Though blogs started out as personal journals, there is no limit to what may be covered in a blog. It is customary for people to compose blogs to express their work, their hobbies, their social or political issues, and news or current events.
Real estate blogs have also become a trend in recent years, however, not as fast or abundant as one may expect. Nonetheless, blogs can be a very valuable source of up-to-date information on real estate, especially in a time when real estate value is very volatile and current information is what may make the difference between a successful transaction and a losing deal.
Real estate blogs have the advantage of presenting the top stories and the latest news in a single place eliminating the need to surf the net and search for multiple sources. An example is The Toronto Real Estate Blog www.TheTorontoRealEstateBlog.com which provides its readers with a variety of information ranging from changes in interest rates to statistics on building permits and from the latest changes in prices to predictions of the direction of the market.
Another advantage of using blogs is they have RSS feeds from other sources, such as newspaper articles published online, which are updated daily with the latest news. These feeds give the readers the ability to receive a variety of opinions based on which to construct a personal opinion. In some cases, valuable tools are offered to the users, directing them to further sources to collect valuable information required to make an informed decision, such as crime rates, air quality by neighborhood and school ratings.
Here are a few ideas on how to use blogs to stay informed on real estate issues and trends:
- Search for relevant blogs. Google the name of your city along with the words “real estate blog”.
- A valuable blog has frequent updates.
- A nice, clean look will make it easier to read the articles relevant to you
- Ensure that it has RSS feeds to multiple sources
- It should have an impartial tone and not try to sell the services of a Realtor
Bookmark a couple of the best blogs according to the guidelines above and visit them daily. It will pay off in time saved from going to a single source and in money gained by making informed decisions.
By Jane Rohn
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Am a huge fan of blogging! With our real estate team here in Minnesota, we have a number of team members with outstanding blogs! They provide a forum for the agents to dispense all types of info. And consumers seem to enjoy to get their information online on their own time frames. Very low pressure and a great way to find an agent who can fulfill your particular real estate need.
Yeah we also have a few blogs going, it helps us to provide market information to our potential clients. With IDX it’s easy to promote listing to a very niche market.
You forgot to mention you have a good real estate blog too :)
Thanks for the post. Blogs are a great source for in depth information for a particular area or field in the Real Estate business.
This is a great article for the typical home buyer or seller, seeking information. Blogs are definitely better for finding local market updates. Especially true in todays crazy market environment. The media tends to generalize to the point of clouding the public perception of their homes value or market condition in their own neighborhood.
I’ve always viewed my blog as a 145 page resume. Sure it’s great for finding leads, but I’ve found it invaluable as a marketing tool when clients are evaluating various agents. It gives them an opportunity to learn about me and see how their home will be marketed.
I agree that blogs are very helpful in real estate but they must be updated frequently. That has always been my problem with a monthly real estate magazine it can’t be updated until a month later and you may be looking at homes no longer on the market. Good blogs remedy that.