An Email from Teresa Boardman - What To Expect In Numbers
A comment from Teresa when asked about numbers.
12 closed transactions a year from a real estate blog is a reasonable expectation and 20 transactions are quite possible. I would suggest that it takes an average of three months of posting before most blog writers see a contract or closing from it. It took me 5 months to learn from my readers and figure out what to write. Our market here has changed quite a bit and is no longer hot and is saturated with agents and listing that don’t sell. Several agents I know have taken part time jobs. I spend 6 to 8 hours every week working on my blog, most of the time is spent writing. My top source for generating listing appointments is my Friday fun post. I can attribute 2 listings to it so far this year, with another going on the market next week and another on August 1st. I have a closing on Thursday from buyers that found me through my blog and another in July. I do not get business from every appointment, and not every buyer buys, I attribute this to buyer angst brought on by listening to the news and by local market conditions because in prior years every buyer I worked with bought and every deal I wrote closed. Most agents are reporting working twice as hard for half as much business, I also find that to be true. My top source for meeting new buyers is the photos on my blog. So far St. Paul re has reduced my marketing costs significantly which is a great reason for having it.
My blog is also a life style choice. I detest open houses, and do not believe in cold calling. I choose to market my business by word of mouth, and limit the amount of business that I take. My goal has never been to be the biggest, I strive to be the best. I think blogs are a long term type of marketing that take commitment. I personally have not found any other method of generating business that I am as comfortable with and that works as well.
My goal is to make a comfortable living while having time to enjoy other things. I enjoy the blog and the people that I have come to know because of it. It has been a tremendous educational experience and has led to new business ideas and new ways of doing business. I am going to state that I have learned enough at this point to be able to take my blog to the next level. I feel as though I am only beginning to scratch the surface and that both my blog and I have a lot of untapped potential. My personal and business goals involve beating my own personal best, and I do not spend time comparing myself to other agents. I don’t want to get into a contest, but I do want other agents to know that blogs can generate revenue.
