May. 21, 2009 - T-Minus 10 Days and Counting...

 On June 1, 2009 I am going to re-invent myself. Ten days from now I'm going  to do something that will change my life and career forever... I'm going to officially start blogging. It's my "mid-year resolution."

On the surface, that probably doesn't seem like a big deal. Blogging is just typing a few simple words a couple of times a week, right? Unfortunately, when people tell me "you should really start blogging" it evokes the same response as the phrases "you need a root canal," "you're being audited by the IRS" or "Congratulations, you're having sextuplets!" I PANIC! My heart starts to race, my breathing becomes erratic and my palms could be mistaken for Niagara Falls South.

That overly dramatic response makes absolutely no sense to me. When I was majoring in journalism at the University of Kansas... writing was easy. During my newspaper internships at the Kansas City Star... it was a breeze. However, as a real estate agent... writing literally scares me to death. Well, I guess not literally. Maybe it's because there have been a few years since college and I'm afraid my writing is not up to par. Maybe I'm afraid that if I make a mistake, I will appear uninformed and damage my credibility as a Realtor. Whatever the reason, the excuses stop now.

At least 25 times in the past few years I have started to blog and then stopped shortly thereafter. This time I am publicly committing to it and and I know that with the support of my friends and fellow agents I will become a blogging machine. Sounds like a nicotine gum commercial, huh? I have a lot to say about real estate, technology, social networking, photography and so much more.

Not a day goes by that I don't preach the value of using social media to expand ones audience and maximize marketing dollars. Until now, I was a total hypocrite. Blogging is an indispensable tool for many successful real estate agents and if you're not writing one, you need to be reading or watching one. Yes, I said "watching." While I'm just dipping my toes into the shallow waters of "regular" blogging, the tidal wave called video blogging or "vlogging" is barreling toward me. I think I'm gonna need a bigger surfboard... ;)

Finally, for your reading and viewing pleasure, here are my personal top 5 favorite real estate blogs/ vlogs and a very special bonus. In no particular order:

• Ian Watt  (http://www.ianwatt.ca) 
• Joel Burslem  (http://www.futureofrealestatemarketing.com)
• David Cowgill  (http://www.realestateweblog.org)
• Daniel Rothamel  (http://www.realestatezebra.com)
• Reggie, Nik and Chad  (http://www.mytechopinion.com)