REreflections.com

I spent several days last week teaching the SMMI CSM course to a group of top agents in Chicago. I left there Saturday to attend the wedding of my best friend’s daughter in Sarasota Florida, but I find myself in Tampa this morning waiting to fly back to Chicago for ReBarCamp Chicago,

You may be familiar with the concept of the ReBarCamp - an “unconference” where the participants set the agenda after they arrive. The concept was borrowed from the IT industry, and has taken hold in the Internet space referred to as the RE.net. Recently we held on in Philadelphia, last Friday saw one in Boston, and today is ReBarCamp Chicago.

ReBarCamp Chicago is an important event for a number of reasons. The first and most obvious is that I will be there (otherwise I might not be writing about it). But seriously, the venue itself is pretty impressive. The event is being held at the Chicago offices of the National Association of REALTORS (though they are not the creators of the event, and the volunteer event is not a function of the association). For an organization of the stature of NAR to host such an event says volumes about the organization’s willingness to embrace change and technology while supporting the efforts of its members to spread knowledge in this peer based type of event.

Perhaps I am so impressed by NAR’s willingness to provide the venue for this event because they have so often been the target of criticism in the Re.net, often without justification on the part of their critics. Even with that history, the association has shown themselves to be more than willing to reach out, communicate, and try to involve their members in all levels of their operation. I am sometimes accused of being overly supportive of NAR, but I really can;t help it. They give me so many reasons to support them.

Anyway, if you are near the association offices on Michigan Avenue today, i hope that you’ll try to stop in and participate in the ReBarCamp. It looks like there will be quite a group of Web 2.0 and social media participants here for this centrally located event. At last check, Teresa Boardman from St Paul Minnesota, Ginger Wilcox, Mike Simonsen, and Andy Kaufman from the San Francisco area, Sarah Cooper from West Virginia (of Real Estate Shows fame) and my friend Kim Wood, from Chester County Pennsylvania. In addition, you have some home grown Chicago celebs like Todd Carpenter (NAR’s Social Media Marketing Director), as well as Rich Rogala and Matt Dollinger, performance coaches at @Properties in Chicago. And of course there will be lots of new friends there that I haven’t even met yet.

I hope you’ll be one of them.

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• REBarCamp Comes to the Fredericksburg Association (faarforum.com)
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• Want to play the REBarCamp Game? (activerain.com)
• Rebarcamp Portland tomorrow (futureofrealestatemarketing.com)
• Watch Live Streaming Video ~ REBarCamp Denver ~ May 22, 2009 (activerain.com)

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I know that this is my platform for writing about the real estate industry, bt today I just want to use this for a quick rant.

In his blog TechCrunch, Michael Arrington recently wrote a great post about Facebook’s refusal to deny a platform to Holocaust denial. The post is well written and cogent, and I hope that you already took a moment to read it via the link I provided above.

Though I agree with Arrington’s position and the points he makes, I didn’t start writing this just to parrot those points, but to express something that occured to me as I was reading the post.  I think that I understand why an organization would not want to feel that they were limiting the right of an individual to to express their opinions, no matter how bizarre, or outright wrong those opinions might be. After all, we live in a country founded upon the precept of free speeech. But does that mean that you are obligated to provide a platform for someone to express an opinion you find reprehensible? To paraphrase and old cliche, “If someone were shouting “fire” in a crowded theater are you obligated to provide him or her with a bullhorn?”

I respect Facebook’s desire to rise above the issue, but should they do so at the expense of their own moral values. As Arrington points out so eloquently “Holocaust denial is a seed. A seed that will grow into a fully bloomed second Holocaust if ever allowed to germinate. And Facebook is providing the fertile ground and watering needed to do just that.”

I understand the dilemma on a theoretical level - If we ban holocaust deniers, should we not ban the flat earth society or groups that think we didn’t really walk on the moon or even groups that think there was a federal/mob/communist conspiracy to kill JFK?  I don’t think those are really the same thing. I do think we can ban hate grops of ay sort from platforms that are privately owned, even if they are accessed by the public. In fact, I think that we have an obligation to ourselves and our society to do so.

My father-in-law was one of the American troops that liberated the death camp at Dachau. My Uncle’s mother was killed at Auschwitz. My Great Aunt died during the holocaust in Jedwabna Poland. I don’t need anyone to assure me that the Holocaust happened. And painful though it may be, I do agree that Holocaust deniers have the right to express their misguided bigoted opinions. But I don’t think that anyone is required to facilitate the replication or proliferation of those lies. And I don’t think that Facebook is provided any moral high ground when they do so.

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September 11, 2001 - was a world changing day. I remember going to work in my car listening to the Howard Stern show on the radio, when Howard started talking about a plane running into the World trade Center. The first thought that went through my mind was that a small plane had run into the huge buildings, but when I walked in to my office, everyone was talking , huddled around a small television, looking at the video of the first plane hitting the towers.

I remember clearly the shock, and the endless news coverage of this incredible disaster, The day seemed to be an endless series of shocks as the information about the other planes and their fates unfolded. With family in New York and the Washington D.C. area, we were frantically calling to see where everyone was, breathing easier as we located each family member, our sadness deepening as other families were shown on the news, frantically trying to locate fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, sons and daughters. The search for survivors was dramatic and disturbing and the firemen raising our flag in the rubble created a scene for our generation as memorable as the flag raising at Iwo Jima was for our father’s.

We were at war and we learned to live with changes in the way we travel. We got used to increased security at the airports, going through metal detectors, removing our shoes, not carrying liquids, and getting to the airport with plenty of time to spare for the security process. With the economy occupying so much of the news and our lives, we take a lot of things for granted.

After speaking at ReTechSouth yesterday, today was the day to fly home. The people who held the event had arranged for a van to take us to the airport, but the driver needed to fill the van and the trip was 45 minutes long. As a result I arrived at the airport a little later than I would have liked. The airport is rather large, and I had to ask for directions in the terminal. After getting the directions I was focused on finding my way through the atrium to go through the normal stages of security, when I heard some clapping off to my left. I stopped and looked to see what was happening and search for the celebrity that caused such a stir.

I was moved as I saw a column of uniformed men and women making their way through the atrium as the people around them applauded and waved. With a lump in my throat I put my bags down, stopped and started clapping myself.

Its been over 7 years since 9/11, but every time I see someone in uniform, I keep having the impulse to stop nd thank them for their service or ask them if I can buy them a drink or a meal, or do something for them, but my innate sense of shyness stops me from bothering them. However that doesn’t mean that I am not grateful to each and every person who endures hardship so that the rest of us don’t need to. Today was a chance to publicly do something small to show that gratitude and appreciation. This post is just another way to accomplish that . I hope tomorrow brings another chance like these.

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Tomorrow morning I fly out to Atlanta for ReTechSouth.

The conference has grown into a pretty substantial it event describing itself as;

A place where agents, brokers, lenders, builders and many other real estate industry practitioners could join together to collaborate on how technology can improve business

Sounds pretty good doesn’t it? And I’m very impressed by the people that will be speaking at the conference, Jeff Turner, Ginger Wilcox, Teresa Boardman, Kelley Koehler, Ines Hegedus-Garcia, Todd Carpenter, Joe Ferraro, Rob Hahn, a ton of other great speakers, and (less impressively) me.And, for people that really know their stuff, there is an opportunity to meet the real BoomerJack Boardman. Obviously, the level of information to be passed here is only surpassed by the multitude of awesome social networking rock stars (your author not included).

I’m very excited because I’m moderating the Cage Match of the Century - a ginormous stupendous spectacle of a debate between those two Web 2.0 giants, Joe Ferraro of Sellsius.com fame, and Rob Hahn A.K.A. The Notorious R.O.B. And you dear reader are going to hear about it first right here!

On Friday at ReTechsouth, Joe will be the Pasha of Positivity, arguing the Pro stand on every question while Rob (a usually bright pleasant and positive gentleman) will become the raging Ninja of Negativity! Based upon their thorough and exhaustive academic and practical backgrounds, they will enlarge the mind through their exploration of four important questions:

1. Should Agents Blog?
2. Is there a Place in Social Networking for Shameless Self-Promotion and Advertising?
3. Does Size Matter? AKA Your Importance in Social Media is determined by the size of your…. followers
4. Nobody needs a broker!

From the conference calls to set this up and choose our topics, to the emails we have exchanged, colored by my own opinion of these two smart guys, I anticipate a ton of fun and even more information. So if the idea of two attorneys fighting while moderated by a seasoned real estate broker (someone spilled pepper on me this morning) is at all intriguing to you , I hope you’ll be there when we kick it off Friday at 11 AM on the main stage.

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I was recently reading an interesting article;

The New York Times City Room Blog reports that that Rafael Martínez Alequin, Ralph E. Smith and David Wallis filed a federal lawsuit when each of them were denied credentials, even though all of them had such credentials in the past.

In the face of the lawsuit, the NYPD changed their minds and issued the three their press cards, anyway. This move gives other bloggers across the country hope for legitimacy in the eyes of government officials.

“This step recognizes that bloggers are 21st-century journalists,” Mr. Siegel, a noted civil liberties lawyer who has announced plans to run for public advocate next year, said in a phone interview. “It’s an important first step, but only a first step, because we still need to address the constitutional problem of who gets press credentials in New York City. The Police Department should not be in the business of determining who’s a journalist.”

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I found this fascinating quote today:

There are basically two types of bloggers in the world - reporters and experts - and some people perform both roles (usually the experts, it’s hard for reporters to become experts, but it’s easy for experts to report).John Chow, Reporter vs Expert - Why Most Bloggers Are Stuck Reporting, Jan 2009

Most bloggers report facts or quote others because its easier to do that than it is to provide important expert information. That requires  expertise that is gained from education and experience, hopefully combined with the wisdom to apply both properly.

In the real estate business, we have tremendous expertise to share, and our business shows us that building relationships is the most important piece of building a succesful career.

The article goes on to say;

Experts enjoy the perks of preeminence, higher conversion rates because of perceived value, it’s easier to get publicity, people are more likely to seek you out rather than you having to seek others out, joint ventures come easier, etc… experts in most cases simply make more money and attract more attention.John Chow, Reporter vs Expert - Why Most Bloggers Are Stuck Reporting, Jan 2009

  So when you choose to blog, or twitter, or interact on Facebook, weigh the different paths you might choose. Do you want to be a commercial effort in the middle of a social enviroment? Or will you build more business opportunities by demonstrating to the world what an expert you are, so that they will be pre-disposed to do business with you?

I’ve made my choice - Good Luck with yours!

Twitter PR Strategy, originally uploaded by ogilvyprworldwide.

With the limited budgets of many real estate brokers and agents, Social Media is bcoming a place where you need to be if you want to increase your sphere of influence and obtain new business opportunities.

This chart, has a social media life of its own. Created to explain a strategy for use on Twitter, then posted to Flickr, it was given additional exposure on Facebook by Teresa Boardman of St. Paul. It then came to my attention (I am interested in almost everything that Teresa does or posts) and I am sharing it here with you on my blog.

So aside from clearly defining the great opportunity that Twitter presents to businesses and individuals, its own life and the path of its travel to your attention is pretty neat as well. Imagine if this were a piece of information with your name on it…

Image by reeltor99 via Flickr

2008 was a tough year. And its not one I’m sorry to see leave.

The challenges we face in business are just  part of our business, which is now and has always been cyclical. But  2008 will always be the year that I lost my best friend, suddenly, without explanation (not that an explanation would have helped) and without reason that I could understand. It was a year that made a change in my life that I still find myself struggling with, and would seem to have little to redeem it.

Time is very subjective for me. It seems like I have been without my beautiful wife forever, and yet when I think about something that happened in  July when she was still the vibrant funny presence in my life, it seems like just yesterday. I find myself thinking about that and about this major change in my life often these days. It was during one of those long ruminations I realized that many of the people that I find my support from weren’t even in my life a year ago.

I “talk” to people every day that make me laugh, provide support, make me think, and help find things that interest me. I am invested in their lives and hurt when they hurt, cry and laugh when they cry and laugh, and seek their opinions and approval. I smile when I make them laugh, and I am proud when they are noted for their achievements. People like Ines, Ginger Wilcox, Benn & Lani Rosales, Jeff Turner, Teresa and Jack Boardman, Chris Griffith, Kim Wood, Sarah Cooper, Jonathan Dalton, Kris Berg and so many others who reach out to me regularly and make my life a little brighter.

A year ago I was aware of the RE.Net but not fully engaged. And when I became engaged, I found a world full of people to connect with, who had much to offer. I just wanted but I did find a need to share how grateful I am for my social media friends and acquaintances (yes they are “real” friends even if the roots of our relationship began in the virtual world).

So what does this have to do with 2009 being a better year? I just returned from Inman Connect in New York, where some of the predictions for the coming year’s economy were grim but the bloggers and social media types that were present were telling me that they were finishing a pretty good year. There were stories of international buyers, and community members making referrals, and people contacting them because they had written reviews of places they ate, or shopped, or worked.

The opportunities in the market may have gotten smaller, but the population fo real estate agents has also. And there are more and more people who are learning that by being good members of their communities, and participating in social media in a meaningful manner, they will be the consumer’s choice when the consumer needs them.And of course, there is the other important social media marketing feature - it costs so little, and returns so much. Unlike traditional interuptive marketing, the more you do , the less it costs.

So embrace your community, and as you give love, you will get love, and on the way, probably increase your business opportunities. But you will increase the people that you interact with. I only hope, for your sake, that they are as special as the people I found to interact with in my world.

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If you follow me in the world of social media, you know that I am a Twitter person. I listen, I comment, and I enjoy watching the stream This morning someone wrote “If Realtors are really successful, why are so many homes on the market. Either you can sell or you can’t. ”

I don’t understand what he is talking about, or the correlation of inventory with the impact of using a REALTOR. The purpose of selling a home through a real estate professional was never about just selling the home. It was about selling the home for the best price with the best terms possible, in a smooth and secure manner minimizing the risk of potential litigation.

In a market where demand outpaces supply (commonly referred to as a seller’s market) the need for a real estate professional is often less obvious because consumers confuse getting it sold with getting it sold properly (as I defined it above). And because of that confusion, the value that the professional adds to the transaction seems to be obfuscated by the market activity. (I know its a big word - I usually eschew obfuscation, but Google the word if you need to)

In a market where the supply outpaces the demand (commonly referred to as a buyer’s market) the seller’s need for the services of a real estate professional becomes more obvious because it is more difficult to find the qualified buyer to purchase the home for any price, let alone the best price for the seller. But that same price pressure often leads the seller to the mistaken impression that the best strategy is to sell the property without professional assistance to allow them more room to negotiate. But that doesn’t make the need for a REALTOR any less urgent, or the impact on the transaction of the professional’s services any less crucial.

In fact, I would suggest that the absorption rate of even the slower market would be negatively impacted by the removal of the REALTOR’s services. Perhaps the best analogy is that of a room that is dimly lit by a few candles. The argument made by my twitter bud seems to be that the poor lighting in the room is due to the presence of the candles, when without their illumination, the room would have been in deeper if not total darkness.

I don’t know why REALTOR bashing is so popular, except that it is always easy to bash a class of people. Professional goups are faceless and do not respond to small slights like these, and these unsupported statements, fallacious as they are, create untrue impressions in those who read them. And when the market is tough, and people seek to blame someone, faceless groups become an easy target.

So if you are a REALTOR, and struggle against a slow market in your area, be proud of the positive impact you have on the ability of your buyers and sellers to make the moves they need to make in their lives. And if you are a consumer, struggling against that same market, hold your agent accountable to do what they can, and to (perhaps as importantly) explain to you what they are doing and why, but don;t blame them for the vagaries of the marketplace, anymore than you should give them credit for the better marketplaces we have experienced.

It seems that everyone is always trying to improve on the poor old “For Sale” sign.

I was reading a recent Blog at Sellsius which speaks about  Custom Fit Realtyin Wisconsin who  is using Matrix codes on its house for sale signs to reach mobile users. The company’s new technology allowing buyers to take a photo of a “For Sale” sign on a house, and then get taken to the property information through their smart-phone browser.

I’ve got to say I was underwhelmed. While this latest piece of technology is pretty neat, and one that I would want to try just because I like to play with toys. I don’t think it ie unique or even new. People have been inventing ways to disintermediate the salesperson as long as there have been sales signs. Without thinking deeply I can think of…

• “Talking” Houses - FM transmitters that play the property information for the potential buyer. This is actually more efficient since almost every auto today has an FM receiver, while not every phone is a smart-phone.
• Property Brochure Boxes - OK , so this is a little Lo-Tech, but come on, its doing the same thing isn’t it? And it has the advantage of being a little more durable and easier to share than the site on a cell phone.
• Marketing Voice Mail Boxes which use a code number on the sign to allow people to call for property information. Again, every mobile phone user can do this, while the smart-phone, though more common is not yet ubiquitous.
• Single Property websites posted on the property sign
• MLS number and Company Web site printed on Yard Sign Riders

All of these marketing support systems have one thing in common however. You need to have located the property, and be sitting in front of it to utilize them. So the marketing system that worked here is obviously the Yard sign - the original real estate technology to advertise a property for sale. (In all fairness, they might have located the property through print advertising, but if they had called the office or seen the property on a website, they would have already had the information these systems provide)

 We need to remember that the purpose of a real estate brokerage is to make money, and that under the most common current business model, that means that our sales associates need to interface with consumers at the earliest possible point in the sales curve. So why would we want to provide them with yet another method of avoiding contact with a sales associate , who should  be able to provide them with better information than a website , pre-recorded message or property flyer?