I need your help for a Bloggers Connect surprise. . .
October 28, 2008 | 9 Comments
Some of you will, no doubt, remember the Blogger Trading Cards that I was able to cook up with Grant and Gia from RealSeekr.com for the folks who attended RE BarCamp in San Francisco. That was a lot of fun. For Inman Connect NYC ‘09, there isn’t a BarCamp, but I still want to do something for all the good folks out there in the RE.net, so I have an idea. . .
Like I said in the video, mail to me a scrap of fabric with your website name on it (try to pick just one if you have a few) and I’ll take care of the rest. One thing I didn’t mention in the video is a deadline. I really need to have all of the scraps in by December 14th if this is going to work. The 14th is my birthday, so you can just send me your fabric creation and I’ll consider it a present. 
I will reveal the big surprise at Bloggers Connect on January 7th, 2009. Bloggers Connect kicks-off the Inman Connect NYC Program. On that note, since I am the Community Manager for Inman News, if you have any questions about either event, just let me know. You may want to ask me about our special Blogger Pricing offer (wink, wink) 
Here’s the mailing address again:
Real Estate Zebra
86 Joshua Lane
Palmyra, VA 22963
So get me your fabric creations by December 14th, and be on the lookout for the big reveal! As always, let me know if you have any questions, and please, please, pass the word. The more fabric I get, the better!
What I’ll be doing at NAR2008. . .will I see you there?
October 27, 2008 | 4 Comments
The 2008 National Association of REALTORS Conference and Expo is just over a week away (Nov. 7-10). That means I’ll be traveling to Orlando, and it’s gonna be a busy week.
I hope that I’ll be able to see a lot of familiar faces, and get to meet even more new ones. In case you are going to be in Orlando, and you want to know where you might run into me. . .
Here’s a rundown of the things I’ll definitely be doing:
Thursday–
NAR Leadership Luncheon (required, since I’m going to be Vice-Chair of a committee next year)
Giving a presentation about social media, in my role as Inman News Community Manager, to IT and Marketing folks from the member brokerages of The Realty Alliance.
Friday–
Saturday–
Checking out the Diamond Dwellings Web 2.0 Panel at the Expo.
Understanding Real Estate in Real Time: Business Technology & Information Systems Forum (I’m the Vice-Chair for the forum committee for 2009)
Sunday–
Nothing planned, yet. But I’m sure that will change.
Monday–
I be doing a presentation about Flickr, as part of the session: Services You Can Use in Your Business. I hope I can make Teresa proud.
Flying home.
It is going to be a jam-packed few days, but it should be fun. Of course, you can follow all of the action on Twitter, and Jeff Turner even set up a really cool group-tweet account for everyone attending. He can tell you how it works.
If you are going to be at NAR in Orlando, don’t be afraid to reach out. You can send me a text message or just give me a call: 434-962-7305. I always enjoy meeting new folks. I have also created an NAR 2008 Flickr group, so if you are going, you have a place for all your photos, and if you aren’t going, you have a place to catch up on what others are up to.
If you are going and plan to be blogging, tweeting, or whatever, remember that the official tag for the event is NAR2008 or #NAR2008. That will help those who aren’t attending find the info better.
See you in Orlando!
Blog Action Day: Want to fight poverty? Follow these examples. . .
October 15, 2008 | 7 Comments
Today is Blog Action Day, and the topic is poverty.
I’ll be honest, I’m not impoverished, nor is anyone reading this blog post. So whatever I have to say on the fight against poverty would largely be symbolic. I think it is far more valuable for you to see examples of folks who are actually doing something about poverty, whether in their local communities or around the globe.
Lani Anglin-Rosales shared three examples of folks who may be familiar to my readers who are each participating in the fight against poverty in their own way. . .
If you want to know what you can do to help fight poverty, the three individuals above each provide a wonderful example. The key is that nothing can be done unless you do something. You aren’t going to solve poverty by yourself, but you aren’t going to solve it by reading my blog posts, either. Do what you can, as every dent we can make is significant.
The only thought I will offer about the fight against poverty is this– Socialism and Communism solve the problem of poverty by impoverishing everyone. Government-sanctioned redistribution of wealth will never be a solution. Robin Hood is a great story, until he comes knocking at your door.
Conceptually, we must stop thinking of this as a fight against poverty, and start thinking of this as a crusade to promote wealth and abundance. The latter will naturally lead to the eradication of the former.
NAR has many Michael Jordans. It needs Phil Jackson
October 14, 2008 | 5 Comments
There has been quite a bit of discussion recently about the National Association of REALTORS hiring a Social Media Manager. Jay Thompson wrote a post on Agent Genius that generated a ton of great comments, and Benn Rosales shared his vision for the position.
I left a comment on the posts, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to write. This post is the result. . .
NAR has the right idea
Pamela Geurds Kabati, NAR’s VP of Publications and Web Publishing, was kind enough to leave a comment on the post that I wrote last week. She didn’t have to, but she did, and I appreciate that very much. I appreciate it because her comment shed some very important light upon the entire discussion. Specifically, it added an opinion of someone who actually matters, someone who will actually participate in the decision making process.
I want to highlight something she said in her comment (the bolding is mine):
Another big part of this person’s job will be to listen (underscore) to the conversations happening out there among NAR members, and help NAR as an organization be more aware of that collective intelligence and the role in can play in helping the organization spot trends and shape its policies and positions.
This person will also evangelize to other NAR staff and leadership the value of engaging in the digital space, and it will help educate other staff and leadership about the rules of the road in that space.
In all of the interactions that I have had with good folks at NAR, Pamela included, it has always been clear to me that the membership is the voice of the organization, and staff is their to support their efforts. That is exactly as it should be, and it is a concept that shouldn’t be foreign to us, especially to sports fans. . .
NAR needs a coach
My father was a high school basketball coach for many years. Some of my fondest memories are of playing around in empty gyms, watching practice, and traveling with the team as a young kid. One of the many things my father always said about coaching was that the players play, the coaches coach. The coach’s job is to prepare the players as best as possible for the game. Once the ball goes in the air, it is up to the players to make the plays. The coach is there only for support and direction.
Phil Jackson was an integral part of the success of the Chicago Bulls. Phil coached perhaps one of the greatest dynasties in the history of professional basketball. Of course, having the greatest player of all-time on the team, Michael Jordan, certainly helped. Phil was there to make sure that the talented players all performed at their highest level. Phil was there to direct and guide them in such a way that enabled them to realized their full potential. Phil was there to help them succeed, but when they ball went up in the air, the players had to make the shots.
When you think of the Chicago Bulls, the image that likely pops into your head is that of Michael Jordan, not Phil Jackson. For despite all that Phil did for the Bulls organization, he was not the face of the organization. There is no statue of Phil Jackson in Chicago. The statue is of Michael Jordan. . .
. . .and so it should be with the Social Media Manager at NAR.
Coaches have responsibilities
The SMM should be fulfilling the role of the coach. The SMM should be doing whatever necessary to help facilitate the success of the players- the membership. The role of SMM should be a largely supportive role, just as Pamela mentioned. The most important thing that the SMM can do is help the membership and the staff succeed, which means educating them about social media and coaching them on when and how to best utilize it.
Like any great coach, the SMM is going to have to be willing to listen, and to ignore. Let’s be honest, real estate bloggers, myself included, are going to continue to share opinions even if there is no SMM. I have played on enough sports teams to know that the players always have an opinion. It is up to the coach to decide when those opinions are worth integrating into the game plan.
Players have responsibilities
The players bear responsibility, too. In this case, it is up to the membership of NAR to affect the change that we profess to desire. If the public has a low opinion of our membership, it is up to us to change it. No staff member at NAR should bear that responsibility. We, as a membership, must stop looking at NAR and start looking in the mirror. If we, as members, approach our role in the organization as one that bears greater share of responsibility, then it will be much easier for the person who steps in as SMM to provide support.
Working together, the whole team succeeds
The Chicago Bulls had a talented roster when Phil Jackson arrived. Phil was given the task of putting his players in a position to use their talents fully and realize their potential. NAR is filled with staff, leadership, and members who possess superstar talents. Hopefully, the person NAR hires as SMM will be able to direct those talents in such a way that they shine for everyone to see. The Bulls didn’t win a championship in the first year of Phil Jackson’s tenure with the team. But by the end of the second season, the Bulls were able to stand atop the basketball world for the first of six championships.
My guess is that, being a newly created position, the SMM manager will have a tough road in the first year of the job. There will be a lot of learning that will go on, learning by the SMM, the staff, the leadership, the membership. There will be growing pains. I have no doubt, however, that a SMM will be a good thing for NAR, and a good thing for the membership. It will take a commitment to excellence from all involved, but success can be achieved.
The Bulls made Phil Jackson the head coach because they believed he could help their team win. Phil did just that– he helped, he enabled, he coached; but it was Michael Jordan who always wanted the ball in his hands with the game on the line.
NAR has shown a commitment to change by creating a Social Media Manager position. After reading the comment by Pamela Geurds Kabati, I believe that NAR wants this person to help, enable, and coach the membership and leadership of NAR.
Only one question remains– Do you want the ball?
NAR looking to hire a Social Media Manager
October 8, 2008 | 8 Comments
This post from the CRT Blog is one of the most interesting things to come through my RSS reader in quite some time. Looks like the National Association of REALTORS is going to hire a Social Media Manager. That should prove interesting, to be sure.
I took a look at the job posting on Monster.com. Benefits look nice, but I wouldn’t move to Chicago, even for “discounted on-site massages”
I have some thoughts, but I’m not exactly sure how to react to this. Part of me thinks it is a wonderful development. There is another part of me, however, that is cautiously optimistic, at best.
What do you think?
One thing is for sure, the announcement of the actual hiring of a Social Media Manager for NAR will be the biggest development in the organization in quite some time.
I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for that announcement. Stay tuned.
UPDATE: Jay Thompson shares some initial thoughts on NAR Wisdom
The impact of the bailout: Past Chief NAR Economist speaks up live!
October 7, 2008 | 1 Comment
Justin Zimmerman is a guy a met a few months back when he asked me to participate in his webinar series, Good Morning Real Estate (affiliate link). I was glad to help, and was able to give a presentation about social media in real estate.
Justin has been building up buzz for the official launch of Good Morning Real Estate by conducting live teleseminars with some big players in the real estate industry. On Thursday Oct. 9th, at 8pm EST, he’ll have a guest that I think folks might be interested in hearing– past Chief Economist of NAR, John Tuccillo.
Tuccillo will be there to discuss the recent developments in the economy, and the impact that might be felt in the real estate industry. You can get the call details from Justin (registration required), and even register to leave a question for John to answer.
I’m going to try to make it to the call, since it should prove interesting. If you can’t make it, but still want to hear what John has to say, register with your email address, and Justin will email you the mp3 version of the call afterwards.
Is this really how people want to conduct a real estate search?
October 6, 2008 | 4 Comments
Here in the Charlottesville area, the largest real estate publication is owned and operated by the Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS. It is called the “Real Estate Weekly.”
The Real Estate Weekly (REW) is exactly what you might expect it to be- dozens of pages of ads by real estate and mortgage professionals, with some cultural and industry articles sprinkled in for good measure. Advertising in the publication is, in my opinion, quite expensive, especially when you consider their circulation and the amount of publications that actually get picked up by readers.
To their credit, the REW has been exploring ways to increase the value they deliver to advertisers, especially in light of the fact that many agents and brokers are concentrating their marketing efforts online. The most recent development was the launch of the Real Estate Weekly Clickbook. The clickbook is basically an e-book version of the print publication. Every single page of the print publication is there for folks to browse and flip through. One interesting feature of the clickbook is that all of the website and email address that appear in the print publication are actual live links in the online version. This means that when we use our website in one of our print ads, folks viewing the online version can actually click on the link. Even MLS numbers can be clicked, and users will be taken to the MLS listing they have chosen. Pretty neat.
Is this what people want?
While I think this is a welcomed addition to the REW, I have to wonder, will anyone really use it? I mean, if folks aren’t really using the print version all that much, are they really going to use the print version just because it is online?
After viewing the latest edition of the REW clickbook, and going through the interface on a couple of different computers, I’m not optimistic. First of all, if you have a smaller screen, you are going to have to zoom way in in order to be able to read anything on any of the pages. This necessitates scrolling all over the screen, since you can’t get the full thing on one screen. That’s annoying.
Being able to click the links and email addresses is kinda cool, and the online version actually looks a lot better than the printed version (the REW has had some notorious printing problems). There is also a feature where you can email to folks a page out of the publication. This would be a good feature for listing agents, since clients are always wanting to see that their home has been in ads. You can also search the entire publication. That might come in handy.
But is is good for consumers?
So I guess the clickbook can be seen as an improvement for agents and brokers, but is it really what consumers want?
First of all, if they do want it, I’m not sure how they’re going to find it. The only place it shows up is on the CAAR website. REW has no website of its own. So much for Google juice.
If they do find it, are they going to use it? Will someone searching for a home really use an online version of a print publication to do so? We’re not talking about a search website here, folks, we’re talking about an online version of something that exists in the exact same form in print.
I dunno, it doesn’t look good.
REW is supposedly going to keep stats on how many visitors the clickbook gets, and how many links are clicked, you know, all the regular analytics stuff you would expect. I would imagine that the results from the first few weeks are going to be skewed pretty heavily towards advertisers checking everything out. Month 2 will probably yield more accurate results (although there still won’t be a way to separate out the visits of curious REALTORS).
The bottom line
So, now there is an online version of the REW. I’m not really sure what this means. I do know that they aren’t adding any additional charge to advertisers for the clickbook. On the flip side, rates are apparently set to go up across the board next year. I guess you really can’t have everything.
Time will tell if the clickbook is a viable addition to real estate marketing, or if it’s just lipstick on a pig.
The $700B Bailout: it doesn’t matter what you think.
October 6, 2008 | 3 Comments
My conference meeting for the upcoming NCAA basketball officiating season is tomorrow. That makes this one of my favorite times of year. The basketball season is just around the corner. . .
A funny thing has happened every year I have been officiating basketball. Every year, there are changes to the rules, and the powers that be have yet to ask me my opinion before they change the rules. 7 out of the last 7 seasons (now 8 of 8), the NFHS and the NCAA have made rule changes, and neither of them has ever asked me about it beforehand. NEVER. How messed up is that?
I mean, really. I’m a hard-working basketball referee. I know the rules. I should be asked before rule changes are made! My opinion matters! My voice should be heard!
Oh, wait, that’s not right.
Rules will change. Live with it.
One of the major components of every college conference officiating meeting is going over the new rule changes, and their interpretations and enforcement. The changes have already been made at this point. There is no room for debate, only a time to make sure that everyone is knows the new rules and how to enforce them. That’s it.
Last year, the rules said one thing. This year, they say something else. Deal with it.
What we think about the bailout doesn’t matter
The Congress passed the $700B dollar bailout bill recently. I won’t bother linking to any particular story about it, since you can plug it into Google and get millions of results. Seems that EVERYONE has an opinion on the bailout bill. It seems to me that I have read a blog post from just about every blogger in my RSS reader, real estate or not.
Funny thing is. . .none of them matter.
Really, they don’t. None of the bloggers or real estate agents (myself included), or pundits, or experts that I have read or heard on TV have an opinion that matters. None of them had a vote on the bill, and Congress didn’t consult any of them about the bill, either. I like most of them, I think they are smart, but their opinion doesn’t really matter.
What matters is what we do now
Basketball referees can sit around all day and talk about whether the rule changes for this year are good or bad. But the bottom line is, when the ball goes in the air for the first game of the season, the players are going to play, and we are going to officiate according to the new rules.
Real estate agents can talk or type until exhaustion about whether the bailout bill is going to make a positive or negative difference in the housing market. But now, none of that talk matters. The time for discussion and opinion has passed.
The rules have changed. It’s time to deal with the game the way it is today, not how we wished it might have been. The intellectual exercise has been fun, but the folks who get to make the decision have made it. Time to get back down to business.
photo courtesy Frotzed2 via Flickr Creative Commons search
An interview with "Cookie the sheep" at Old Farm Day in Fluvanna
October 4, 2008 | 3 Comments
Mobile post sent by RealEstateZebra using Utterli. Replies. mp3
Utterli AIR app
October 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Mobile post sent by RealEstateZebra using Utterli. Replies.
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Disclaimer
My name is Daniel Rothamel. I am a licensed real estate agent in the Commonwealth of Virginia and a member of the National Association of REALTORS. As such, I adhere to a strict code of ethics and all laws with regard to equal housing, which is reflected in the content of this blog. My broker is Strong Team REALTORS, 86 Joshua Lane, Palmyra, VA 22963; (434) 589-5800. My VA Real Estate License number is 0225 077325. All of the opinions in this blog are mine, unless otherwise noted.
