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Wanda Kubat-Nerdin - Wanda Can!, St. George Utah Area Residential Sales Agent (Red Rock Real Estate (435) 632-9374)

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Rainmaker
582,106
Eric Kodner
Madeline Island Realty - La Pointe, WI
CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -

For a couple of reasons, I tend to take a dim view of folks who aren't writing their own posts.

I read bloggers on AR who express the opinion that they prefer to send referrals to a "fellow Rainer". But if the fellow blogger isn't even posting their own material, what reason would there be for sending them a referral?

When AR starts to become a dumping ground for canned, ghostwritten material, the site will become devalued.

Remember elementary school? Whatever happened to the idea of doing your own work??

 

May 06, 2016 01:50 AM
Ambassador
1,452,869
Susan Emo
Sotheby's International Realty Canada - Brokerage - Kingston, ON
Kingston and the 1000 Islands Area

It is a great feeling to meet a new client who says I'm exactly like what they expected after reading my blog!  No one can be a better me than me

May 06, 2016 02:03 AM
Ambassador
3,345,091
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

Yes, I write all of my own content. Why? Because it is me. My voice. My personality. No one else can capture that. People hire me ... not a ghost writer.  I do know some people here in the Rain do not write their own content  ... because they told me so.  I also know some who are not writing their own because you can totally tell it is not their voice. 

May 06, 2016 02:40 AM
Rainmaker
5,772,575
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

Wanda,

We write our own always.  We have been offered big $$$ to let someone write on our blog, as well as advertorials, and have declined!  It would be incongruent with who we are and what we do! A

May 06, 2016 01:32 AM
Rainmaker
1,052,211
Candice A. Donofrio
Next Wave RE Investments LLC Bullhead City AZ Commercial RE Broker - Fort Mohave, AZ
928-201-4BHC (4242) call/text

All me. No one else can afford me. ;)

May 06, 2016 03:40 AM
Rainmaker
2,817,671
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

I write them myself, of course.

May 06, 2016 02:20 AM
Rainmaker
1,513,143
Raymond E. Camp
Ontario, NY

If I have something to write it will be mine. just like the movie.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (11/12) Movie CLIP - Three-Way 

May 06, 2016 01:50 AM
Ambassador
2,178,603
Carol Williams
Although I'm retired, I love sharing my knowledge and learning from other real estate industry professionals. - Wenatchee, WA
Retired Agent / Broker / Prop. Mgr, Wenatchee, WA

I write my own and I ghostwrite local content blogs for other agents, but not here on AR.  

May 06, 2016 01:25 AM
Rainmaker
1,622,432
Inna Ivchenko
Barcode Properties - Encino, CA
Realtor® • GRI • HAFA • PSC Calabasas CA

I create my posts myself. I actually like blogging and interacting via social medias. 

May 06, 2016 06:50 AM
Rainmaker
2,220,654
Anthony Acosta - ALLATLANTAcondos.com
Harry Norman, REALTORS® - Atlanta, GA
Associate Broker

I write my own post.

May 06, 2016 06:19 AM
Ambassador
2,061,864
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

If I were paying a service to write my blog, I think I would have to request a refund.  I'm surprised that my readers haven't requested refunds.

May 06, 2016 03:38 AM
Ambassador
6,393,609
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

Yes I do write my own, nobody else would want to write this stuff.

May 06, 2016 02:50 AM
Rainmaker
1,844,301
Lyn Sims
Schaumburg, IL
Real Estate Broker Retired

I think that you can tell if peoples posts are hired out just by the content. Haven't you seen all the 'sales pitch' posts in the Daily Drop over the last year?

May 06, 2016 01:20 AM
Ambassador
5,049,450
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

No one can do it like me - whether that's good or bad I'm not sure. But at least you know it's me!

May 06, 2016 01:16 AM
Rainmaker
516,437
Brenda J. Andrew
ULTIMA REAL ESTATE - Willis, TX
Professional Realtor in Conroe/Willis, TX

I write my own, but would love for someone to do it for me!

May 06, 2016 01:08 AM
Rainmaker
5,104,931
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

I write my own... you can tell someone else is writing for you and how do you know it's not being repeated elsewhere?

May 06, 2016 10:44 PM
Rainmaker
823,579
Susan Laxson CRS
Palm Properties - La Quinta, CA
Realtor in San Diego, CA & Naples, FL

I write my own because I like to write. Can't imagine having someone else write for me, especially for my website.  That is how the clients learn about you and hopefully choose you to represent them.

May 06, 2016 10:22 PM
Rainmaker
7,836,164
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

I write my own blogs.

 

May 06, 2016 10:03 PM
Rainmaker
989,652
Jennifer Mackay
Counts Real Estate Group, Inc. - Panama City, FL
Your Bay County Florida Realtor 850.774.6582

I've done it both ways - but mostly my staff does it for me

May 06, 2016 09:09 PM
Rainmaker
4,434,127
Gita Bantwal
RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA
REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel

I write my own.

May 06, 2016 09:06 PM
Rainmaker
1,157,785
FN LN
Toronto, ON

I write my own.  It is much easier to do than outsourcing.

May 06, 2016 05:16 PM
Rainmaker
763,883
Tony Lewis
Summit Real Estate Group - Valencia, CA
Summit Real Estate Group Valencia & Aliso Viejo

I write my own blog posts for the same reason I personally answer these questions.  It fun and it's me.

May 06, 2016 04:51 PM
Rainmaker
4,319,419
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Andover, MA
Andover, MA: Andover Luxury Homes For Sale

Wanda Kubat-Nerdin - I do write my own posts - shows my own personality in blogs, comments and answers....

May 06, 2016 03:52 PM
Ambassador
3,727,873
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@Properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

Mine are home grown.  And I've never even caught anybody plagerizing them!

May 06, 2016 02:08 PM
Ambassador
3,043,274
Katerina Gasset
The Gasset Group & Get It Done For Me Virtual Services - Provo, UT
Amplify Your Real Estate & Life Dreams!

It depends on where you are talking about. On ActiveRain I write all my own content except our listing posts. I created a template of our listing post format and I have my executive assistant for our brokerage write those posts. I created a market report template and wrote the content but the monthly revisions are sent to our assistant who then finishes the entries of the changes and posts them. That is a no brainer kind of task and is not the highest and best use of my time.  Now, when it comes to SEO content, like the buffer sites and content, that is done by my SEO team. I don't have time to do all those sites and steps. But most of that as well, is what I originally wrote and the team takes snippets of it and does our steps with that. 

I don't have anything against ghostwriters as I have broker clients who are very busy running  offices with 85+ agents. I train their assistants to write in the broker's voice. That is a skill that can be learned. Because the brokers have never been online there is also no way to tell that it is not them doing the writing.  One broker has an amazing executive assistant who writes way better than the broker ever could and knows the broker well so she can really connect on that level.  Katerina 

 

May 06, 2016 02:06 PM
Rainmaker
3,986,258
William Feela
WHISPERING PINES REALTY - North Branch, MN
Realtor, Whispering Pines Realty 651-674-5999 No.

I  all  own writing

May 06, 2016 01:32 PM
Rainmaker
679,404
Diana Dahlberg
1 Month Realty - Pleasant Prairie, WI
Real Estate in Kenosha, WI since 1994 262-308-3563

I write my own posts.  I have never paid someone to write blogs or posts for me.  No one knows me better than me.

May 06, 2016 12:21 PM
Ambassador
2,161,048
Silvia Dukes PA, Broker Associate, CRS, CIPS, SRES
Tropic Shores Realty - Ich spreche Deutsch! - Spring Hill, FL
Florida Waterfront and Country Club Living

When I write, I write my own. That way I know what's in my blog!

May 06, 2016 11:39 AM
Rainmaker
3,988,007
Debbie Reynolds, C21 Platinum Properties
Platinum Properties- (931)771-9070 - Clarksville, TN
The Dedicated Clarksville TN Realtor-(931)320-6730

I write all my own as I want my voice to come through. That can't be done if someone else does the writing.

May 06, 2016 10:29 AM
Rainmaker
1,771,867
Noah Seidenberg
Coldwell Banker - Evanston, IL
Chicagoland and Suburbs (800) 858-7917

I write them. It is from the heart.

May 06, 2016 08:51 AM
Rainmaker
4,160,899
John Pusa
Glendale, CA

Wanda Kubat-Nerdin I write my own posts.

May 06, 2016 07:53 AM
Rainmaker
846,475
Marco Giancola
Beachfront Realty - Miami Beach, FL
Realtor (305)608-1922, Miami Beach Florida

WHAAAAAAAT???? Of course I write my own obnoxious posts!

May 06, 2016 07:11 AM
Rainmaker
1,502,998
Ryan Huggins - Thousand Oaks, CA
https://HugginsHomes.com - Thousand Oaks, CA
Residential Real Estate and Investment Properties

I write my own.  When I was doing blogs 4 times a day across the social web, I reused NAR & CAR content.

May 06, 2016 06:59 AM
Ambassador
1,026,993
Mimi Foster
Falcon Property Company - Colorado Springs, CO
Voted Colorado Springs Best Realtor

So glad to see the answers here. No one else has my voice. Services are sterile and people are attracted to people.

May 06, 2016 06:51 AM
Rainmaker
1,725,996
Sandy Padula & Norm Padula, JD, GRI
HomeSmart Realty West & Florida Realty Investments - , CA
Presence, Persistence & Perseverance

Always original, never a repeat, or commercially generated.

May 06, 2016 05:14 AM
Rainmaker
4,800,082
Gabe Sanders
Real Estate of Florida specializing in Martin County Residential Homes, Condos and Land Sales - Stuart, FL
Stuart Florida Real Estate

I write my own.  Not interested in having someone else do what I can.

May 06, 2016 03:21 AM
Rainer
69,794
Shawn and Angela Miller
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Amabassador Real Estate - Lincoln, NE
Lincoln and Omaha, NE REALTORS®

I've written my own.  Not sure you will get much SEO link juice off of paid syndicated articles that 5,000 other agents are printing online word for word in their own blogs.  I don't think search engines like duplicate content.

May 06, 2016 03:05 AM
Rainmaker
400,356
Jill Murty, Realtor - Orange County, CA
Movoto - Laguna Niguel, CA

I write my own.  I can't imagine farming it out to a service.  The writer may write something inconsistent with my point of view or the blog may be riddled with misspelled words, which would drive me crazy. 

May 06, 2016 03:01 AM
Rainmaker
5,868,554
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Have written all my own posts.

May 08, 2016 12:15 AM
Rainmaker
921,504
Annette Lawrence , Palm Harbor, FL 727-420-4041
ReMax Realtec Group - Palm Harbor, FL
Making FLORIDA Real Estate EZ

I paste all my blogs into Active Rain myself

I have written blogs for others.

I have been tempted to have my blogs ghost written. Upon reviewing the pablum these companies offered to put my name on, it knew it would be a betrayal of those who would read what I write. 

I believe, at this time, most who post blogs on Active Rain are posting original or largely original content. However, at the helm now is one who follows the KW philosophy of life. Things could change to become a tabloid type depository for real estate agents news fresh from RIS Media.

May 06, 2016 03:43 AM
Rainer
50,698
Suzanne Rumsey
Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate - Newark, DE
Rumsey Home Team (Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate)

We write our own.

May 12, 2016 12:40 PM
Rainmaker
617,935
David Gibson CNE, 719-304-4684 ~ Colorado Springs Relocation
Colorado Real Estate Advisers LLC - Colorado Springs, CO
Relocation, Luxury & Lifestyle residential

Wanda,
If a service wrote as poorly as I do, I would fire them.

 

My blogs are my own feeble attempts.

May 12, 2016 03:24 AM
Rainmaker
4,936,705
Will Hamm
Hamm Homes - Aurora, CO
"Where There's a Will, There's a Way!"

I write my own, you can tell at some of the comments I get like, What do you mean!

May 11, 2016 12:03 AM