The Zebra is Going to Camp. . .
June 19, 2008 | 2 Comments
. . .officiating camp, that is.
This evening is the beginning of the D-3 Supercamp I attend annually. It is always a good time, and filled with tons of learning and officiating. This year, I think I might take the camera with me and see if I can get some video that will give you all a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes world of basketball officiating.
There is always something that makes me think of business and real estate, so this year, I’ll try to share the lessons when I am back in the office on Monday.
Wish me luck!
Rested, Relaxed, and now BACK TO WORK!
May 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment
I was out of town last week taking some time for rest, rejuvenation and to celebrate Kari’s Birthday on Thursday (more on that later). Now that all those goals have been achieved, it’s time to get back in the saddle.
My time away allowed me to do some much needed research and reading, all of which has produced plenty of fodder for future posts. None of it had anything to do with a computer, so I am a bit scared to open up my RSS reader and wade through the mountains of blog posts I might want to catch up on.
Lots is going on, and my head is filled with all kinds of thoughts on a variety of real estate and business topics. Spilling it all onto the pages of the blog should be interesting.
Catch the Zebra on Real Estate Radio USA Tomorrow at 4:30 EST
April 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Tomorrow is May Day. I don’t think I’ve actually celebrated May Day since the 5th grade. Tomorrow, however I’ll be bringing in the month of May with the Barry’s over on Real Estate Radio USA.
I’ll be on at 4:00 EST, but the show gets rolling at 4:00pm. You can listen in, or if you miss it, there will be an archive version as well.
Oh, and if you were wondering where they got that great bio for me, it is part of the Zebra Manifesto. 
Updgrade Complete, Let me Know If you See Anything Funny
April 28, 2008 | 2 Comments
I just upgraded to WordPress Version 2.5.1 take it for a spin and let me know if you see anything that appears to be working incorrectly. It all looked pretty good to me.
REALTOR Instructor Training Should Be Interesting
April 8, 2008 | 3 Comments
I’ll be in REALTOR Instructor Training this week at the Virginia Association of REALTORS. To be honest, I’m not totally sure why. I do expect to learn quite a bit and even have some fun. I’ll share my experiences when I can, but overall posting might be a bit light this week.
What You Always Wanted to Know From the Zebra, But Never Thought to Ask
February 27, 2008 | 6 Comments
No sooner had I been alerted to the fact that I was mentioned in the REALTOR Magazine feature article, “Welcome to Real Estate 2.0,” than I received an email from an agent who had seen the article.
The email came from John Duncan, a Keller Williams agent in Houston, TX (Clear Lake, to be specific). Having since spoken with John on the phone, he seems like a very competent, conscientious agent. He is the type of agent I love to have the opportunity to meet. John said the following in his email:
Good job,
Not the same old boring crap, put out by so many REALTORS who don’t get the idea of leading with a giving hand, being helpful first and being transparent enough to let the consumer know that jeez, you ARE a real person.
My hat is off to you. You seem like a fine young man. Who knows, maybe I’ll have a referral to pass up that way one day.
Your stuff is an encouragement to an old time REALTOR who is trying to break into the social marketing/ blogging bit.
I called John and told him that I very much appreciated his email, and that if he ever had any questions for me, just let me know.
John did just that.
In fact, his questions were so good that I told John I would answer them in this post so that, hopefully, others who might have been wondering about the same questions, but just never asked, could learn right along with us.
So here are the questions John asked me, along with my answers. My hope is that not only will John benefit from the answers, but you will, too:
What blog service do you use? And why?
I use Wordpress. Specifically, I use the hosted version of Wordpress and I host it with ANhosting. I love Wordpress. First of all, Wordpress is totally free. You just have to pay for hosting. If you want, you can make it TOTALLY free by hosting your blog with Wordpress.com. Of course, if you do that, you should still go out and buy a unique domain name and point it to your Wordpress.com blog. But really, what does that cost, $10/year, if THAT much. You can’t find more bang for your buck than Wordpress. To me, it is the gold-standard of blogging platforms.
When I first started blogging, I used Typepad, but I didn’t like the fact that it isn’t as flexible as Wordpress (it was also more expensive). Since Wordpress is open-source, and there are a ton of developers out there working on it, the sky is pretty much the limit with what can be done with Wordpress. On the other hand, Wordpress does require a bit more effort from the user (especially the hosted version). If you are going to host your own Wordpress blog, you are going to want to learn a little bit about things like ftp and at least learn how to find, copy, and paste basic html and php code. It isn’t terribly difficult, but there is a learning curve, so be aware. If you just plug some tutorial searches into Google, you can find plenty of good web resources for coding help for just about anything you want to do. YOU CAN DO IT!
I noticed your email is spelled out and not a link. I’m guessing that’s to keep spammers at bay?
Bingo. At least, it is an attempt to thwart potential email scrapers from spamming me to death. It might be a feeble attempt, but something is better than nothing, right? As far as spamming the blog and the comments, I moderate all of the first-time commenters, and I use the Askimet plug-in to filter the spam. It has worked well for me thus far.
If you had to start over, what is the one big thing you would have done differently?
This question is a real doosie. I had to think hard about this one. The one thing that I wish I had done differently was more intensive research before I began blogging. Pretty much from the beginning, I have been sort of “learning as I go.” I don’t mind that, since it is my nature, but I wish I had done a little more research before I launched my blog. Had I done that, I probably would have gone straight to Wordpress, rather than messing with Typepad. I also would have not written so many crappy posts in the beginning that were merely regurgitating articles and stats and stuff I had found. I would have had a better plan for what I wanted to write and discuss and how to approach it all.
In some respects, however, I am very glad that I just jumped into the deep and started swimming. It was frustrating and difficult and annoying at times, but it was all worth it. If you don’t make mistakes, then you can’t make anything.
Lastly, what are some blogs or materials you follow up on to learn about blogging? For example, someone turned me on to Seth Godin’s blog.
This one would be easier if I weren’t going through my RSS Blackout right now, since I have tons of good feeds in the reader. So I am going to have to give you a few examples from memory. I’m leaving off the RE.net blogs, since you can go to the blogroll in the sidebar to find good examples of those. In this list, I’m only talking about blogging and business-related sites.
1) John already mentioned Seth Godin’s blog.
2) CopyBlogger is a great resource for writing effective copy. Good not only for blogging, but business in general.
3) Problogger is a resource for people who are interested in being paid for blogging (Pro Bloggers). This might not necessarily apply to you, but the strategies and techniques discussed are not any less helpful because of that.
4) The blog at SEOBook.com is a great resource if you want to learn more about SEO. People who talk about SEO often get way too technical for most people. SEOBook is written in terms that just about anyone can understand, and the advice and resources are all top-notch. The debate still rages about how important SEO should be when you are blogging, but no matter how you feel, you should at least have a basic understanding of some of the strategies.
5) Chris Brogan is an incredible source of inspiration and information about using social media in business. In some ways, I think that his site is even better than Seth Godin’s. A lot of people wish that Seth Godin would share more concrete techniques to practice. Chris does that.
So there you have it, John asked me 4 very thoughtful questions, and I tried to answer them as best I could. I hope that John finds the answers helpful. I hope that you do, too.
And remember ANY time you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask. You can always send me an email, or just leave a comment.
Help Those Affected by the Tornadoes
February 8, 2008 | 1 Comment
Those affected by the recent tornadoes could use your help. Luckily, the RE.net has put together a way for you to help. Helping is a lot easier than you may think. All you have to do is visit these posts on AgentGenius and BloodhoundBlog in order to make a much needed donation and help spread the word.
What are you waiting for?
The Zebra Manifesto
January 8, 2008 | 5 Comments
Manifesto (n.)– A public declaration of principles, policies, or intentions, especially of a political nature. (via American Heritage Dictionary and Dictionary.com)
Stick with me here, I’m going to conflate a few ideas. Don’t worry, it will all make sense in the end. . .
Before I decided to redesign and re-purpose RealEstateZebra.com, I decided that I needed a manifesto. I decided that I needed a way to tell people what I am about, and to tell people what RealEstateZebra.com is about. The Zebra Manifesto is that declaration.
When I originally started this blog, I knew that I wanted to draw on my experience as a basketball referee. That experience helped me develop the manifesto. In particular I was drawn to the mantra that drives all top-notch officials, “Be a lead.” You see, all officials on a staff are not equal, even though they may be uniform. Every staff, in fact every game crew, has a “lead official.” The qualities that make a lead official are the qualities that I strive to exhibit every day, in basketball, business, and life. It is these qualities that lay the foundation for the Zebra Manifesto.
To me, leadership is every bit as important to real estate as it is to officiating. People are drawn to leadership, whether those people are practitioners or customers. Leadership is also the engine that will drive change in the real estate industry, changes that the industry desperately needs. Practitioners know this. Ines obviously knows this. She sent out a challenge yesterday to the industry. Today, I give you a reason to rise to the challenge.
I’ve written out the Zebra Manifesto below, but I urge you to check it out in mp3 form on the homepage.
I urge you to download it, share it, learn it, love it, live it.
I urge you to be a lead.
I urge you to be a Zebra.
The Zebra Manifesto:
When someone says, “REALTOR.” Few pretty images or positive adjectives come to mind.
This must change.
It cannot change, however, without the collective effort of those who bear the title. The reputation that has become popular is one that has been earned. If it is to be changed, the responsibility falls upon you, and it falls upon me.
I am Daniel Rothamel, I am a REALTOR, and I am a Real Estate Zebra.
What is a Zebra?
A Zebra is a leader.
A Zebra knows that leadership is neither pre-determined nor self-ordained.Leadership is forged in the fire of trial, failure, and success.
A Zebra knows the responsibility that comes with leadership, and a Zebra accepts that responsibility not as a burden, but as a gift.
The responsibility bourn by leadership is, in the words of the poet, “to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” This responsibility means that a Zebra has a duty to strive for perfection through a never ending quest for self-improvement, regardless of where it might be found.
A Zebra knows that the never ending quest for self-improvement is the surest path to success.
A Zebra is mindful of this responsibility not only for his own benefit, but for the benefit of those who follow.
A Zebra knows that the responsibility of leadership requires actions that may not be popular, and may even be controversial. A Zebra knows this, and does not flinch when such action is required.
A Zebra shows respect for all those who show a commitment to honesty, equity, and virtue. A Zebra seeks partnerships with such people, so that together they may share, learn and grow. As a group, their actions will serve as a paragon for the ethical, and their success will serve as a harbinger of destruction for the corrupt.
I am Daniel Rothamel. I am a Real Estate Zebra.
Are you?
A New Era for The Zebra
January 7, 2008 | 9 Comments
Welcome to 2008– The Year of The Zebra
This is the first post I am writing on the new-and-improved RealEstateZebra.com. If you are reading this in your RSS reader, you are going to want to visit the homepage to see the changes. If you found this as a single post, visit the “home” link above.
I didn’t decide to make the change on a whim, I thought about this for quite a while.
For quite some time, I have been thinking about what I want to do with RealEstateZebra.com, what the purpose of it should be. Since I began blogging, I have tried to write chiefly for the real estate consumer. This poses a problem for me when I want to talk about issues related to real estate that the average consumer simply doesn’t care about. Not to mention, I think that REALTORS and agents can benefit from information, opinion, and discussion just as much as the consumer. In short, I have felt that my personality has been a bit schizophrenic here at RealEstateZebra.com. Some posts were for the industry, and some posts were for the consumer. Now, I have the opportunity to change that.
It all came about as a result of my “How to Sell Your Home in Black and White” video post, and the ensuing discussions I had with people. I made that video for the real estate consumer, and the response I had from the consumers who saw it was very positive. What I found, however, is that the resonated even more with members of the real estate industry.
After attending NAR, speaking with other agents, and thinking about the upcoming Inman Real Estate Connect, I realized that I would really like the focus of RealEstateZebra.com to be on improving the real estate industry. Fast forward to right now, and you will see that is what I am trying to accomplish with the new RealEstateZebra.com. My intent is to make the site a resource for agents and REALTORS who genuinely care about leading the real estate industry and affecting a positive change. I want RealEstateZebra.com to deliver to agents the most comprehensive, entertaining, and enlightening experience available in the RE.net. Ultimately, I think this will do the most to serve consumers as well, as consumers cannot be helped without the effort of REALTORS and agents (more on that philosophy later).
Don’t worry, I’m not abandoning real estate consumers by any stretch of the imagination. Our brokerage is going to launch our very own real estate blog in coming weeks, which will be focused exclusively on the information that matters to consumers. As a REALTOR, my commitment to my clients and customers is as strong as ever, and our brokerage is going to approach this year with a renewed focus on delivering unmatched service and attention to the needs and desires of our clients and customers. While we are doing that with clients and customers, I will be doing the exact same thing with REALTORS and agents here at RealEstateZebra.com.
So take a minute to take a look around the site, and let me know what you think. As of right now, everything is about 95% of where I want it to be. I still have a few coding issues to work out, but if anyone sees anything, feel free to let me know so that I can get it fixed.
So buckle up and pull those belts tight, everyone; this is going to be one heck of a ride. . .
Big Changes Coming for The Zebra
December 27, 2007 | Leave a Comment
I’m going to be making some pretty big changes here at RealEstateZebra.com over the next few days. Since I am likely to be up to my neck in code, I won’t be writing any new posts until calendar turns to 2008.
Not to worry, things may look a little different by then, but the content will still be exceptional. Heck, it should even get better.
So, have a good one and take it easy until I see you in the New Year.
In the meantime, prepare for 2008- The Year of The Zebra
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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.
