I can’t believe I’m writing this, at this hour. My weariness from this week hasn’t had a chance to overcome my leftover weariness from last week. Sooner or later I’ll make enough money to check into a rest home!
But: Brian Brady, Richard Riccelli and I have been talking about this all week, and I thought I’d run it up the flagpole and see who salutes.
So:
Should the Bloodhounds write a book?
If so, what book should it be?
I’m the worst anti-dead-tree snob there is, but the Gary Keller books have proved that print still has legs. We want a way to get through to the 99% of agents and Realtors who have but barely dipped a toe into the Web 2.0 waters. It seems clear that we have to carry the word to them in a format they can (literally) grasp.
So how would you advise us? I know what I want, and I know what Brian wants and what Richard wants. What do you want? What would you want if you were a punter on the sidelines wondering if the topics we take up here are worth worrying about? What might you want if you were a consumer, not someone in the real estate business?
I’m interested to hear where your thoughts run.
John Kalinowski says:
You are writing a book, every day, right here. It’s relevant, live, and lasts forever, and you don’t have to answer to a publisher.
The Gary Keller books sell for many reasons, one of them being the cult-like loyalty that drives their agents to purchase each new edition. The reality is that 99.9% of the agents who read his books do absolutely nothing with the excellent information inside.
Your site is changing the way people do business every day, and agents are actually putting into action the ideas they find here. I’m a living example with my signs and WordPress website, and most likely neither would exist yet if I hadn’t stumbled upon your digital pages.
Not sure I would change a thing.
May 9, 2009 — 1:48 am
Don Reedy says:
Yes.
We have 70% done already. We have passion, and our message is, well, quite simply one for every agent out there, if they want to survive, i.e.
I do like John’s analysis above. What really intrigues me is his comment that “The reality is that 99.9% of the agents who read his books do absolutely nothing with the excellent information inside.”
You see, the Keller book is about SYSTEMS, and though clearly systems are important (CRM, et al), they simply are not readily adaptable, transparent and relevant to every agent in every area. Unchained is not so much about systems as it is about tools, passions, and technology.
I don’t know your, Brian’s or Richard’s plan, but I can see a book pretty clearly in my head, a hard copy of the Unchained University I want us to create. Read the syllabus, and then direct the readers to us online, live, with real interactivity, teaching, growing….and probably a business model in there for Unchained as well.
But I digress. YES, for goodness sakes, let’s all help you do a book, a great book, that transforms even the book business, let alone the world of real estate.
“Act as If” we are the next “Millionaire Real Estate” book.
May 9, 2009 — 9:46 am
Thomas Hall says:
I’ve been compiling material for a book as well – still in outline format. I would love to contribute in any way that would be of value.
May 9, 2009 — 10:28 am
Eric Blackwell says:
I was thinking about in addition to a hard hitting marketing book….maybe add a few pages at the end for some anecdotes and funny experiences from the contributors’ real estate lives…and channelling Geno. (grin)
Thoughts?
Eric
May 9, 2009 — 3:34 pm
Joshua Hanoud says:
Books are difficult when what we’re preaching is cutting edge (even if reflecting backwards – it’s with a fresh “view” on an old idea). Books on technology are outdated before they hit the shelves and are really only good for “basics”…but BHB isn’t really about basics…it’s about a refinement of the basics to the point that they’re no longer basic (i.e. what is the true purpose of a real estate sign, and how can we revitalize the current signage to reflect that?).
If you were to do a book “getting started in real estate” that might fly – but to do what is done here every day in a print format…not so sure it would make sense.
Then again…maybe take it in that new direction?
May 9, 2009 — 6:23 pm
Don Reedy says:
Another thought after reading some of the posts.
A book WILL work, if its authors create a book to be a workbook of sorts. Ever read the Bible? Hardly worth the read if you don’t practice or discuss with others. The author of that book simply wrote it to be a cornerstone to start conversing, and then subsequently a revelation.
That’s what our book should be. It should and can be a cornerstone to get the community conversing. Again, and to be redundant, Keller’s book serves the purpose not so much of making a millionaire out of real estate agents, but rather starting, allowing and sustaining a conversation among agents he (Keller) wanted to evangalize into his brokerage. In this regard, his book is a masterful piece.
An Unchained book that started a conversation, with a purpose behind the scenes (in Keller’s case a brokerage – in Unchained’s case an on-line University), could capture market share because we’re going to move the market “out of the pews and into the Web 2.0 streets.”
Okay, I’m done for now, but believe me, there’s gold in them there hills……
May 9, 2009 — 6:54 pm
Sean Purcell says:
A book? Most definitely. I agree with a number of the comments above, but I suggest you don’t miss the low lying fruit (Don touched on it briefly). Bloodhound is ostensibly all about online marketing and technology and blogging and blah, blah, blah. But I believe it is primarily about taking the ideas, activities and attitudes of the real estate profession to a level few aspire to or achieve.
Look back at the most popular posts. I’ll bet dollars to donuts they’re generally concerned with doing things that others won’t do as opposed to can’t. Greg, how many times have you shared something (custom signs comes to mind right now) and said: “Listen, 95% of the agents out there won’t make this effort. Part of why I do what I do is to drive those people back to whatever salaried, service job they used to have. The other 5% will use it and the entire profession will be lifted as a result.” You know what’s most interesting about that example? It has nothing to do with tech.
Let’s not lose the forest for the trees. This may be a tech site (it certainly is relative to the tech knowledge our industry currently possesses) but technology is not what’s sold here. The Bloodhound Way describes an attitude and a pursuit of excellence that is just not seen in the “big box” brokers nor the majority of independent agents. But that’s not to say there isn’t a demand for it; and that’s certainly not to say there isn’t a need for it. A book filled with the passionate ideas exhibited every day on this site for doing it a LOT better than it is done now stands a good chance at selling a lot of copies. Might even improve the lives of… oh, about 5% of those who read it. 🙂
May 9, 2009 — 7:39 pm
Scott Cowan says:
I think a workbook filled with examples of what BHB is talking about each and everyday would be something that would have a market as a book.
Engenu, custom signs, well thought out gorilla marketing plans, etc. all would benefit anyone who would make the effort to implement them. These are discussed here and then they get pushed to the archives because something new and brilliant is being explained. A workbook filled with practical examples of what Bloodhounds are doing would create a item that real estate agents could constantly refer to as needed when they are looking for inspiration to break out of the chains of doing business the way 99% of the agents in their markets are doing business.
If a new site was created where people who bought the book could download the software referenced in a one stop shop would be one of the extra touches that would make the book worth much more than it would cost in dollars.
The knowledge and passion here is without compare. To bottle it and publish it in a book would be something that would take The Bloodhound Way and make it the way of Realtors everywhere. We would all benefit if our fellow agents would actually do 50% of what many of us are doing.
Besides, Greg Swann and Brian Brady doing a book tour would be something that simply cannot be described in words.
May 9, 2009 — 8:26 pm
Greg Swann says:
Sean Purcell: > Let’s not lose the forest for the trees. This may be a tech site (it certainly is relative to the tech knowledge our industry currently possesses) but technology is not what’s sold here. The Bloodhound Way describes an attitude and a pursuit of excellence that is just not seen in the “big box” brokers nor the majority of independent agents. But that’s not to say there isn’t a demand for it; and that’s certainly not to say there isn’t a need for it. A book filled with the passionate ideas exhibited every day on this site for doing it a LOT better than it is done now stands a good chance at selling a lot of copies. Might even improve the lives of… oh, about 5% of those who read it.
That’s gorgeous. That’s a job worth doing.
May 10, 2009 — 8:26 pm
Brad Coy says:
Greg: That’s a job worth doing.
I second that. When I think of the most important aspect of why I have read BHB in the first place, it has been about the integrity and the passion that is shared every day here. Uncommon to the day to day (at least in my world) is found a common interest in excellence…
Wow! all that, and it’s delivered by REAL people, not “icons” of the industry, not experts lauded by Realtor magazine, but the salt of the earth type of people you want to get to know because they speak to you in a language that you understand.
We witnessed great things happen in Phoenix and damn it feels good to see the scenius in action.
I would love to see these ‘attitudes, ideas, and activities’ as Sean put it, get pressed and bound.
My take is a book is a great idea. It solidifies the effort in action in a big mainstream way with tremendous reach.
May 11, 2009 — 1:50 am