Interview with Jim Duncan of Central Virginia Real Estate March 13, 2006
There are not too many real estate professionals that understand blogging as well as Jim Duncan of the Central Virginia Real Estate blog. He obviously “gets it” in that his blogging style is top-notch at fascilitating discussions (i.e. great use of quoted text and links). I happen to think he strikes a great balance between exploring new ideas and technologies, while still demonstrating his expertise in real estate.
What inspired you to start blogging?
I started blogging because I read an article a few years ago that said that blogging was going to be the “next big thing.” I continue to blog because I enjoy it. It adds value to my business because I am forced to be an, if not “the” local expert on the real estate market. The local press that I have received in various publications has been surprising. People are looking for expert opinions; the blog has created more “buzz” than I have ever had from my basic website. I love what I do; the blog is a way to convey that passion, and gain a little bit of business and exposure to boot!
Are there any special topics or issues that you enjoy covering?
I enjoy writing about how real estate connects with society as a whole – affordable housing, land use, politics, the market, growth … So many aspects of society are influenced by the real estate market and accompanying human settlement patterns, and so many unintentional consequences of governments’ desire to make housing more equitable.
What have you done to personalize your blog?
I have added little tweaks here and there to make my blog more user-friendly, but basically the blog is about the content.
Do you have any favorite posts?
Favorite posts:
I like these because they show how I am conflicted about what is happening to my community as we grow. These show that I am not just some shill out to sell any and everything, but someone who cares about his community and wants to influence it in a positive way.
What are some of your favorite blogs (real estate or otherwise)?
Favorite blogs:
- Rain City
- Cvillenews (local)
- Slashdot/MacSlash
- The Road to Ruin/Bacon’s Rebellion, two Virginia blogs that cover land use, politics and settlement patterns
- NoVa RE Guide
- boing boing
What tools/websites do you find most helpful in putting together your blog?
NetNewsWire is indispensable, it helps organize my constant level of “information overload.” The smart subscription feature that lets me sort feeds by keyword, e.g. “real estate,” “charlottesville,” “transportation” of my RSS feeds is huge.
How does blogging fit into the overall marketing of your business?
I do very little to market my blog beyond word of mouth. My “marketing strategy” for my blog is different than most in that I write primarily for my own satisfaction. Any business that I gain from the blog is a bonus.
What plans do you have to improve your blog over this next year?
I don’t know yet how I want to improve my blog. I recently redesigned it, added a few features here and there, but I want t o keep it simple and uncluttered. Adding more features would detract from the content, I think.
What is the one tool or feature that you wish your site had?
One tool or feature – Simple - graphs like Merv’s (and someone to do them for me)
What do you think real estate blogging will look like 3 years from now?
# 3 years from now - I expect that we will see an exponential explosion of real estate blogs as the trend-followers attempt to capitalize on this new phenomenon. Where there was one real estate blog in my market a year ago (mine) there are now four. I expect that will at least double again by the end of this year and double again in another 3 to 6 months’ time. As with any trend or business life cycle, separating the wheat from the chaff will take time. Blogging is not like adding a website to one’s marketing arsenal where you can hire someone to do it for you. Blogging is a personal expression that is extremely time-intensive. Successful real estate blogs will have to remain local to be successful locally. Anybody looking for real estate industry info can go to the market leaders- Inman, Rismedia, Rain City … Being the local blog that is intimately aware and conversant of the local issues is one of my goals. The best blogs are ones that have passion – passion for the issues, the content and purpose.
Anything else?
One of the best by-products of my blog has been the relationships that I have forged and developed because of my blog. I was a part of the first-ever “blogger’s conference” last year. The camaraderie among fellow bloggers is something that I value highly; I hope that it will continue as we all grow and evolve. I have met some exceptional people that have helped grow my business and add value to my business – the podcasts, the staging, the basic exposure through online and print media has been truly astounding. Real estate is and always has been, to me, about people; the blog is an extension of that.
- Posted in : General Real Estate
- Author : Dustin
Comments»
Good work, I enjoyed looking at his site.
http://www.ncrealestateblog.com
Jim is a fantastic RE blogger and we’re very proud that he is a member of our Realty Blogging network.
Jim’s blog is also on my Top 25 list!
Jim, Have you closed any transactions directly attributable to your blog? When did you start your blog?
Hey Chris Bubny,
Interesting coincidence when I clicked on you. Can you tell Ken that I did not mean to renege on my promise to post a comment on his blog, but I can’t get to it. “Access Denied” Something about security and fun products and spyware. I can’t get into his blog, though I seem to be able to get into all other blogs.
Hey Dustin, if you click on Chris you will see Ken Deshais, the author of that book “How to Make Your Realtor Get You the Best Deal”. While local “authors” appear in each State, Ken is the actual, original author and an expert on Chris’ blog. Ken was the one who called me from Colorado and had a copy sent to you and me here in WA. Have you read it yet?
Ardell, I haven’t read the book yet, but it is one of the higher items on my todo list.
Ardell -
I have actually closed at least one transaction that came directly from my blog. I was competing against another buyer’s agent for the clients’ business and they felt they “knew me” better by what I had written and the opinions I had expressed … for better or worse
Even better perhaps, is that I met the business editor for the local daily here in Charlottesville at a blog/tech conference several months ago. From that chance meeting, I have been quoted/featured in a couple of stories … from which I have garnered a fair amount of traffic and people saying “I saw you in the paper on Sunday …” Now that is valuable.
Hi Ardell,
Ken’s a great person and a real credit to the Real Estate Profession. I will certainly pass the message along!
Did you receive the error on Ken’s Snow Home Properties Blog or on his Realty Blogging blog?
The SnowHomeBlog, which is where he asked me to comment. I will try the other now that you have conveniently hyperlinked it for me
I am likely the one person who writes and comments here, with the least proficiency in technology tasks. While my children and other agents are amazed at my proficiency level regarding blogging and pinging…compared to most bloggers, I am a neanderthal. Compared to most other Grandmas?…everything is relative.
Thanks Ardell, just wanted to be sure the error wasn’t on my end.
Ken hasn’t posted to Snow Home Properties in some time. He is one of our newest contributors aside from Dewita Soeharjano of Urban Trekker and I think he has been so busy with the recent book and his own business that he hasn’t had time to post for us or his own blog.
[...] Strictly from a business standpoint, the press that I receive from the Realtor-realted press and blogs is a double-edged sword. It helps to raise my profile - among other Realtors! This interview with the excellent Rain City Guide is a perfect example. The best aspect of this interview is that it is with one of the market leaders in the real estate blogosphere - always better to be associated with the best! One thing I have found is that this increased profile and professionalism helps my business tremendously - One of the best by-products of my blog has been the relationships that I have forged and developed because of my blog. I was a part of the first-ever “blogger’s conference” last year. The camaraderie among fellow bloggers is something that I value highly; I hope that it will continue as we all grow and evolve. I have met some exceptional people that have helped grow my business and add value to my business – the podcasts, the staging, the basic exposure through online and print media has been truly astounding. Real estate is and always has been, to me, about people; the blog is an extension of that. [...]
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[...] Jim Duncan of the Real Central VA blog [...]