Teri’s latest post on BHB sparked a thought for me. She mentioned that BHB was not really a friendly place for women, but she plays with the boys anyway. As someone who has 3 daughters and works in an office full of women, I was taken aback by Teri’s comment. After a few moments of introspection, I realized just about every Blogger I know was male and despite my best efforts, I had failed to get the gals in my office very interested in Blogging (reading or writing). Heck, I can’t even get my wife to read my Blog.
Out of curiosity, I Googled “women blogs” to see what’s out there. I found a fair amount of Women’s Blogs. Topics such as dating, sex, art, and health with featured posts titled 10 Things You Can’t Change About Men and Mean Mom Selling Son’s Xbox 360 can be found on women’s Blog sites. Nothing, however, on real estate.
Okay, maybe my semi-sexist-pig sub-conscious set that Google search up a bit skewed. Ah, “women real estate blogs” found much better results. Lots of good Blog sites and a Top 12 Women Real Estate Bloggers list and a post titled Top Women Real Estate Bloggers Speak Out.
To be politically correct (something I loath doing), I Googled “men blogs” and “men real estate blogs” to see what I could find. The “men blogs” search revealed expected topics like sex, sports, dating, and beer. The “men real estate blogs” search came up with a similar list called 10 Good Men, but not much else. No directory of men’s blogs or any other specific reference to the blogging men in real estate.
So, what does this tell us? Not much, but I am curious why men are doing all the heavy lifting on BHB? Ladies, do tell. It could be all our scary faces on the home page, or titles like the one just posted by Jeff Brown – Don’t Listen to the Arrogant Attention Whores – just Skin Your Cat.
Women are starting to take over real estate, or at least make significant inroads, according to Stephan Swanepoel’s 2008 Trends Report. According to Swanepoel, the #10 Trend for 2008 is Shattered Glass – Women, Youth and Minorities Step Up to Leadership Roles. Have women stepped up in Blogging leadership? Not in my world, but I’m not an authority on women or Blogs. I would like to see a few more women join Teri, Cheryl and Cathleen on BHB and help off-set all the macho chest-thumping and false bravado that goes on here. 65% of REALTORS® are women, so get with it ladies.
Teri Lussier says:
Eek! Quick!
I have to jump in here and clarify. I didn’t say, and certainly didn’t mean to suggest that BHB was “not really a friendly place for women”. I think this is a very friendly place for anyone of any sex.
I said that it wasn’t a ‘girly’ place- there is a difference. Unfortunately, I’m not sure I can explain exactly what that difference is.
And if it makes you feel better, I can’t get my husband to read my blog either. 🙂
April 20, 2008 — 3:51 pm
Todd Carpenter says:
Women are properly represented when it comes to authoring blogs about Real Estate. They just don’t happen to be here. I see it as coincidence.
April 20, 2008 — 4:14 pm
Jeff Brown says:
I thought women were taking over real estate when Carter was president. Wrong then, but who knows now? The number of women is impressive, but the number at the top varies from year to year. You’ve made me curious now. What are the relative numbers in the business, production wise?
Some my most effective mentors were women. The common thread was zero nonsense. They took no prisoners, or excuses.
BHB’s contributor requirements, I can assure you, don’t include gender. 🙂
April 20, 2008 — 5:00 pm
Cheryl Johnson says:
Teri and I have shared a few private chuckles that she, Cathleen and I are now the “Three Muses of Bloodhound”. I don’t post as often as I would like here on BHB since the day-to-day minutiae of running our biz does get rather intense. But don’t worry about me, I can indeed hold my own with the big boys.
April 20, 2008 — 6:05 pm
Michelle DeRepentigny says:
It’s not that BHB is unfriendly, it just feels testosterone heavy quite often, especially lately.
Typically, even when women are being bitchy, we gloss it with nicety – none of that here. Not that it’s a bad thing, it’s just a thing.
April 20, 2008 — 7:18 pm
Bawldguy Talking says:
I think one of the differences is that there are some who don’t seem to be satisfied with a perceived victory. They need to openly tell the world the person they beat is a loser, or stupid, etc.
It’s unnecessary, boorish, and often times plain hurtful. It may indeed be a fact someone can produce superior results compared to another agent, but it’s not a fact those results makes you superior period.
April 20, 2008 — 10:15 pm
Christina Ethridge says:
In my case, while I don’t mind reading BHB, the content on BHB is not something I write about on either of my two blogs. I’m very focused on what my clients (and potential clients) want. They engage me (not always in comments, but via email and the phone) and I provide for them. That’s the focus of my blogs, plain and simple. It’s boring fodder for BHB.
I don’t care about debating disintermediation, agency, commissions, etc. The fact is, I know what I know and believe what I believe on those topics and debating them doesn’t change that – reading debates on them simply secured my stance.
I’m not all about Web 2.0 either – I’m one of those agents from the ‘old world’ that sees increasing numbers of leads coming from old fashioned marketing – direct mail. Believe me, I’ve been told it’s dead for over a decade now. Thing is, my clients don’t think it’s dead and the ROI keeps increasing – fancy that. I have integrated Web 2.0 aspects into my business, but it’s not the ‘end all be all’ that some people profess it to be.
Not that I’ve been invited, but I’m not likely one to BE invited. I don’t ruffle enough ‘national’ feathers and I don’t care to. I have a business to run. That takes a chunk of my time and it’s my priority.
April 21, 2008 — 5:25 am
Teri Lussier says:
Christina-
>the content on BHB is not something I write about on either of my two blogs.
Me either, and I think most of us posting here write very different content for our home blogs. I love that I have multiple outlets for multiple subjects- stretches me a bit, keeps things interesting.
>I don’t ruffle enough ‘national’ feathers and I don’t care to.
I know you were not referring to me, however, there are a lot of contributors here. I think it’s safe to say that most of us fall into that category as well. We like to discuss issues on a national level, but I doubt that ruffling feathers is what the majority of us set out to do. If that happens…well… In my case, that would say much more about the owners of said feathers, than my ruffling of them. 🙂
April 21, 2008 — 6:31 am
Christina Ethridge says:
Teri – yes, I agree (the feathers part). My point was I ruffle feathers ‘in my market’, I just don’t talk about nationally interesting things. When I say ruffle feathers, I mean talk about things that are controversial, or bring up controversy (whether intended or not). I think and discuss things not important to my clients but I just don’t write about them. It’s time mostly – I don’t have any more.
My controversy nationally I guess would be related to web 2.0 vs. ‘old school’. That’s my biggie – cause I was all gung ho and heading into web 2.0 and the reality of that and money in hand hit me head on. Old school reigns in our business, in our market – not exclusively, but strongly.
Oh, I guess I also don’t think changing how agents are paid will ever come to fruition on a global scale. I’ve a lot running around in my brain on that one as well.
Time – I don’t have any more.
April 21, 2008 — 6:40 am
Bawldguy Talking says:
Christina — Though I’ve more than once ruffled feathers unintentionally, most of what I write here and on my own blog is to inform and try to help others.
That said, one of the real #%$^storms resulting from a couple of my posts is gonna be revisited soon. I’ve now got slam dunk evidence, of the empirical sort, that I was absolutely correct.
It’s gonna be tasty. 🙂 But the main thing it’s gonna be is educational and helpful to many people. I’ve always agreed with Greg that we’re here to boost the pro’s ability to perform their service — which usually end up benefitting their clients/customers big time.
BHB is about excellence of results. That’s why we get along so well.
April 21, 2008 — 9:47 am
Christina Ethridge says:
Jeff – I believe it was you that went all out on a few things that have been discussed over and over in netland – I am just reading your posts cheering you on – I wholeheartedly agree with about 95% of what you write (it might even be 100%)
April 21, 2008 — 10:26 am
Bawldguy Talking says:
Christina — I’ll take 95% any time. Thanks
April 21, 2008 — 10:33 am
Chris McCormick says:
I think you may have missed a really, really good blog, by a Canadian Realtor (or 2-depending on which post you’re reviewing) who just happens to be a female! Please do check us out! http://blog.collingwood-bluemountain.com/
April 21, 2008 — 11:45 am