An Opportunity to Speak at GPAR on Blogging and Social Media

I want to thank the Greater Philadelphia Association of Realtors ( GPAR ) for asking me to speak this past week on blogging and social media. When I was asked if I would speak on the subjects to my colleagues, I accepted immediately as I knew it was an opportunity to give back. Of course I was a little nervous in that there are a lot of smart Realtors out there doing the social media thing. I certainly did not want to flop or be a disappointment to GPAR or the folks that took the time to show up.

Then I found out it was 2 separate topics, blogging was one topic and social media another, each topic being an hour long. 2 hours is a long time to speak in a structured fashion ! So I had some planning and preparation to do which I took head on. There is SO much to talk about that some conferences go on for 3 days with these subjects.

The big picture is that I believe there is a huge opportunity for those Realtorswho want to build their brand on the Internet through blogging and social media. Especially in Philadelphia since there are not many real estate bloggers utilizing new media. With the huge growth of mobile and video and the web, it is important for Realtors to stay ahead of the curve to be able to communicate with their customers and clients on these platforms and to be able to market listings with enhanced Internet Marketing skills to give sellers that necessary additional exposure that they need and want to get their properties sold.

Looking back about four years ago, I was just starting to blog myself on Active Rain ! It is amazing how much things can take off with hard work, goal setting, consistency and a strong mind set ! In the crowd there were a lot of potential new bloggers. I gave them some examples of changing business models that are inspiring for Realtors (and any entrepreneur) looking to be innovative and bold:

Amazon vs Borders

Netflix vs Blockbuster

Yelp vs Zagat

You vs Your Competition

It is up to YOU !!!