BloodhoundBlog

There’s always something to howl about.

Author: Michelle DeRepentigny (page 1 of 1)

Real Estate Broker

July 27, 2008

Do You “Knol”? Utilizing a new Google Offering

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Real Estate Broker

Author website

It looks like Problogger has mixed opinions on the launch of Google’s Knol. Meanwhile, Seer Interactive shows Knol already ranking for some keywords.

Search Engine Land compares Knol to Wikipedia and gives you step by step instruction on setting up your own Knols. I love the ability to have a collaboration but be able to moderate and control content edits. I have an ongoing feud on Wikipedia with someone who does not feel that a link to a hyper local blog full of community information belongs on Wikipedia – I put it on – he takes it off – one year later – 15 edits and I get incredible traffic to my local blog from Wikipedia. I just have to check it every few weeks!

For me it Knol is another tool in my arsenal of online marketing. I’ve got my start and am committing to adding fresh information at least weekly. Currently I’m ranked number 3 for the search “Real Estate” and the only one for “Athens, Georgia” who wants to join me? What content do you think will be most applicable and how do you plan to leverage this new tool?

July 19, 2008

Project Bloodhound: What’s A Little More Change? Choosing a New Broker Based on Social Media Involvement!

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Real Estate Broker

Author website

I made the decision a few months ago, that even though I could afford to maintain my current office space through this winter, that I really didn’t want to spend a fortune doing so! I’m paying a pretty pricey rent for about twice as much space as we really need.

After a little discussion with my top agents, my search began for smaller office space. I thought I had found the perfect space, only to find out that the telephone service that I wanted (that reduced my office phones cost from $350 a month to $150 a month) wasn’t available and would not be for quite a while! So, I started really looking at my/our options:

  • I already gave notice – I have to move by 7/31/2008
  • I hate the affordable space that is available
  • I hate to admit it, but I really miss being part of a franchise somedays

I put out a feeler to another franchise broker in town and he jumped all over it: “Come on over, bring your folks, and be part of our team”. Oh h*ll what have I done now races around my mind. After being a managing broker for 7 years of a large franchised company and an owner/broker of a small independent office for 4 years, this feels really weird! Sure enough, in a few days I’m being recruited – I forgot what that feels like – not by 1 but by 2 of the companies in town! I had a gut feeling, but decided to “google” my potential new brokers – one of them is at least on Facebook! Whoo Hoo – I think I’m going to choose my new broker to affiliate with based on his being on Facebook.. some research and my gut. Some of you know how I feel about Facebook, and other social networks, so it may be no surprise that I would never go to work for/with someone who had least didn’t somewhat embrace the Read more

July 9, 2008

Gagging on the Kool Aid: Active Rains rolls out new Localism.com

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Real Estate Broker

Author website

I owe a lot to Active Rain, 

  • I learned about blogging in general.
  • I found Bloodhound Blog through following Terri and Greg during Project Blogger.  (and many other great blogs)
  • I’ve generated business from converted leads.
  • And made really good friends. 

 But this morning I’m feeling a little nauseous after the much anticipated revamp of Localism, The redesign is neutral and simple, with a few twist in navigation still needed.   I would have rather paid for an “outside blog” than purchased “communities“.  Maybe buying the way to the top as a community sponsor will actually reduce some of the crud posting just for points, but right now I’m having very mixed feelings about continuing to drink the Kool Aid.  Maybe I just need sleep.

June 26, 2008

Project Bloodhound: The question I should have asked a year ago

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Real Estate Broker

Author website

As a new blogger, with little experience, how do you choose a weblog platform?  My current blog runs on Quick Blogcast from Go Daddy and it’s beginning to feel limited.  The number one reason I chose it, when I started blogging a little over a year ago, was that it looked easy to implement and was affordable.  Frankly I’m very frugal, especially while I’m proving to myself whether or not something work for me.  The good news was I was up and running  in no time and my blog has brought me business.

Ironically, two of us new puppies are currently using Quick Blogcast.  I’ve found some tricks and gotten some great lessons  in CSS and rigging things to make them work the way I want from the tech support, who are patient and helpful, BUT they have to put me on hold and scratch their heads to make it happen almost every time.

I really want a more functional platform that allows me more creativity and control, but I’m intimidated by wordpress.org setups and every time there is an update, it seems that I see a few really frustrated real estate pros over on Twitter.  Now the time has come for me to shut up or put up and this seems like the perfect opportunity to make a platform move, but I’m still not sure I have the technical skills to take on a more complex platform.  

Now that I have a functional blog that makes me money, with a growing Page Rank, should I risk the change? 

  • Will I spend days frustrated to no end, during my really busy season?  Is it worth it to have a pretty blog?
  •  Should I just pay someone who does have the technical skills and pay them forever?

    •  I know there are great bloggers out there who have made these hard choices and I really need to know what you think about choosing platforms, which one you recommend, and anything else you can suggest to help.  If you were going to start a new blog today, what would you do?  Thanks for taking the time to share the pros and cons and I’m really looking Read more

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    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.

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