BloodhoundBlog

There’s always something to howl about.

June 14, 2007 / 23 Comments

An RE.net taxonomy: Identifying types of real estate weblogs

by

Suburban Phoenix Real Estate Broker

Author website

This is a first strike at a taxonomy of real estate weblogs. Taxonomy is the science of categorizing things. Of course, not everything can be neatly categorized, but the elucidation of categories can focus the mind, helping us to understand where certain weblogs might fit, which are hybrids of two or more categories, and which can only be described by the creation of new categories.

Again: This is a first strike. I may not have created enough categories, or I may have created some in error. I may have certain weblogs — offered here as examples — miscatalogued. If you think I’ve got something wrong, say so. If we can whip this into a decent shape, I may built it as a separate page, something we can lay by for an enterprising newspaper reporter — or the nonesuch, whichever comes along first.

In any case, here’s my first swing at the ball:

Nothing is quite that neat, of course. BloodhoundBlog is an Industry weblog, to be sure, but we also combine elements from the Investor, Loan Officer, Mortgage Industry, Technology and Marketing headings. Many Local Interest real estate weblogs also feature Industry content. Anyway, let me know what should be added, cut, shuffled, renamed, etc. This could be interesting…

Further notice: 1. I added RealCrozetVA as an example of a neighborhood weblog. If you have suggestions for other blank spaces, say so. 2. I added four new categories: Commercial, Metablog, Megablog and Hyperlocal Megablog. 3. Added Personal Observations category. 4. Added Home Remodeling/Refurbishing/Restoration category. 5. Added Mianstream Media Weblogs. 6. Added Legal Issues/Real Estate Attorneys.

Technorati Tags: , ,

18 Comments

  1. Tom says:

    Greg

    Great Start. I printed this off and put it in my look at every week folder. I will be interested to see the comments that come out of it.

    June 14, 2007 — 5:57 am

  2. Dave Barnes says:

    Category = RE Disasters
    For example: http://bubbletracking.blogspot.com/

    June 14, 2007 — 6:56 am

  3. Austin Realtor's Wife says:

    I’m sure Realtor Wives should be a category that reads something like this:

    *The Other Side of Real Estate as viewed by the spouse(s) of Realtors and other industry leaders from the back seat of the car, usually with a smart alec or nagging tone.

    June 14, 2007 — 8:23 am

  4. Steve Jagger - Ubertor says:

    Hi Greg,
    Thanks for including us. I appreciate it.
    Sincerely,
    Steve

    June 14, 2007 — 8:24 am

  5. Dan Green says:

    Nice jab at those that failed the spelling tests. 100 other misspelled words at http://www.yourdictionary.com/library/misspelled.html.

    It would be interesting to know in what category the blog authors would put themselves. Sometimes, the readers’ perceptions are different from the bloggers’ intent.

    June 14, 2007 — 9:54 am

  6. Rob Beland says:

    How about a category for Commercial Real Estate Blogs?

    London Whittedand Pat Kitanoare working on an interesting commercial real estate blog project.

    What are your thoughts on why there aren’t more blogs focusing on commercial real estate?

    June 14, 2007 — 11:02 am

  7. Elizabeth Weintraub says:

    Hey, Greg, you have broken my heart. I write blogs and pump out three articles every week on About.com’s Home Buying & Selling, yet I do not see my site listed under National for Consumers. How about adding homebuying.about.com? Far as I know, I don’t misspell anything.

    June 14, 2007 — 12:40 pm

  8. Comment by post author

    Greg Swann says:

    Elizabeth, I debated not giving examples, because I know people would feel slighted, or would simply want the link. Anyway, you’re in. Neatness and spelling do count.

    June 14, 2007 — 12:54 pm

  9. Kelly Kilpatrick says:

    Greg, you’re off to a great start. You’ve got several of my favorites listed. If I were you I’d bump Joel Burslem’s Future of Real Estate Marketing to ‘Marketing’ and put Loren Nason’s Future of Real Estate Technology in the ‘Technology’ section. Just my 2 cents.

    June 14, 2007 — 12:58 pm

  10. Elizabeth Weintraub says:

    Whew. Thanks, Greg. All is right with the world now. Well, back to my spinning hamster wheel.

    June 14, 2007 — 1:20 pm

  11. Chuchundra says:

    I was thinking of starting a blog about my search for a home now that I’m (almost) ready to begin the process in earnest. Where do you think that my hypothetical new endeavor might fall in your taxonomy?

    June 14, 2007 — 3:43 pm

  12. Comment by post author

    Greg Swann says:

    > I was thinking of starting a blog about my search for a home now that I’m (almost) ready to begin the process in earnest. Where do you think that my hypothetical new endeavor might fall in your taxonomy?

    A category of your own, Personal Observations.

    June 14, 2007 — 3:46 pm

  13. Tim says:

    Our strategy here in Boston, after much deliberation on the how to build an “insanely great hyperlocal blog,” ultimately resulted in a two pronged approach to achieving this aboce stated goal.

    First, we looked at our target audience–and soon realized that there were in fact, not one, but two (2) distinct hyperlocal audiences that we were interested in attracting–each having their own specific needs.

    The first audience we hoped to align our content and purpose with was those residents of Boston who were NOT in the process of buying or selling real estate, or even thinking about it. They just lived here. So we set out to build a neighborhood blog that addressed the needs of the community of Boston.

    This blog is called Dahubbub.com.

    In it you will not find much about buying or selling real estate, but you will find quality content on neighborhood news, histories, education, parks and recreation, lifestyle, arts and entertainment–all distributed on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis. For this site our aim was to build relationships, because as any good Realtor knows, real estate is a relationship business. We do NO selling of our services on this blog, rather we consider it more of an outreach program, or–if you wish–a long term lead incubation program.

    The second audience we hope to attract is that subset of Boston residents who are in the process of buying or selling, or who thinking about buying or selling real estate within the neighborhoods of Boston. So we set out to create a blog that addresses this groups special needs.

    This blog we called REhubbub.com

    In this blog you WILL find specific, quality and fresh daily content on real estate related activities on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis. Visitors to this site will find detailed information on topics like market conditions and trends, unique homes, area amenities, curb appeal, zoning, financing, schools, local associations, etc.–and of course topics about home buying and home selling.

    So, there you have it. Will this strategy work? Only time will tell. Both blogs were launched in mid-may, so it’s far to early to say if we chose the right strategy. Perhaps some of you here might let us know if you think we’re on the right track. And, please, feel free to visit one or both of our unique blogs and post a comment 🙂

    http://www.dahubbub.com
    http://wwww.rehubbub.com

    June 14, 2007 — 7:11 pm

  14. Shannon Hubbard says:

    If you need a blog on Home Inspections, check out http://www.HomeInspectionBlog.com

    June 14, 2007 — 8:43 pm

  15. Scott Hubbard says:

    Hi Greg, Thanks for adding my Home Inspection Blog to your list. By the way, you have a great blog!

    June 15, 2007 — 8:15 pm

  16. Jay Thompson says:

    Great start! Since day 1 I’ve pondered what appears to be the complete absence of title/escrow blogs…

    Another category that seems like it would be ripe for the picking would be Legal Issues/RE Attorneys. This one is the closest I’ve found, but it’s almost to “legalish” to read:

    http://www.realestateandconstructionlawblog.com/

    Where would you put Catherine Reagor’s “blog”?

    June 15, 2007 — 8:30 pm

  17. Comment by post author

    Greg Swann says:

    > Where would you put Catherine Reagor’s “blog”?

    That’s just too easy…

    It’s a point, though. Lansner is the real deal, and so is Inman Blog. Thanks!

    June 15, 2007 — 9:12 pm

  18. Joanne Hanson says:

    What about the resort/vacation home/second home market? It is the fastest growing segment of real estate. There is plenty to write about in buying and selling, enjoying the recreational opportunities, managing from a distance, renting it, and maybe even getting it to cash flow.

    June 18, 2007 — 8:34 pm

5 Pingbacks

  1. Types of Real Estate Blogs | Carnival of Real Estate
  2. Building credibility takes time : Real Central VA
  3. Real Estate Blog Taxonomy — The Real Estate Bloggers
  4. What does a franchise bring to the table? : Real Central VA
  5. RE.net Acronyms « 4realz.net
June 14, 2007 12:28 am
Blogging, Marketing, Real Estate, Weblogging 101

Next post

Blogging for Dollars – It’s time to make money.

Previous post

Ask the Broker: What’s up with my APR, and why is it so different from my interest rate?!?

Suburban Phoenix Real Estate Broker

Author website

Inventing Real Estate 2.0

Welcome to BloodhoundBlog, the national real estate industry marketing and technology weblog written by, for and about real estate professionals. Better yet, welcome to the wired world of real estate. We are busily inventing Real Estate 2.0 – technology, marketing, service and salesmanship. Like all Bloodhounds, we are smart, frisky and fiercely independent. We've built a spot on the earth – beloved over all – where each one of us can be who we are, no matter who that might be. We are committed to an idea of excellence that will flush the bums, the con-men and the crybabies out of the real estate industry. If you yearn to have your failures excused, your moral lapses absolved or your boo-boos kissed, seek elsewhere. But if you are sick to death of mediocrity – welcome home. Read all about us, subscribe to our feed and steel yourself for the hunt. We work hard, we play hard, we learn everything we can – and we bow to no one.

Media Contacts