them connect better with individuals online.

Is your world being totally changed by the web? If you are in the Real Estate or personal service industry, what would you want to know about connecting online and finding customers and building communities? What would you like to hear me talk about at such a workshop?