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Dustin 2:28 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
Tags: community, influence (2), method, objective, real estate (168), twitter (28)

50 Most Influential Real Estate People on Twitter

Yesterday, Stefan Swanepoel published a list of 100 influential and interesting people within real estate. It’s an interesting list and got a few of us (myself included) a bunch more followers.

However, set aside for a minute that he missed a whole bunch of influential people (which he is already revising) the reality is that a lot of people on his list just aren’t that interesting (and many border on being twitter spammers). If you’re a real estate professional new to twitter and you started following some of those people, I can only imagine twitter would start looking like a big wasteland of crappy tweets.

However, I think a list of influential people could be a really good thing, especially for people new to twitter… I’ve had this idea for measuring “twitter influence” within a community, and Stefan’s project finally pushed me to build a prototype. The idea is to measure, as objectively as possible, the influential people within a twitter community.

My theory and calculations are described below, but first, here’s the list:

Name	Twitter	Peer Rating
Andy Kaufman	AndyKaufman	100%
Dustin Luther	tyr	100%
Rudy Bachraty	trulia	100%
Jeff Turner	respres	100%
Teresa Boardman	TBoard	100%
Kelley Koehler	housechick	100%
Jay Thompson	PhxREguy	100%
Daniel Rothamel	RealEstateZebra	100%
Ginger Wilcox	gingerw	100%
Robert Hahn	robhahn	100%
Brad Nix	bnix	98%
Jeff Corbett	JeffX	98%
Heather Elias	hthrflynn	98%
Nicole Nicolay	nik_nik	98%
Mike Simonsen	mikesimonsen	98%
Jeff Bernheisel	JBern	98%
Joseph Ferrara	jfsellsius	95%
Jonathan Washburn	JonWashburn	95%
Pat Kitano	pkitano	95%
Drew Meyers	drewmeyers	95%
Marc Davison	1000wattmarc	95%
Jim Cronin	RETomato	95%
Matt Fagioli	MattFagioli	95%
Brad Coy	BradCoy	95%
Mike Price	mlbroadcast	95%
Nick Bostic	nbostic	95%
Dan Green	mortgagereports	95%
Kim Wood	KimWood	95%
Todd Carpenter	tcar	95%
Mike Mueller	MikeMueller	95%
Sherry Chris	BHGRE_Sherry	95%
Derek Overbey	doverbey	95%
Ricardo Bueno	Ribeezie	95%
Loren Nason	lorennason	93%
Ines Hegedus-Garcia	Ines	93%
Jim Duncan	JimDuncan	93%
Jason Sandquist	JasonSandquist	93%
Dale Chumbley	DaleChumbley	93%
Missy Caulk	missycaulk	93%
Kris Berg	KrisBerg	93%
Brad Andersohn	BradAndersohn	93%
Maureen Francis	MaureenFrancis	93%
Lani Rosales	LaniAR	93%
Stacey Harmon	staceyharmon	93%
Bill Lublin	billlublin	93%
Eric Stegemann	EricStegemann	93%
Judy M	realestatechick	93%
Joel McDonald	joelrunner	93%
Reggie Nicolay	Cyberhomes	93%
Morgan Brown	morganb	91%
Mariana Wagner	mizzle	91%
Paul Chaney	pchaney	91%
Jim Marks	jimmarks	91%
FrancesFlynn Thorsen	FrancesFlynnTho	91%
Benn Rosales	BennRosales	91%
Nick Bastian	RailLife	91%

For those interested, here’s how I calculated the influential people within the real estate community.

Step 1: Starting with Stefan’s list, I took 10 people in real estate who were following between 100 and 1000 people AND had more than 1000 people following them. My logic here is that I was looking for active twitter users (i.e. it’s hard to get over 1000 followers without being active) who pay attention to who they follow (i.e. they don’t “autofollow” or “mass” follow people). I was explicitly *not* looking to start with a list of the most influential people, but rather use some thoughtful people within the community to jump start the process. As you’ll hopefully see, the people don’t really matter much in terms of the final results, but here they are anyway: jburslem, RETomato, 1000wattmarc, robhahn, spencerrascoff, hthrflynn, JeffX, nbostic, PoppyD, ardelld. (note: Stefan’s list didn’t include enough people that matched my criteria, so I ended up grabbing a few people out of my twitter stream who did).

Step 2: Using the Twitter API, I created a list of ALL the people these 10 people are following. At this point, everyone is just a number and I won’t see anyone’s twitter name until the very last step.

Step 3: I put all of these twitter IDs in a big list and used a pivot table to give me a count by ID #.

At this point, I have a pretty good list of people within the real estate space. I think it’s pretty safe to say that if someone was “influential” (on Twitter) in real estate, then they’d be on the list of 4000+ people this process created… and most likely near the top since they’re likely being followed by this group if they’re influential. However, it’s time to expand the scope way beyond these 10 people.

Step 4: Now I took EVERYONE who was being followed by at least 8 of those 10 people (45 total) and looked at ALL the people they followed. Because some of these people were following thousands (sometimes tens of thousands!), this turned out to be a huge amount of data… although it all fit nicely in an excel spreadsheet, so I kept going.

Step 5: Starting with a base of people who were being followed in step 3 (4000+), I did a count to see how many times those people were being followed in the HUGE lists that were created in Step 4. (The idea here is that if someone was “influential” they would have at least shown up in the 4000+ IDs that were generated in Step 3 and now I was just counting how many times they showed up within this list of 45 people)

Step 6: I then sorted this list and based on the number of followers that any given ID had, I gave it a “peer” ranking that is simply the total number of followers divided by 44. A peer ranking of 100% means that out of the people created in Step 4, 44 were following that person. A ranking of 91% meant that 40 were following that person.

Step 7: I sorted the list, used Twitter’s API to reverse lookup people’s usernames (and real names), and copy-and-pasted the results above.

It’s also worth noting that I *could* take this list further and displayed the “top 100″ or “top 200″, in which case we would have caught some great names that just didn’t make the cut (David Gibbons, Joel Burslem, Hilary March, Ben Martin, Susie Blackmon, Kevin Tomlinson, and Stefen Swanepoel come to mind), but I had to stop somewhere, so I decided to stop at 50 (although since 7 people tied for 50th, there’s actually 56 people on the list!). Nonetheless, if there’s interest, it’d be pretty easy to expand the list…

Final thoughts

What I really like about this approach is that it’s completely determined by our real estate peers. Like it or not, there’s no better indication of your twitter influence than the “vote” your peers give you when they follow you… and while a “total” follower count is meaningless in terms of influence within a group, if you look at the “influentials” in a relatively objective way (as I’ve done here) and track who they are following, the result is a very non-spammy, highly influential group of people within the real estate twitter community.

Teresa Boardman 5:45 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Thanks for the weenie food. I love this post and I think I have about 4 posts for the weenie because of it.
- Dustin 8:46 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  It’s about time for me to do something to earn weenie status…
Toby Boyce 5:58 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

What a level of work Dustin! I’m not surprised by the list of names, great people doing great things.
- Dustin 8:48 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  I’m not really surprised by many of the names… but I think that’s the point. For people on the inside it should be a “no duh” moment when they see a list of 50 influential people. It’s really geared toward giving people new to real estate twitter a great list of people to follow!
Missy Caulk 6:30 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Thanks Dustin I could never do stat’s like this. But, makes me smile.
Susie Blackmon 6:39 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Wow, Stefan’s list has been fun to read about (and great to be included on as well). Love your numbers method too Dustin. I, like many others, work hard to be respected among my peers, and am always most grateful for recognition of my efforts.

Thanks BTW for your assistance re the ‘IDX’ provider. Did get a call Friday, thanks to you, with a promise on an answer Friday but alas, heard nothing. Third time is the charm.

Have a great day.
- Dustin 8:49 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  Susie… You rock! Despite the fact that those IDX guys need you more than you need them, it sounds like you might have to keep bugging them a bit!
Kris Berg 7:08 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

And you did all of this analysis when? Very impressive, Dustin. Thanks for the mention, but at 93% I feel sort of like I cheated on a test. As for the 100 percenters, you nailed it.
Maureen Francis 7:18 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Thanks Dustin! Your math brain is much bigger than mine.

That “follow all” button on Stefan’s list is sending my twitter notifications soaring…
- Dustin 8:50 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  I’m definitely missing the “follow all” button, huh? Wouldn’t be hard to throw all these people in that same app, but I think I rather the people had to work a bit!
  - Dale Chumbley 12:15 am on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    
    Dustin, your list doesn’t need a “follow all” button since these are all people I already follow! Top class individuals!!! In fact, I’ve personally met, hung out with, enjoyed the company of 45 out of the 50.
    - Dustin 12:21 am on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply
      
      Interesting way to look at it… I can remember meeting all but 2 of the people on the list (I won’t name names since it’s quite possible I’ve met all of them!).
Dustin 7:21 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

You’all rock! No surprise it was actually a lot of fun to put together.

I woke up thinking I should try this out for other “communities.” I’m almost positive none of the other communities will be nearly as strong (in terms of having a large group of people that almost everyone in the group follows), but I think it might almost make the results for local areas and/or other topics just as interesting.
Randy Barnes 7:25 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Ok – Im geeky and degree in Econ, but reading the process made me a little dizzy. Thanks for doing that for us as many of us can take this and run from here. Kudos. rb
- Dustin 7:28 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  LOL! Every once in a while, the geek in me, definitely comes out.
Bill Lublin 7:34 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Dustin- I knew you were smart, but this is very impressive – To create your own indices and correlate them so effectively is awe inspiring. Like Teresa (though without her wit and articulation) I see the stuff of new blog posts in this ground breaking effort – Thanks so much for this breakthrough!
- Dustin 8:30 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  Let me know if you want to geek out a bit… I’d be happy to pass along the spreadsheet I used!
Nick Bastian 7:38 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Dustin, you always amaze me with your work! Thanks so much for the mention. Influential? I’m not so sure. Having fun meeting a lot of great people? Yep.
ines 7:47 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I am sitting here cracking up! don’t know if it has to do with trying to get your thought process or because you took the time to do this – LOL!!! You are the funniest!! ….and you know I *HEART* @tyr even if he is one of the geekiest people I know
- Dustin 8:31 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  Anything I can do to make you smile…
BuzzBuzzHome 7:58 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Great list, and really great to find 50 new people to follow up on in real estate!

I must admit, your methodology got a bit much to read but the just of it sounded good! Awesome that it was based on “recommendations by peers”.
- Dustin 8:34 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  You did a better job summarizing it than I did! If I could get 2 sentences, it would probably be something like this:
  
  I used a small set of people within a community to create a much larger list of all the “likely” influential people in a community. I then tracked who all the people in the “larger” list were following to create an “influence” or “rank” of all the top people within the community.
  
  However, the result is almost exactly what you said… a list of people as “recommended by peers”.
  - BuzzBuzzHome 8:41 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    
    Then again, my only issue is that I don’t think people actually use Twitter to “listen” to other people. Once you are following over 500 people, it is hard to actually keep up-to-date on what people are talking about; then follow above 1,000 and it is really impossible.
    
    I have switched how I use twitter to be based on the “search” button, and by directly going to the 5 or so people that I like to check out daily for some news.
    
    As such, it becomes hard on Twitter to actually be “recommended by peers”. But, again, that is when you are following over 500…
    - Dustin 8:52 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
      
      Not sure the number is 500, but I completely agree that once people follow too many it becomes nearly impossible to “listen” to people…
Nick Bostic 7:59 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Thanks for considering me a “thoughtful person”, I always thought it just took me a long time to form sentences due to the hangover From what I remember from my old college Decision Sciences classes, your method seems valid and is very well explained, thank you for the (typical) great work!
- Dustin 8:38 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  yeah… There’s plenty of room for bias to creep in, but the methodology is good enough for the job!
  
  The biggest factor is the initial 10 people I choose… But I’m pretty sure (although only testing would confirm) that as long as the 10 people fit the criteria I mentioned (i.e. following 100 to 1000 and being followed by 1000+) & were within the “real estate” community, then the results would be nearly the same.
Matt Fagioli 8:02 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

My apparently feable mind is now smoking; overheated in an attempt to follow that process! Dude, you crack me up.

Glad the @tyr supercomputer spit out @mattfagioli at the end somewhere
- Dustin 8:38 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  Anything I can do to keep you mind smoking.
Frances Flynn Thorsen 8:22 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Dustin, This is an extremely impressive calculation. Thanks for sharing the nuts and bolts of the process. Wow!
- Dustin 8:45 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  Your “nuts and bolts” comment reminded me that I forgot to mention one more “sorting” issue.
  
  After sorting for “peer rating”, the list is sorted by the time when the user signed up for Twitter. In other words, Andy was not only one of 10 people who scored 100%, but he was also the 1st out of that group to sign up for Twitter.
  
  Probably more interesting than the 1st however, is the “last” person in that list because it shows that Rob Hahn was the last of the people to sign up on Twitter who has managed to get all of the 44 people from step 5 to follow him!
  - Jay Thompson 8:58 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    
    What’s the “spread” between when Andy signed up and when Rob did? And who’s the longest (I suspect Andy) and shortest tenured?
    
    (Yeah, I could look it up, but sounds like you already have the data…)
Jeff Bernheisel 8:48 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Even more proof (like we needed any) that Dustin ROCKS!
Thanks for taking the time to explain the process…

-JBern
Jay Thompson 8:54 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

You’re such a nerd Dustin. And I say that with the utmost respect…

I think your “algorithm” is sound. At least it makes sense to me. I was a little disappointed with some of Stefan’s list (primarily because as you mentioned, several were swiftly approaching Spammerdom and some had almost zero engagement).

Would LOVE to see an analysis like this for a location (say “Phoenix”) though it might be more difficult as a location based review would by its very nature be quite broad based — are people really “Phoenix Twitters”? Then you’ve got the problem with a large metro area in regards to the suburbs. Twitter thinks (correctly) that I live in Gilbert, AZ. Clearly I would fall into the “Phoenix camp”, but I’m not sure the way you’re pulling data with the API that could ever be captured.

Very interesting stuff Dustin, and a big tip o’ the propeller beanie to you!
- Dustin 8:57 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  I’m definitely thinking location myself. Gonna play with “Ventura County” next so I can continue the fun AND call it work…
  - Jay Thompson 9:00 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    
    You could always do the “real Valley” and use Maricopa County.
    
    But the Twitter API doesn’t pull any county related data does it? So you’ll have to massage it with some sort of look-up table listing cities in the county?
  - BuzzBuzzHome 9:03 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    
    It would be interesting to see the sphere of influence that people have.
    
    For example, people in Vancouver can have a huge influence over Toronto people. Or someone in Texas having influence over people in Florida.
    
    It is amazing how with Twitter’s search you are able to find news and stories from around the world in seconds. I rely on it for my blog when doing real-estate research beyond Toronto.
    
    PS: Why does everyone have such cool aviatars.. Mine is such a weird one, and cant figure out where to change it!
    - Jay Thompson 9:11 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
      
      Go to Gravatar.com and get an avatar (or sign in with Facebook, that will pull in your FB profile pic.
      - BuzzBuzzHome 6:07 am on September 22, 2009 Permalink
        
        Awesome! Thanks. Changed.
Jim Marks 8:58 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Dustin,

Pretty cool…

PS: Can you send me the 9 people who arent following me? LOL…
- Dale Chumbley 12:21 am on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  Jim, when you get that list let me know. Apparently most of those 9 aren’t following me either. Sheesh… LOL
- Dustin 12:27 am on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  Amusingly, you found a use for this database I had never envisioned… to find out the “influential” people you need to reach out to!
  
  By the way, the competition is so cut-throat that you’re actually missing many fewer than 9 people… The 91% peer rating corresponded to 40 out of 44 possible followers…
  - Dale Chumbley 9:06 am on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    
    It would be curious to see how consistent the list of “missing influencers” is for those missing the 3 or 4? Are we missing the same or is it all over the board?
Loren Nason 9:07 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Now that is a geeked out list and is exactly how a list should be created.

All numbers and it takes the emotion completely out of it.

Great job on the programming Dustin
- Dustin 10:15 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  thank you much!
ken brand 9:26 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

That’s impressive brain power and impressive results. Thanks.
Rudolph Bachraty 9:28 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Good work and interesting analysis here Dustin. Being on a list of influential or interesting real estate tweetpeeps is cool yet relative at the same time. What I love most is having the opportunity to be helpful. I take pride in that actually.
- Dustin 10:17 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  Being helpful is what makes you so influential!
Donna Paul 9:48 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

WOW, you did so much work on this. I just love it. This will give me more reasons to keep on twitting. I really just like to twit because it’s fun.

I’m going to look into following these people…. Wait… I thing I’m already following them.
Thanks for the post. I really like it
Elad Kehat 9:59 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Loved your approach in compiling the list. Impressive!
Andy Kaufman 10:03 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

This is an awesome post Dustin.

While I was honored to be included in Swanepoel’s list, it was immediately obvious that the were quite a few glaring omissions and digging deeper included quite a few people that I wouldn’t follow.

I really appreciate you going into depth on the methodology used to compile this list. Judging by the results, I’d say that your definitely onto something. While there will always be a few people left out, I agree with every person that made this list & I’m honored to be listed alongside them.

Once again, thanks for tackling this project Dustin. Score one for the data geeks!
- Dustin 10:28 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  You rock! glad you appreciate it!
Daniel, The Real Estate Zebra 10:08 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Kari was the one who told me about this list. We knew there was only 1 person in the RE.net who has the ability to make such a list using such a methodology. Nice work.
Kevin Tomlinson 10:18 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Thanks for the include!
Stacey Harmon 10:32 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Wow Dustin…impressive calculations there. Look forward to finding 1/2 hour to read through the nuances of your methodology. Hoping I can keep up Love that you took a statistical approach to things. Your mind thinks in wonderful ways.
Eric Stegemann 10:32 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Wow Dustin! I woke up and read this post on my blackberry after someone forwarded it to me, I didn’t realize that so much thought went into this….
Thanks for taking the time to put this together what a progressive way to view the whole process!
- Dustin 10:39 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  So glad you enjoyed it… Yeah, a bit of work went into it, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while, so it was well worth it.
  
  Next step would be to find someone with some webcoding skills who could automate the whole process so that someone (you or me) could insert any 10 people and it would output the top 50 influential people within their community. I think that would rock!
Garron Selliken 10:48 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I love it! it rocks that your algorithm put u at the top of the list! Not that you don’t deserve it
- Dustin 11:02 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  Go figure! I honestly didn’t think I was gonna end up there. Was actually surprised that I was up there with a 100% follower rate with some of the others.
ines 11:02 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

funny how people get huffy when they don’t make the list – maybe it’s the title that can offend…..for me…..it’s one list at a time PEACE!

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Benjamin Bach 11:10 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Great resource – I’m now following a few peeps I should have followed before! Thx for the inclusion, I’m always happy to see my name in such great company

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Danilo Bogdanovic 11:25 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I second Ines’ comment. Seriously…it’s not a popularity contest.

If you truly believe your Tweets are quality and so do your followers, who cares how many followers you have or what list you make (0r don’t make).

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Steve Mattison 11:34 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Thanks Lani, found about 30 new peeps to follow!!!

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Ken Brand 11:58 am on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Any way you slice it. That little TweepML.com program is super cool. Big ‘props” to anyone who takes the time make and share “any” list, the ability to “one click follow” a tribe of recommend folks is awesome.

It’s fun to have people follow you, it’s profitable and valuable to learn, grow, reinvent and recreate yourself and what you do by learning from those you follow.

Cheers.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Ginger Wilcox 12:16 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Dustin,
you know I love a good geek out with a spreadsheet. I actually really like your idea to use this with other communities. I think the list is a great starting point for research purposes. I also appreciate that you are making people work to find the followers that might be meaningful to them.
- Dustin 1:12 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  Nothing like a good geek out session! Let me me know if you want a copy of the spreadsheet.
Matt Stigliano 12:19 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I just caught the two lists via AgentGenius. Your list is pretty crazy considering how you actually went about it. Great way to come up with a way to actually see who is influential.
Matt Stigliano 12:25 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

@LaniAR – I certainly love the one click follow for so many great people (and used the AG lists, since I think there might be a few I’m still missing). I did notice one glaring error in Swanepoel’s list – Brad Hanks is listed twice. Just happened to notice the photo being repeated as I was scrolling through. I guess I better pay 2x the attention to him then.

It appears I was missing 15 people from the AG lists – mostly from the alumni column. Of course, it told me I wasn’t following the AG account, which I find impossible.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Brandie Young 1:36 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Wow, thanks @LaniAR ……!! I’m frequently on someone’s “list” … nice to be a good one!

xo

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
MIssy Caulk 1:43 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Ok that was fun, only a few not following. One was AG, can you BELIEVE that? opps

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
tomferry 2:25 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

While I think “lists” like this are helpful to some who sit at home and wonder, “Who Should I be following/learning from???!!??”, I hear Ines!

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
njrealtor1 2:49 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Am I the only one not impressed by this list? Dustin, I don’t want to dis you. You put a lot of thought into your method, but why didn’t you measure @ replies or retweets? (On second thought, it would be difficult to measure retweets).

I’m in real estate and I don’t recongize not one name, which is fine because real estate is a local thing. Excuse me, I recognize one name: Rudy from Trulia, which makes sense since he is the social media marketing guru for Trulia.

Could you redo the list by state? Just curious?
- Dustin 7:21 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  njrealtor1: I love the feedback… and agree it’s not a great list for local twitter users. By design, it’s pretty national in scope, so if you aren’t following the national real estate conversations (and I don’t want to imply you should), then there’s no reason to know many of these poeple.
  
  In terms of doing the list by state, that would definitely be possible… It wouldn’t be all that hard to recreate a new “influentials” list by topic or geography.
Ben Goheen 2:52 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

HA – I was out doing inspections and was wondering why I suddenly have so many new followers.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Rob 2:56 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

what’s twitter?

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
RealEstateMarketingBlog.org 4:03 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

How about some love for RealEstateMarketingBlog.org?

Reasons why we need to be included:

1) Has more followers than 90% of the users on this list
2) Provides great tips for realtors and brokers regarding online marketing
3) No annoying ads or sponsorships, just great content
4) Loves to genuinely help realtors and brokers out with marketing themselves more effectively.

Thanks for the consideration!

Very useful list even without us on it.
Derek Overbey 4:47 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I will be the first to admit that I did not put the kind of thought into the monthly Roost 50 People to Follow on Twitter list that you did Dustin. But I do personally review all the people I recommend. I know lists open anyone to attacks but at least you have a method to your madness. A 95% means I have room for improvement. lol
- Dustin 7:23 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  Always room for improvement! I talked with Garron Selliken for about an 1 1/2 this evening and we came up with an interesting improvement on this algorithm. Always more fun ahead!
Mike Simonsen 5:25 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I dunno Dustin. Sorting the list by tenure on Twitter is kinda crude. I would have taken mean tweets per day divided by the mean retweets to find an Interestingness Ranking and then gone from there.

I mean, c’mon. Amateur.
- Dustin 7:23 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  Darn sorting algorithms can be surprisingly practical!
Bob 6:54 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I know some people on the lists and they are very active in the profession of real estate. What is the benefit of a list though?

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Brad Nix 7:12 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Pivot Tables + Twitter + Real Estate = the square root of me smiling
Jim Duncan 7:33 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

One request – for everyone – please don’t blindly follow 100 people at a time. You’ll dilute your stream and your ability to digest the data stream and most importantly, won’t get the real opportunity to get to know the people with whom you are ostensibly “engaging.”

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
tony lazzari 8:26 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

That is some impressive analytical work. What I really like is there is some methodology to it. That and the numbers seem to track with reality – imho. Great work, Dustin.
BawldGuy 8:26 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Staying below the radar is an art not a science.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
jf.sellsius. 8:39 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Wuffielicious

http://twitpic.com/1h2vv
Barry Cunningham 9:56 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I remember viewing a Mike Ferry video on another blog this week that leads me to wonder if these types of lists even matter. I mean..as Jeff says… any cats seriously being skinned via twitter?

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Lee Taylor 11:39 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Dustin,

I appreciate the recommendations and your empirical processing.

Well done and extra helpful!
Dale Chumbley 12:43 am on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Dustin, I’d say I’m blown away by this level of detail… But I can’t since you don’t cut corners on anything you do. This is a most impressive task you took on and I love that you are looking into other arena’s as well (also not surprising). As I mentioned in a comment above, I’m honored to know each of the people on the list. Love that I’ve personally, face to face met with 45 of the 50. Can’t wait to meet the remaining 5 which I know will happen. You are top-shelf in my book! Can’t wait until our next time hangin’ at Vesuvio Cafe!
- Dustin 1:35 am on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  I JUST completed (although haven’t published) the top 50 for Ventura County as a test to see how the algorithms might work on a “local” level. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, there’s nowhere near the same level of interconnections within this geography as there was within the “real estate” community. Whereas 10 people in the “real estate” space has a peer rating of 100%, in Ventura County, @Connie_Tebyani led the pack by having only 57% of the local influentials following her.
  
  Nonetheless, the overall pattern definitely held up with the top 50 being dominated by influential local people. My initial glance says that the biggest differences are (1) there were a lot more businesses included in the top 50 and (2) two non-locals did make the list: @cnnbrk and @wefollow). If it wasn’t so late, I’d work a blog post up, but I think I’m gonna wait until tomorrow!
Sherry Chris 7:18 am on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I just have to say how proud I am to be included with all of the “Cool Kids” on this list – thank you Dustin for taking the time to put it all together. Your thought process is very impressive.
Teresa Boardman 10:16 am on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply

It is tomorrow and I am still laughing
Krisstina Wise 10:48 am on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Wow…impressive! Personally, I highly regard everyone on your list! Quick question … How many would drop from the top 50 list if you removed all real estate vendors? In other words, how many of the list are actually in real estate sales/brokerage and not selling to the industry? The most influential real estate agents/brokerages on Twitter is a top 50 list of names I would be interested in seeing:)Thanks!
- Dale Chumbley 12:14 pm on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  Krisstina, looks like about half the list would fall into your “vendor” category although I would not remove a single one of them from the list. What they add to our industry, conversation and thought process is invaluable (and I know you weren’t suggesting they be removed).
  - Krisstina Wise 1:13 pm on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    
    Dale- Agreed! Although, if we are looking to the most influential in real estate, I think vendors have a different agenda with use of the tools than the local real estate agent/broker. Who can agents and brokers look to as industry leaders (not vendors) as an example of effective use of SM & Tech? Who can they model and learn from that are successfully using the 2.0/3.0 tools to build and improve their own RE businesses? What tools from what vendors are these leading agents/brokers using? There is no doubt that the leading vendors are offering invaluable knowledge for the rest of us and I am learning everyday from this group:)..but at the end of the day, they are selling me something. I by no means was suggesting they be removed from the list! — I was just saying that I would like to see another group without the Vendors to be able to see Who’s Who of the new technology and social media age of RE–You of course being at the top of the list:)!
    - Dale Chumbley 8:03 pm on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply
      
      You are too kind (and funny!). Looking forward to some more conversation around this topic. Great questions Krisstina!
- Dustin 12:29 pm on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  Following up on Dale’s comment… If you’re looking for realtors successfully using twitter to generate biz, this really isn’t an appropriate list. Most of those realtors keep a laser like focus on the “local” scene and don’t care much for the national conversation. Nonetheless, there’s lots to be learned from this group of folks!
  - Krisstina Wise 1:39 pm on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    
    Dustin–My point exactly. I, for one (perhaps to my detriment?), do not spend a lot of time in the national real estate conversations going on minute by minute on Twitter–although I do (and love to) participate from time to time. I love following and chatting w/my favorite real estate peeps, but most of my (laser) focus on Twitter and Facebook is in local conversation since this is where I transact and have my brand/identity as a high-tech real estate brokerage. Although it is fun to participate in a national conversation, the increase to my bottom line as a result of SM and other tools is, so far, ALL because of participation in the local conversations;) I am curious who else in the RE sales/brokerage industry is successfully using the tech & tools to set themselves apart in their local communities. Personally, I am very interested in them–I like knowing what tech & tools they are using, who they are following, and what the heck they are doing that I am not:) Thoughts?
    - Dustin 1:51 pm on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply
      
      My gut says that you’re probably looking in the wrong place if you’re looking for successful “practicing” agents. Almost all of the realtors on the list have developed and nurtured a reputation that helps pay the bills to the point where you might as well call everyone on the list a “vendor.” They’re all “selling” stuff, even if it’s only their influence so that they can get writing gigs at national publications, speaking fees, advertising on their sites, book deals, etc.
      
      If you’re looking for people who are practicing on a local level, the top 50 Realtors with a national reputation wouldn’t be the place to start since the people you’re looking for often haven’t done any work to nurture a “national” reputation.
      
      However, if you’re looking for people who have earned a national reputation by their peers for being interesting, informative, helpful (and generally not providing a hard-sell or they wouldn’t be followed by many), then it can be a great place to find people talking about how to use online marketing to reach a local audience.
      - Dale Chumbley 8:01 pm on September 22, 2009 Permalink
        
        This is an interesting conversation that’s sprung out of this thread. As a “practicing” agent I think that I’d come up in a similar fashion in my local scene as much if not more so than the national scene. I use these tools to connect with people on a local level as well as a national level. I’m going to scratch my head a bit and ponder this further. Good stuff!
  - Jay Thompson 2:53 pm on September 23, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    
    I think there are a lot of folks on this list who also would be considered “influential” on their local scene. Certainly not all, but many are practicing agents/brokers who are using Twitter and other social media tools to grow their real estate practice.
    
    I’ve garnered some writing, speaking and advertising gigs, but that doesn’t come anywhere close to feeding the children.
    
    There are agents on this list I immediately identify with their local area. And I suspect many non-real estate people actually in their locations do the same thing…
Bob 11:54 am on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply

@Barry – if knowledge is power, then following some people with info that can help your biz is like Popeye and spinach.

Or as Sun Tzu said in ‘The Art of War’:

“It is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for the purposes of spying, and thereby they achieve great results.”

Now if the goal is to make a sale online, then it might be time to rethink that strategy.

As Confucius say, “He who waits for Peking Duck to fly into mouth will soon starve”.

@Ben – had same question. End result means I start tweeting stuff worth following.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Barry Cunningham 12:08 pm on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Hey Bob…if following realtors on twitter is your way of obtaining the “highest intelligence” on how to make money in real estate I think you’re in for a world of disappointment. While there may be a certain small..very small…percentage of realtors who have something meaningful and usefull to say, the rest spew drivel.

Secondly, if I need information from those on Twitter who actually have a clue, I can email them directly. Kind of saves time sorting through the mindless BS

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Greg Cooper 12:31 pm on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Who we follow and why is an ever evolving process. I get far more from Chris Brogan, @garyvee, Mashable, Tech Crunch, etc. and several other ‘mainstream’ social media advocates than I do from all but a select few Realtors. Actually I go read all I can from about 25 Realtors and ignore most of the rest who still are stuck exclusively on ’see my awards.’ Yes there are some honors that impress the gen pub but for the most part demonstrating your innovation and passion for what you do is far more effective that getting the Realtor version of Les Nessman’s ‘Buckeye News Hawk’ award.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Bob 12:32 pm on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I didnt specify the type of knowledge, and those on the lists, including Swanpoel’s, are not all agents.

As for getting info, not sure asking by email would have worked for Sun Tzu.

What we are talking about is competitive intelligence. More often than not, that knowledge one lacks is an unknown to them. Not sure who said it, but a favorite quote of mine is”Half of being smart is knowing what you don’t know.”

Of course if one is unable to acknowledge that there is anything to learn, then the issue for them is moot and the quote that comes to mind is from Epictetus:

“It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.”

I do understand your last point though about the mindless drivel. John Naisbitt said, “We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge.”

That leaves me with two decisions – unfollow the noise, and contribute stuff of value without adding to the noise.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Ken Brand 1:08 pm on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Seems to me Social Media, Twitter et al’ (did I spell that right? Sigh.) is no different than real life. When someone I know sez, “You should listen to what these folks say.” I might. I would find some interesting and some not so much. It doesn’t mean my recommending friend was wrong, it just means I don’t find value. When that happens, in real life and online, I’d quit hanging out with or listening to those who didn’t attract, amuse, etc. If you don’t like or could care less about what someone is doing on line, don’t follow them or listen.

What’s the big whoop, it’s no different than in real life.

As for “value”, everyone has their own definition of value. Mine’s different than yours, which is different that her’s etc., just like in real flesh and blood life.

There are many who share that you can learn more from those outside the business than inside – good advice I say. Mix it up, sorta like being a world traveler instead of a real estate homebody.

What about size of network and how many can you really follow and interact with? Who knows. But if you have a bunch of followers, that means they haven’t un-followed or unfriended, which means you’re not pissing them off. This isn’t good or bad, it just is. In terms of broadcast or learning from others, is it better to have a big audience/tribe or a tiny audience. The size of your audience doesn’t determine the quality of your relationships within your tribe/network, your interaction does. You could easily have 1,000 followers or 10,000 and have tight relationships with 50. Does that mean you shouldn’t share with or learn from the other 9,950? If nothing else, a large part of your network will show you what not to do…that’s worth something, right? In real life, I don’t know any Top Performers who have a person in-person network limited to 50 or 100 or 200, their personal in-person networks are huge…usually, bigger = more closed sales and more listings and more referrals.

And lastly, at least lastly for this comment, I don’t have any freak’n idea if I’m right or wrong. Guess what, neither does he or she or them. This is all new. We have our opinions and perspectives but that doesn’t make us right, wrong, guru, savant, savior, pre-cog or allmighty…it’s just the way WE see it.

That’s the way I see it. Cheers.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
tomferry 1:26 pm on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Greg- Agreed. Passion Rules … first and foremost.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Barry Cunningham 1:33 pm on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Bob..I don’t think you know me too well. We have been speaking and having dialogue with the Likes of Stefan and others mentioned for quite some time. What I am saying is if I need some info from Stefan or others..I already have the relationship to call them or email them and the 140 characters in twitter pale in comparison to actually speaking to the man.

I have done quite a few interviews with many of those in the top echelon of real estate and business..even some who author here…and they offer much more than 140 characters when I seek out their knowledge / assistance.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Bob 2:07 pm on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply

@barry – I get that. I have the same access and relationships with many who know a whole lot about a whole lot. What I dont do is email them daily asking what new tidbit or gem they have. I stalk them on twitter. The amount of info that I can convert to knowledge is huge, even if it ebbs and flows from day to day, with the 140 characters serving as the lead in, not the whole. Frequently a tweet leads to an email or call.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Barry Cunningham 2:13 pm on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Hey Bob..I hope I did not infer that I email any one daily about stuff..OMG, if anyone did that to me I’d tell them to lose my email.

Bob…even this is tkaing up too much of my time with no return. Ciao! Off to record a video!

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Bob 2:17 pm on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply

When you are done, tweet it.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Barry Cunningham 2:27 pm on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply

It’s not in the real estate space…It’s in the Internet marketing space…still want to see it?

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Bob 2:59 pm on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply

You bet. Im far more passionate about online marketing than real estate.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Brad Andersohn 3:44 pm on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply

WOW! Honored to be on the list Dustin, you’re the one that got me into this stuff remember? lol~ Thanks buddy.
- Dustin 1:41 pm on September 23, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  Of course I remember! I always enjoy giving blogging/social media presentations!
Tim Ryan 9:50 pm on September 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply

My questions if you follow 25,000 people how are you able to read all that content? It’s impossible. In my opinion real estate videos with good SEO do whole lot more good to get real clients.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Susie Blackmon 12:26 am on September 23, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I am grateful and flattered to be thought of and included on Stefan’s list, and the other lists I’ve been fortunate enough to see my name on. I’m with Bob – – I’m much more passionate about online marketing than real estate. And I love Agent Genius.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Paul Chaney 3:08 am on September 23, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Thanks for the inclusion Dustin. You all do know I’m not a Realtor, right?
- Dustin 1:42 pm on September 23, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  Don’t spread the word, but I’m not a realtor either…
Barry Cunningham 3:22 am on September 23, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Hey if there is a bubbling interest in the IM world from agents like Bob and Susie then let’s talk turkey about making the real money. I’d love to share ideas and discuss things with people who have a passion for IM.

As I told Benn a month or so ago…it has been an unbelievable ride and when we put real estate on autopilot it became clear that the IM stuff would EASILY surpass the real estate stuff…and that includes the production of even the big names in real estate.

Not to hijack this thread but Susie and Bob have piqued my interest in wondering just how many realtors out there want to drive revenue thru IM…very interesting you guys.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Bob 8:55 am on September 23, 2009 Permalink | Reply

SM is just one aspect of internet marketing. The problem with much of it for many is how it is used. Mixing personal with business works for some with specific audiences, and not so well for others. To put it another way, some care about the message they send and others just let it all hang out. Barry, you are one many would follow because you would provide info that you have used to produce $$$. That has value.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Steven 1:23 pm on September 23, 2009 Permalink | Reply

You forgot http://twitter.com/nationalbls and http://twitter.com/buyerlisting
- Dustin 1:40 pm on September 23, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  If you create a twitter presence that the influential people in real estate find interesting enough to follow, then you won’t be “forgotten” next time…
Stefan Swanepoel 3:33 pm on September 23, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Wow!!

It’s just incredible how one 140 character tweet created at the airport while waiting for a delayed flight has sparked such an awesome array of comments, tweets and now this tremendous research. Debatable assumptions but nevertheless great research and great results. Well done Dustin!!

This clearly shows us all the enormous untapped power and potential of social media and the game-changer it can be for our industry. My hope is that many of the non-Twitter real estate professionals will see this as a jolt to get involved and participate in the online conversation.

Stefan

PS: (As a side, my list was never promoted as The Top 100 but was my personal list of interesting/influential/impressive RE people on Twitter.)
- Dustin 11:46 pm on September 23, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  Thanks again for the inspiration… I documented this approach for developing a twitter influence about 3 months ago and tried to get a friend to develop the tool for me (he’s much better at web coding than I am). However, after seeing your list, it definitely gave me the kick in the pants to create my own list using excel, even if the solution isn’t as elegant as a web-based approach.
Lori Bee 4:17 pm on September 23, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Great analytical thinking. And good way to start out on Twitter, reviewing these lists. But I will have to point out one glaring omission… I believe both lists omit those who privatize their tweets. For example one of the most influential, and I believe, the most loved person on Twitter has to be @SarahWV . I mean REALLY!!!!

Some of us have to privatize for various reasons (stalkers, weirdos, etc), and some of us prefer the control of REALLY knowing who is following us. I look at every single twitter profile and page. I kick out every porn queen, mlm, and spammer I can.

I know I go back & forth on this “protecting my twitter” thing every once in while, but after some of the spam I recently received, I don’t know that I’m gonna go back. Won’t say never … But just want to remind those making lists, that there are some valuable players out there online and IRL, who you may want to point out who aren’t entirely obvious to newbies, but you certainly KNOW they contribute to the community.
- Dustin 4:25 pm on September 23, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  I totally hear your concern… This list definitely captures people who have private accounts. @LaniAR made the list for example. All that really mattered was that the people were being followed by the group of 44 people.
  
  However, you did bring up an interesting point that had not occurred to me to explain. In my list of 45 people (step 4), two of them had private accounts. I was following one of them (@LaniAR), so I could put in my Twitter password and retrieve her follower list. However, there was one person who I couldn’t do that with and I never have bothered to look up who that person was. That meant that I didn’t include their influence in the totals, although they still had every opportunity to be listed as the list was really determined by the group.
  
  Also, this is the reason I divided by 44 instead of 45 when calculating the “peer rating”.
  - Walid Muhammad 6:27 pm on September 25, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    
    Excellent work Dustin, I was concerned about the locked or private accounts inclusion as well; however, your explanation makes sense. I would be interested in viewing the expansion to 200, if for no other reason than – it doubles the other list, quadruples this one, and gives everyone more sm networking opportunities.
    - Dustin 9:05 pm on September 25, 2009 Permalink | Reply
      
      Definitely something to consider! It wouldn’t be hard to run a much bigger list and the results could be quite interesting…
Lori Bee 4:34 pm on September 23, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Oh ok then. Good to know. I just couldn’t for the life of me figure why a few people I had in mind (& thought they were prob in your list) weren’t included, and that was the deduction I made. Guess I leapt to conclusions since I consider them “influential.” But again, these lists certainly do help, esp Newbies to discover the power of Twitter. Thanks Dustin!

However My Ultimate Conclusion: No one will EVER come up with the “Perfect List.” Only you can do that for yourself!
Jim Marks 10:17 pm on September 23, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Still want to know the 4…. (lol)..
Mike Price 6:47 am on September 25, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Awesome nerd work Dustin. Thanks!
- Dustin 9:06 pm on September 25, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  So glad you liked it… we were gonna catch up this past week. What happened?
Joe Sheehan 9:46 pm on September 25, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I am a relative newbie to the world of social media marketing. I think it’s nice that Mr. Swanepoel and others have created their lists and I am sure it is an honor to be considered influential by any of them. I looked at the list and frankly, I’ve never even heard of about 2/3 of the people. They haven’t influenced me in any way.

In fact, I have yet to read anything of substance from Mr. Swanepoel so he really isn’t very influential to me either. I am going to a breakfast meeting next week at which he is the guest speaker. Maybe he will influence me at that event.

Of the 1/3 on the list that I know, I think some could be influence my thoughts or decisions. Some of them don’t really add much value at all for me. I am influenced by some pretty heavy-weight real estate people who are not on the list at all, they’re not even interested in SM.

I agree with Ken Brand’s post above (Someone who actually has influenced me). Some people click with me, some people don’t.

I have made quite a few friendships with colleagues and clients in this sphere. I have enjoyed all of them. Laughed with most of them, offered advice, resolved problems, and commisserated with some of them. The smiles on the faces of my friends or their cheerful greetings when we meet tells me one important thing. I am on THEIR list, and theirs are the lists I really care about.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
David M. Childress 8:17 am on September 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Great conversation, thank you.

This comment was originally posted on Ken Brand’s – Random Thought Particles From The Woodlands TX
Portland Real Estate 10:49 am on September 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Interesting list. I am already following several, but this will give me a few more to follow as well. So far I feel that most of the real estate industry has not harnessed Twitter properly yet. Too many times have I seen listing ad spam instead of something I would actually want to read.
-Tyler
Irina Netchaev 3:14 pm on September 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Wow Dustin! Sounds like a lot of work to me! That’s quite an analysis!!!
Ian Greenleigh 3:28 pm on September 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I think the name of Stefan’s list is somewhat misleading. What does “on twitter” mean?

In one sense of the phrase, if Gary Keller had a twitter account, but never tweeted and had only one follower (just humor me), wouldn’t he still be one of the most influential people on twitter?

Is he influential? Ahem, yes.

Is he on twitter? Yes, at least in this example.

In another sense, someone may exert their influence through twitter such that it becomes an engine of their influence. In many cases, their actual influence on the real estate space is far less than via social media and twitter.

Am I nitpicking here? It’s at least worthy of exploration, IMO.

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Derek Overbey 3:38 pm on September 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Kevin, you can make me laugh and I can still take you seriously at the same time. That is what is taking place right now! Have a good one my man!

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Irina Netchaev 3:50 pm on September 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I think twitter and popularity “influence” on twitter is way over analyzed. I enjoy twitter when I have time, when I’m not out selling real estate.

It’s always nice to catch up with friends and colleagues this way.

It’s also great to get some link love when I put a new post that I’d like a little more attention for.

Overall, I don’t expect to sell homes on twitter and quite frankly would not want to “influence” people on twitter. Too much responsibility.

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Laurie Manny 3:51 pm on September 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Ian, Gary Keller is hot! lol… Ever see him and Mo on stage rocking out?

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Ken Brand 4:04 pm on September 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Great comments:-)

Let’s remember that we don’t how, when or if, Twitter will blossom into something entirely different and magnificent (or it could fizzle and fade). Something we can’t imagine today. If that happens and it might not, but if something like that happened, it would better to have a foot or two firmly planted in the space, rather than having to ramp up and crowd through the door.

For example, I’ve read there’s a new RT function coming soon, even little enhancement like that can turn a VW into an M3.

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Marc Davison 4:49 pm on September 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply

@Kevin – How much more successful would Apple be if it went with iPhone? They would have the 1000watt account for starters.

@Houstonblogger – Relax. There is nothing to be confused about. Too many people have jumped on the social media bandwagon and are running around singing its praises without ever being asked to present actual proof of how they used social media to drive sales or increase year over year revenue.

Real estate has, over the years, rolled out red carpets to many who make claims about their SM expertise and their results without being asked to present any real proof. It’s not hard to slap together a power point, weave in some key words, volunteer to deliver a “keynote” at a BarCamp and lead an agent down a lonely path of blogging and vacuous Twittering, which in many cases, have led many of those instructors right out the real estate sales business themselves.

This is not what you want to have happen to you.

Want to get unconfused? Here’s what I would do:

- Trust your instincts on this. Completely.
- Ask the most successful agents you know how much time they spend on Twitter or SM in general. Then spend half that time yourself until you are as successful as they are.
- Subscribe to publications outside of real estate on social media.
- The most successful examples of social media, and there are many out there, are spearhead by individuals who are masters of social interaction, passionate about social engagement, have access to many resources and make it their full time job.
- Take advice from someone who has actually built a business using it. Knowing how to set up a Facebook account or having collected thousands of random followers on Twitter does not automatically qualify someone as and expert.
- Be wary of the traveling social media medicine shows. The ones that train then sell product that is often times quietly sponsored by some 3rd part vendor. ASK QUESTIONS! Too many good agents and brokers are being taken advantage of due to their lack of knowledge.

Now, there are some in real estate who really do know what they are talking about. Learn to ask the right questions before you take action. Like I said, 2 influential people got hundreds of agents to follow their friends on Twitter. But what was really in it for you?

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Bob Wilson 6:14 pm on September 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply

@kevin – Then Verizon would suck and Att would suck less. Iphone is a data hog that no network can handle adequately.

Question for all: Twitter aside, who have you seen really influence this industry in the last 12 months?

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Houstonblogger 8:46 pm on September 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Marc,
Thank you for the great post response regarding my confusion. If I were to speak with the most successful agents that I know and then spend half that time with SM, then my time using SM would = 0.

I honestly do not know one person who has been successful at utilizing SM to increase their business. I’ve used it mostly to stay in touch with clients, friends and people from other industries that interest me. Unfortunately, I don’t know one person that I could identify as a SM success story. Perhaps I could say some of the people on this blog are success stories, but in my life in Houston, I can’t think of one.

Kinda depressing.

I have a BB and I love it. I use Sprint because ATT is a bunch of dillholes.

Have a great evening!

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Laurie Manny 9:24 pm on September 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply

@ Houstonblogger

Not depressing, it actually makes sense. Few people would just up and do business with somebody they met or noticed on social networking sites without doing more research. It is more likely that they will find an agent through a Google search and a really good site.

I do post on Twitter, not that often and just because, and enjoy myself on Facebook without the expectation of driving business from it. Facebook does keep me out in front of my local community, Twitter isn’t quite as successful at that. My area seems to have adopted FB but not Twitter so much.

I use Sprint, they aren’t great, AT&T sux, Verizon seems to be the best service out this way.

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Marc 9:28 pm on September 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply

“Thank you for the great post response regarding my confusion. If I were to speak with the most successful agents that I know and then spend half that time with SM, then my time using SM would = 0.”

LOL. Well, then that should clear up any confusion. I know that throws a wrench into the social media sing song emanating from the choir but so be it.

Social media a tool. That’s it. Like sharpshooting. Anyone can pick up a gun and fire but not everyone, in fact most, couldn’t hit a target 50 feet away without practice. But to hit a bulls eye from 300 feet out – only a handful can do it. That’s social media.

In skilled hands of the few, it’s magic.
l
You can Twitter all day, Facebook all night. But unless you have a sound strategy in place, you will find yourself in the same position many others are – unproductive and exchanging mindless banter instead of selling houses.

So yeah, I am not euphoric about this stuff. I don’t buy into lists nor do I take terms like “influence” lightly. I don’t believe this is good for our industry or the people who are being influenced to do things that don’t work by influencers.

That said, there are plenty of great examples of how to do SM right and get the most out of it. As long as you really understand what “the most” means. This way your expectations are set and met so you aren’t placing more time into that you need too.

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Dustin 12:22 am on September 29, 2009 Permalink | Reply

A little late to the conversation here (was working all day and a bit too busy for social media fun!), but I just read through all the comments in this thread and there’s some great stuff.

Of course a lot of the advice feels pretty common sense (focus on making money, don’t blindly follow people because they are on a list, focus on your community, etc.), but sometimes a conversation like this can be so helpful as it gives us all a chance to reiterate the obvious!

In an amusing aside… Someone reminded me that you, Marc, were one of the original 10 real estate people I choose to feed into the algorithm. This means that you actually ended up had an outsized impact on the results of my list.

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Chris Dowell 1:24 am on September 29, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Interesting post. Makes you think of your social media strategy. When I post on Twitter now, I’m wondering what the purpose is of the post. Is the post helping my influence?

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Houstonblogger 12:05 pm on September 29, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I agree with you, Joe. It would be a shame to have a list generate so many followers and those followers then do nothing with the knowledge (influential Realtors) they now have at hand. What a complete waste of a follow.

Mark, you are absolutely correct. I don’t have the skills to be a SM success story, much like I don’t have the skills to shoot a bulls eye with a bow and arrow. I do have a fantastic skill set in sales, marketing, dealing with people, converting leads and closing deals. I’m a people person. Plain and simple. My husband made a good point last night. He said “what is the point of using the social media as a way to generate business when the best asset you have at your disposal is your personality?” I thought, that’s dead on. I get business because people like me and trust me, very difficult to create that bond over the internet.

I think I have come to some good conclusions as to how I want to utilize twitter, facebook, etc. And, to be quite frank, it is a heavy load lifted off my shoulders. I don’t have all dang day to sit at my computer “tweeting”.

Thanks so much to everyone for their wonderful responses and all the follows. I’m really looking forward to learning more from all of you.

Regards,
Danelle

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Kevin Tomlinson 6:42 pm on September 29, 2009 Permalink | Reply

This reminds me of high school. I liked high school. I was popular. I had a Mustang GT 5.0.

I rocked it.

Is this an off-topic comment?

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Joe Spake 10:15 pm on September 29, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Kevin, perhaps the most on-topic comment of all. Thanks.

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Ian 11:41 pm on September 29, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I have to say this has to be one of the best articles I’ve read in awhile. I’m not a big twitter fan, and it amazes me when I see someone with 30,000+ followers. And it’s true, if you don’t have any influence then what’s the point.

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Ken Brand 7:07 pm on September 30, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Always something new around the corner, how do these “new” features effect the future. Today, Twitter is “who knows”, tomorrow, it’s the a BIG deal?

Twitter Lists Inside Twitter – coming soon > http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/twitter_groups_and_lists.php

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Barrett Powell 7:53 am on October 1, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I consider myself a social media connoisseur. I enjoy it. It gives me an artistic outlet for my ideas and knowledge. Has it gotten me clients…the jury is still out.

What I can tell you is this…in the area of the country where I live, the most successful agents are not into social networking and media.

The top “social networking” agents are some of the least successful. For example, on one particular social networking site I have a score of about 7k and I sell real-estate at a higher lever than most in the area. The top scoring agent in my area on that site has a score of 3 times mine, but they sell very little.

Yes there are many reasons for this and I understand the content and strategy has a huge impact on this success, but the raw fact is social media usage does not translate into agent success everywhere.

As Realtor.com likes to say “every market is different”.

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Ian Greenleigh 7:58 am on October 1, 2009 Permalink | Reply

As Realtor.com likes to say:

*POPUP* See All Three Credit Scores. Pay $0! Click For FREE Credit Scores! FreeScore.com

Not my favorite source of sage advice for anything.

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Loren Sanders 10:07 am on October 1, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Ian you have a point. Twitter, realtor.com etc are all just tools. used, miss-used and abused (by the TOOL & the carpenter) like many other things in a free society.

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Keahi Pelayo 1:10 pm on October 1, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Sounds like influence is the key. I like Swanepol’s clear measurements.
Aloha,
Keahi

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
@billlublin 2:02 pm on October 2, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Sherry – Nice read – The whole issue of the lists and the controversy it stirred was an interesting interlude for the week . Valeria's list was, I agree, neat since these professionals are all working on using the social media space in their business and observing their contributions and strategies is a fascinating pasttime.

Love the fact that you took the time to share some neat links on Friday – Have great weekend! BTW I have some video of you doing the "hat roll" in San Francisco that has yet to be posted – but it will be

This comment was originally posted on Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate
AtlantaRealEstate 2:16 pm on October 2, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I’ve got to admit, I don’t twitter and I’m still on the fence with the whole idea.

to me, it made more sense for the distribution of emergency information, which is where it originally came from.

But hey, what the h do I know?

Rob

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Marc 2:39 pm on October 2, 2009 Permalink | Reply

@Atlanta, Twitter can be whatever you want it to be. For many, it’s a place to inform others about what you are doing. Like getting on a plane. Or having a fun day and clapping your hands.

Honestly, there is nothing wrong with that. Some people have a need to inform others about their daily activities and having a platform to do that is a benefit to them.

Granted, it might not be very sophisticated or coincide with the strategies employed by others who use Twitter to broadcast brand enhancing missives such as beneficial information about their products and services that their customers can take advantage of. Or use as a marketing device as The Nines Hotel in Portland does which plays into a very interesting aspect of how companies use Twitter to tap into WOM marketing. In other words, by monitoring its guests and determining who is influential in social media, the hotel connects with certain guests through Twitter offering them enhancements to their stay in hopes that these influential people will then broadcast the benefits they receive to others on Twitter.

Essentially it using customers to become brand evangelists. At no discernible cost to the company.

So agents have some choices here. They can choose to issue sound bytes of meaningless content, which could eventually make them popular enough to be considered a social media expert and hired by the NAR to to speak at their conventions and teach other agents to how to do the same. Or you can use it a fined tuned instrument to insert yourself into your local marketplace and participate in dialogue and/or provide your local audience well-placed information, offerings and conversation courtesy of your brokerage.

An example of the latter would be realized by followed @austinjava – a local coffee house in Austin that distributes well placed, meaningful Tweets to locals often resulting in bringing people together in beneficial ways.

Choices.
There are many ways to play the Twitter game.
Pick one and go with it.

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Ian Greenleigh 2:49 pm on October 2, 2009 Permalink | Reply

@Marc –

Funny you should mention Austin Java’s twitter presence, as it was started by an exec of a very prominent indy RE house here in town.

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
AtlantaRealEstate 2:50 pm on October 2, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Marc:

I can guarantee you that your reply contains the best set of “reasons” for twitter that I have seen to date.

The ones all the RE agents are regularily making are serious stretches at best, and their time could be much better spent doing other things more on task.

I completely get the fun-toy aspect of the technology. I just don’t need another time consuming toy at the moment. But I understand that part of the draw and popularity.

And now, with your reply, I’m understanding some of the advanced uses, if you will.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m agnostic on it. Hell, some day I may be all over it. I just need to see how I could leverage it for my business. It’s just funny seeing all the ridiculous claims some make about it.

Out to dinner. I’ve RSS’d your blog, it looks great.

Thanks,

Rob

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
@dougfrancis 2:51 pm on October 2, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Still trying to get a handle on the "influential" part of some of the influential twitterers. I have followed a few of them for most of 2009 and tweets like "good morning world" or "I'm humming along to…" some music just seems like meaningless babble. And most of them also need to write more posts on their blogs.

Sherry, thereare so many links in this post that it may take me all weekend to get the full background here.

Otherwise, your photos look fantastic, videos are top notch… and good to see Bill hangs out here too.

This comment was originally posted on Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate
Marc 3:25 pm on October 2, 2009 Permalink | Reply

@Ian. LOL. But not so funny really that I would know about them. I am doing all I can to find the best examples of Twitter to help my clients and readers gain a sense of how this stuff is being used to generate business and build brand – things that seem to be a bit lost on the rank and file agent.

@Atlanta, glad I can give you some insight. Feel free to keep asking questions. That’s what this is about. To try and get balanced advice as we see it. We, I don’t know everything. I am not an expert by any means. Just someone on a constant quest for answers. Like you and your peers.

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Joe Spake 4:48 pm on October 2, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Marc,
I think you put all this into perspective with:

“They can choose to issue sound bytes of meaningless content, which could eventually make them popular enough to be considered a social media expert and hired by the NAR to to speak at their conventions and teach other agents to how to do the same.”

I am pretty tired of those you have described, defining social media for our industry. We know who they are. As I have mentioned before, real estate agents are looking for the magic bullet. It doesn’t matter how much it costs, as long as some guru tells us it will make us money. We don’t want to take the personal time to engage; we just want the magic pill that will make the result happen and skip the work and engagement part.
For me social media has been a years long process of building relationships, networking, teaching, sharing, and engaging with the public, with clients and with other real estate people. It’s something you have to DO, not something you can doze through a class or skim through a book and “get”.

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Derek Overbey 5:08 pm on October 2, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Joe Spake you are my hero. People just don’t get that this takes time and effort. You can’t open an account an expect to see ROI the very next day. I’ve been doing this as my job for a year and a half and still feel behind the eight ball sometimes. I just wish there were more agents like yourself that understand that is takes “engagement” and not a magic pill.

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Marc 5:43 pm on October 2, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Thanks Joe. Yeah, it’s starting to feel like this social media thing has become a fast track to a quick buck and a shot at the lecture and conference circuit for lots of people who have no real qualifications and no book of real estate business.

This is nothing new. Historically, this industry has a legacy of bestowing expertise on anyone who sounds like they know what they are talking about.

Imagine trying to pawn oneself off as a record producer after mixing a few homespun tracks of their own music on Garageband.

Imagine claiming to be surgeon after taking a few splinters out of your kids toes

That’s what we have going on in this industry now. I would suggest you read this post – http://www.whatsnextblog.com/archives/2009/05/how_to_pick_your_social_media_guru.asp – It was not written for real estate. But trust that a whole cottage industry of social media guru’s are popping up everywhere, in all industries and it’s no laughing matter.

Agents are in dire need of sound advice and real qualified educators. I appeal to every association in this industry to take a step back and evaluate who exactly you have hired to enter into your members world and educate, train and coach. When you think of it as social media well it’s doesn’t seem all that serious. But if you think of it as what it is in the world of business this is pure and simple targeted marketing, communication, customer service and branding. In a big way.

Possessing a Power Point and giving a keynote at a Barcamp is not enough of a credential to teach social media on a business level. Perhaps on a pure social level. But then again, my 13 year old who posts videos on YouTube and manages a fairly comprehensive Facebook page with his friends figured this all out on his own and would happy to come in and speak to anyone for free. Well as long as you pay for travel and peanut butter and jelly lunch.

This is not a sweeping indictment of everyone. There are some quality folks out there doing right. But there are far more who can’t because they themselves never built a company from the ground up using social media. And they are making it all very confusing for agents by making this sound easier than it is and thinking everyone can do this.

As Brian said from the stage in Long Island at MLSLI yesterday – Running social media to build your business is hard. It takes skill. Talent. Passion. Desire. And commitment. This is if you want ROI. If you want business.

If not, then don’t worry. Just do whatever you want and have fun.

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Joe Spake 6:02 pm on October 2, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Just for the record, I am happy with where I am with SM. I am doing some SM presentations to realestate and business people, and in those courses I try to emphasize Engagement and Community and de-emphisize the almighty ROI.
This stuff is about the Process, and we are Results oriented people.
Oh, and one more thing: my ego has never been bruised by not being included on anyone’s list.
Now I am going out for some IRL guitar playing and singing with my friends.

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
AtlantaRealEstate 7:38 pm on October 2, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Good conversation everyone.

For me, it’s about picking my battles. I decided a few years ago that ALL my clients would come from the web, specifically my web site via IDX registration (and any other registration I could dream up)(not yet implemented) and this goal has received 100% of my focus.

Starting with AdWords, because you have to with a new site, and now transitioning to SEO and pursuing organic traffic.

At this point, I’m genuinely not interested in tiny trickles of “leads” that I “might” be able to obtain from social media of any type.

In my market, there are literally hundreds of internet leads up for grabs every day. I’m currently pulling them in at about 100-150 per month and this is just a scratch of the surface.

So while I think social media is mildly interesting and I have a tiny feeling that I may be getting left behind, it’s just not my focus.

Some would say that in the future everything will be social media (they cant explain how) and if I don’t target this now, I will be hosed down the road.

I say that due to the fundamental nature of the web, search will always be king. Let’s say I need a old PDF manual for some old widget. I could tweet, or face book search, or whatever and never find it. Or I could go to Google and find it in 25 seconds.

RM

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Becky Boomsma 8:32 pm on October 3, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Great job, Dustin, with this amazing process (w/illustrations -luv visuals) and analytical mind! I concur with your Headliners and findings – fantastic people making fabulous contributions, everyday…you and they ALL rock!
Sherry Chris 9:07 am on October 4, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Hi Doug, thanks for stopping by here! We post the "Friday Blog Scan" every Friday as weekend reading and a summary of things we noticed during the week… glad you enjoyed it. As far as the influential lists go, way to much time has been spent in the past week on this topic much to the amusement of many observers. Bottom line observation for me – everyone likes to be recognized, that has been important since the beginning of time, and so it should be. Recognition creates benchmarks for others to aspire to. The important question to ask is – what are you being recognized for?

This comment was originally posted on Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate
Sherry Chris 9:10 am on October 4, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Bill, thanks for your thoughts… please read my reply to Doug below. I do look forward to seeing the "hat roll" footage! Have a great week.

This comment was originally posted on Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate
Ben Harris 5:04 am on October 5, 2009 Permalink | Reply

loving the list – just my type of analysis

Would it be something you would consider run one for UK property people?

no doubt poppyd would be up there but who else has the UK influence???
- Dustin 12:06 pm on October 5, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  Would be happy to…
  
  Can’t announce anything “official” yet, but I’m working with some other guys to build an app for this calculation. If you send me 10 people from the UK real estate/property scene, I’ll throw them into my app and send you the results!
VA 2:46 pm on October 5, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Sherry – Nice read – The whole issue of the lists and the controversy it stirred was an interesting interlude for the week . Valeria’s list was, I agree, neat since these professionals are all working on using the social media space in their business and observing their contributions and strategies is a fascinating pasttime.

Love the fact that you took the time to share some neat links on Friday – Have great weekend! BTW I have some video of you doing the “hat roll” in San Francisco that has yet to be posted – but it will be

This comment was originally posted on Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate
Ralph D Bredahl 7:29 am on October 7, 2009 Permalink | Reply

What makes a Realtor influential? As a long time Realtor I fail to see any real value to Twitter in my business.
Justin Farrow 8:15 am on October 14, 2009 Permalink | Reply

great method Dustin…keep up the good work..
Benn Rosales 9:59 pm on October 27, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Linsey, thanks for sharing your beta experience with AG. I simply wanted to add a simple bit for those that read this. If your goal is to sell real estate, a list means absolutely nothing. Average consumers who utilize Twitter are there for themselves, not to impress anyone. I’m looking for local as local gets, and everything that points to a potential buyer. I’m using online tools to locate and find relos mentioning my city- these are the folks that influence an agents bottom line, not the most popular social media mavens. I say this knowing you know this but to folks new to all of this, I think it important to mention.

Best,

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Jay Thompson 10:50 pm on October 27, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I found the list building to be tedious beyond belief and buggy as hell (often, no matter what I did, I could not add someone to a list).

The ability to “subscribe” to other peoples lists is kind of cool, but I’m not sure I see the point.

“Follower count” is already grossly over-rated — as evidenced by the plethora of systems (and scams) to do nothing but amass followers. I’m sure “list count” systems/scams will follow soon.

I’ll be sticking with my Tweetdeck. I love that I can set up dynamic searches on it for words that (to me) are important like “Phoenix” “Gilbert” “Tempe” etc. I can have groups there with my RE peeps in one column and my Phoenix peeps in another. I can get loads of entertainment from the column searching the word “realtor”.

I can see the Twitter list feature being useful for those that only use twitter.com and don’t use another client to access Twitter. Why anyone would do that is beyond me, but for those that do, a list might be helpful to better keep track of small subsets of people.

But watch. It is only a matter of time before the gaming of getting added to lists begins as soon as some “gurus” decided that’s what makes you “influential” on Twitter.

Personally, I still think using Twitter to meet local people face-to-face and hoist a few beers as you get to know each other better is the best use of it, personally and even from a RE business perspective.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Ken Brand 5:41 am on October 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I’m banging along on Twitter because I think as things evolve, a killer surprise use or development will make it a “must do” tool/toy. I don’t obsess over Twitter like I seem to do other things, I plod along, splash around, watch and wait. Whenever I try to explain twitter to Tom, Dick and Jane, they look at me like I’ve escaped from Bellevue (It’s mostly how I explain it and part what it does/is/etc.)

And, lastly the word seems to be, Twitter Lists is buggy and tedious. No doubt that will change. I have no doubt we’ll wake up one morning and “boom” Twitter lists is suddenly a big deal.

Having said all that,

Dear Twitter: Where hell is my Twitter List Beta activation.

Cheers.

PS. How ironic is it that Twitter sez, don’t Tweet about this?

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Linsey Planeta 6:21 am on October 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Ben – you make an excellent point. I admit, my use of Twitter is not always to sell real estate. I have a list of locals that I created and a list of real estate friends. It’s a very social thing for me that turns into face-to-face meetings. Jay articulates it nicely, “I still think using Twitter to meet local people face-to-face and hoist a few beers as you get to know each other better is the best use of it…”

Jay – you bring up a point about gaming this that I had wondered about as well. That happens, and you’re right – it might – this list thing becomes pointless. I’ve also wondered if Tweetdeck will have the capability at some point of playing nicely with these list. That would make them significantly more interesting.

Ken – I hear you. It’s only recently that I got my husband to quit calling it ‘Tweeter’, which was profoundly annoying FYI. So this change may or not be ‘big’ for us, but little will change for all those that have no idea why we’re here in the first place. Either way, you definitely should be on the beta dude!

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Benn Rosales 7:07 am on October 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Linsey, I absolutely get that 100% because we are local, and we are consumers, we fit into the category of ‘not impressing anyone’ but at the same time, its usefulness as a biz tool is just that a biz to biz tool, or a friends to friends tool. I’ll not be sharing lists of my friends in Austin with other agents, but I’m happy to share my business acquaintances with my biz network, but you get all or nothing, not a pick and choose. I’m still with you on the weirdness level of it all.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Joe Spake 9:19 am on October 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I keep my lists private. No way I have time to build the lists out the way I would like to because of the tedious process. Time is too valuable to be diffused with these trivial pursuits.
And what’s this obsession with Lists anyway? There must be some psychological studies out there somewhere. Does it matter if I make it to your “real estate cool kids” list or you make it to mine? Isn’t it really all about being in the Conversation?

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Portland Real Estate 10:39 am on October 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply

One of the best things about Twitter is the simplicity, I really hope that they dont start mucking things up with additional complications and too many features. They should just stick to trying to keep things fast and up and spam free.

-Tyler

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Derek Overbey 6:17 pm on October 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Great post Linsey. Love the insight from you and Jay on Twitter Lists. I’ve always looked at the lists I’m putting together for Roost a little different than others. People are thanking me for putting them on the lists but I’m doing it for others not for the individual that goes on the list.

For those that have been on Twitter for a while, it’s obviously easier because you have the people you follow figured out for the most part. But what I was doing when I first decided to do this was remember back to when I first opened an account…I didn’t know who to start following for business, friendships and education. So my purpose was to help those new to Twitter with a starting point of people I find interesting and informative.

It’s not perfect, but then again it’s not sold as the end all, be all list to use to follow. I’m afraid Twitter Lists are going to be.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Fred Romano 7:58 am on October 29, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I still don’t “get” twitter… I have it, use it a bit, but think it’s more of a modern open chat room. Still don’t think it has any use in RE but I guess we’ll see.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Matthew Rathbun 7:35 pm on October 29, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I’ve been on lists and I’ve not been on lists. It neither took money from my pocket nor put any in.

My question is what is the virtue of the time it takes to build a list of who’s the most influential voices on Twitter?

There are people who are considered highly influential, but have never actually done the job…

I can be highly ubiquitous on Twitter with surgeons, but would they ever ask me how to do a heart replacement?

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Karen Goodman 9:02 pm on October 29, 2009 Permalink | Reply

I think that the best use of lists will be to find new people. For example, if I was going to be relocating and could find a list of realtors in my destination city, that would be helpful. It will also be a good way to find new local people to follow. I’m currently included in 14 lists, all of them but one being lists of local St. Louis people. The other is a realtor list.

But since I do everything through Tweetdeck, I’m not going to go to the trouble of creating lists until they are integrated into Tweetdeck, as I’m sure they will be soon. At that point, it will probably be worth switching from groups to lists.

@karenstl

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
Rob McCance 10:11 am on October 31, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Spake,

I enjoyed your reply.

I gave up the debate a while back. And now that tweets are going to be indexed by Google, I am assuredly steamrolled anyway.

I personally don’t tweet, or even have an account. I just don’t have time to monitor, or contribute to, one more thing.

My email inbox scrolls off the screen about every 2 hours as is, and I’ve got about 25 new pages to design for my site, a new IDX to integrate, new AdWord campaigns to go along, clients to service and two kids in four sports here, two of which I coach.

I’ll play with twitter when I retire if it’s still tweeting.

This comment was originally posted on national real estate opinion column – agentgenius.com
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This comment was originally posted on agent2-0’s posterous
Portland Condo Auctions 3:38 pm on December 28, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Its a hard metric to measure. Though the little I have played with the Hoot Suite I am finding that Twitter influence changes completely when you happen to get the right people to RT your messages (and of course they only RT the ones that they themselves find interesting.)

-Tyler

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting
Mississauga Condos 3:08 pm on February 7, 2010 Permalink | Reply

To be honest, I’m trying to get into Twitter….but the more I try, the more I begin to feel like an Ego-Maniac. I know keeping up with the most current segments of on-line marketing is a must, but are we marketing our listings on Twitter, or are we marketing “how great a life we have.” I think Twitter as a medium of exchange will have short legs, but then again, I thought long hair for men was coming back in 2010. What do I know!

This comment was originally posted on 1000Watt Consulting

Dustin 9:58 pm on September 11, 2008 Permalink | Reply
Tags: blog (13), blogging (121), blogworld (2), community, friends (8), group (2), presentation (9), rcg (5), reblogworld, speaker

REBlogWorld Presentation: With a Little Help from my Friends

I spent the better part of today completing the first draft of my presentation for next week’s REBlogWorld in Las Vegas! (If you haven’t registered yet, it’s getting late, but there is still time to sign up: afflilate link.)

For my presentation I wanted to create something a bit more advanced than I usual cover, so I decided to focus on the lessons I’ve learned from running Rain City Guide over the past three and a half years, as well as give tips to real estate professionals on how they can run their own group sites.   Truth is, I’ve seen so many people try to intimate Rain City Guide over the years, but almost all of them have failed to catch fire… and rarely am I surprised since so few people do it right.

I’m calling the presentation “With a Little Help from my Friends” for reasons that will be obvious to most and especially those that attend.

And now I want your help. I’ve been talking about the Rain City Guide for so long that I feel like I must be missing some obvious stuff and would love your feedback.

Profile on BlogWorld Wiki

Are there any questions you have about how Rain City Guide works?   Are there any group blog topics or etiquette that you’d like to see me cover? And, obviously, if you ask a great question, I’ll make sure to answer it in the comments so you can benefit even if you don’t make it out to Vegas.

Bonus head’s up to other speakers: The BlogWorld folks put up a wiki page for each speaker that seems to be ranking pretty well on many of your names. I’d highly recommend taking a few minutes to complete your page. Here’s mine, Dustin Luther at Blogworld, as an example.

Ricardo Bueno, Dustin, and Mike Price are discussing. Toggle Comments
- Mike Price 11:17 pm on September 11, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  thanks for the tip Dustin, I’m looking forward to seeing you again. BTW, are you stilling doing the Roundtable thing?
- Dustin 11:23 pm on September 11, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Mike: I got so busy with some consulting work that I just haven’t been able to take up anything regular, so I put aside the Roundtables… However I really did enjoy them and definitely hope to continue them at some point.
- Ricardo Bueno 7:11 pm on September 26, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  I’d be happy to weed through suggestions for Roundtable topics
Dustin 5:27 pm on June 24, 2008 Permalink | Reply
Tags: blog (13), blogging (121), community, News (6), podcast (7), resource, west seattle

Can a Blog be a Community Resource?

Today I was fortunate to interview a woman who has created a blog that has become a true resource for her community as part of a weekly podcast series I’m doing on Rain City Guide.    This woman spends hours and hours each day crafting posts about her community, everything from local events, new permits, “missing pets”, etc for the West Seattle community.

It’s become such a great community resource and so widely read that she’s been able to quit her day-job in order to blog about her community.   It’s a fascinating interview where she discusses many different issues around what makes her community special and I think well worth listening to for real estate professionals who want ideas for how to turn a blog into a dynamic, interesting and local neighborhood resources.

However, you’ll may also walk away thinking, “I need to sell real estate and that sounds so time consuming,” which is why I say listen just for ideas. She’s clearly tapped into something that works for her community… and I think it is well worth a listen:

[audio http://recordings.talkshoe.com/TC-17904/TS-126001.mp3

Dustin, T. Record, and Rhonda Porter are discussing. Toggle Comments
- Rhonda Porter 6:19 pm on June 24, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  I really enjoyed this interview, Dustin. I do believe West Seattle would be less of a community without her blog.
  
  I think the lesson an agent could take away is that they can implement being part of a community via blogging–not to the same level as Tracy–but just posting community events, garage sales and connecting pets makes one more valuable than “just listed” post cards or calendars IMO.
  
  I know w/my much smaller West Seattle blog, I know more neighbors than I ever would have without it…they shout (nice words) at me when they drive by. I don’t receive as much biz from it as I do Mortgage Porter, however I don’t push biz either. I am looking at creating an adverstisement for myself on my neighborhood blog…I’m probably too much of a soft sell…always have been.
  
  Thanks again!
- T. Record 8:29 pm on June 24, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Dustin, thanks again for inviting me to be on Rain City Radio. Wanted to echo Rhonda’s point. As I mentioned during the show, my husband and I are somewhat shy, nonsocial people in general … me even more than him … when we’re outside business situations. So we have lived in the same house for 15 years and barely know anyone. As a result of WSB, though, I have heard from two more neighbors … and although we haven’t talked F2F yet I feel a little more connected as a result … like I could at least go knock on their door in case of emergency or something. And in the wider community, now that we have spent more than six months identifying ourselves at community meetings and other events, we often see people we “know” wherever we go … and that is a nice feeilng too. My very favorite part though is when I hear from readers (I don’t like that term because so many “participate” too, by sending tips, or photos, or posting comments or forum discussions) about how THEY became more connected because of something we mentioned or reported on. Sunday, for example, I posted an item that as an aside mentioned the next West Seattle La Leche League meeting was the next morning. Heard from the leader later that night that two new moms showed up at the meeting just cause they’d read it on our site. We have a lot of stories like that, and it makes the long hours worthwhile because unlike a lot of the media work I did for 20-plus years, it feels like this really *matters*. Thanks again!!!!
- Dustin 8:57 pm on June 24, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Tracy: Thanks again for sharing your story! I definitely agree that what you’re doing matters and as Rhonda has said many times, you’re definitely making a difference in your community!
Dustin 1:27 am on June 17, 2008 Permalink | Reply
Tags: blog (13), community, Market Conditions, podcast (7), rain city guide (2), rcg (5), real estate (168), seattle (3)

Interested in what a local real estate podcast might…

…look like? Join us at 4pm on Tuesday for the first edition of a Rain City conversation.
Dustin 5:23 pm on June 5, 2008 Permalink | Reply
Tags: blogging (121), community, Facebook (27), flickr (5), LinkedIn (12), mydealbook (2), podcast (7), realseekr, Social Networking (9), twitter (28)

Today’s Roundtable on social networking was…

…a blast. There were so many great insights from so many different people packed into just under an hour. You can listen to the recording here:
[audio http://recordings.talkshoe.com/TC-20339/TS-122374.mp3.

And thanks again to everyone who participated!

And since we talked so much about social networks, I thought I’d link to some of the places you can find me on the various social networks: LinkedIn, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, MyDealBook, RealSeekr. And if you’re interested in connecting up with other real estate professionals, feel free to leave links to your social networks in the comments!

Dustin, SaraB, Ricardo Bueno and 3 others are discussing. Toggle Comments
- Ricardo Bueno 9:54 pm on June 5, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  People might disagree with me but LinkedIn is my all time favorite… Next is Twitter for it’s ability to connect you with people in a quick and unique way.
- Dustin 10:05 pm on June 5, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Ricardo,
  
  I agree that LinkedIn is one of the best… And I’ve definitely got more than my fair share of leads through the site!
- Graeme K. Brown 9:25 am on June 6, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Dustin:
  
  I stumbled upon your first Talkshoe round table and listened to the entire conversation. I think you’ve got a great thing going, and it is awesome to hear insight from top RE bloggers/pros. I was in and out yesterday as a guest because the topic was fascinating, but I was a bit overwhelmed with the amount of contributors. While it is obvious that each person brings tremendous insight, and unique perspectives, at time it was difficult to follow who was talking. Again, the information is invaluable, and the forum is perfect, I just wish I could have known who was speaking!
- David G from Zillow.com 11:42 am on June 6, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Ricardo -
  
  FWIW, I totally agree with you! Even though fb now allows you to keep your your friends apart from your business associates I still cringe whenever I get a fb invite from someone I met a conference. LinkedIn is the professional network; it’s the appropriate invite to send a professional contact.
- magnus 2:18 am on June 7, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Dustin,
  Your roundtable on social networks was a brilliant piece. Especially to hear more about MyDealBook since it is aimed for the commercial real estate industry.
  
  [... http://www.thebeliever.se/smart-use-of-internet/2008/6/6/mydealbook-a-linkedin-for-the-commercial-real-estate-industr.html ...]
  
  On the topic of which network to use when.
  LinkedIn is for sure the number one (at least over here, Sweden that is) for your professional network. FB is great to keep track of friends, photosharing and so on.
- Ricardo Bueno 4:32 am on June 8, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  “LinkedIn is the professional network; it’s the appropriate invite to send a professional contact.” — David G. from Zillow.com
  
  I agree! If we’ve met in any type of professional setting, I’d much rather see the LinkedIn invite than the FB invite. Not that there’s anything wrong with FB… Let me put it this way, my LinkedIn contacts are more apt to receive a referral from me than my FB contacts.
- Dustin 9:39 am on June 8, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Graeme,
  
  Thanks so much for the feedback! I can see how it could get a bit confusing unless we’re introducing ourselves before each time we talk. I’ll work on doing a better job of that next time!
- SaraB 10:36 am on June 9, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Thanks for organizing these roundtables! They are fantastic.
  
  For the next one, I am going to make a point to research the speaker’s sites before the call, in an effort to better comprehend exactly what they are talking about.
  
  Every time I hear someone talk about Twitter, I think to myself I need to become more involved. Then I always fizzle out. After listening to this call, I am ready to give it try (again…).
- Dustin 10:45 am on June 9, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Awesome Sara! Great idea… I may try to do a bit more of that research on my end as well!
Dustin 12:25 am on May 22, 2008 Permalink | Reply
Tags: community, neighborhood (18), outside.in, portal (3), real estate (168), Realtor.com (29), SEO (26), Trulia (54), Zillow (61)

I’ve convinced myself that the one thing missing from Outside.in is that they…

…never made much inroads with the real estate community (or real estate portals for that matter).   Imagine if the Realtor.com team had bought Outside.in instead of building the neighborhoods project.

And it really doesn’t matter if it was Zillow, Trulia, AOL, Yahoo or Realtor.com, it could be a win for the real estate portal (lots of local traffic and increased SEO benefits for local terms), a win for Outside.in (monetizing within real estate is easy: featured agents, listings, etc. on neighborhood pages) and a win for consumers (a large portal could easily add more local data/content such as neighborhood stats and maps).

I’ve always felt that Outside.in had an interesting thing going and just needed some real estate influence to make it pop.   Maybe the new CEO in the restructured Outside.in will do a better job reaching out to the real estate community…

Dustin, Dave Balaishis, Jessie B and one other person are discussing. Toggle Comments
- Jay Thompson 5:45 am on May 22, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  With the right type of post, I can actually get a fair amount of traffic from Outside.in — so I know people are going there.
  
  It does have a good “neighborhoodish” framework, which you’d think would lend itself well to real estate. But at least in the Phoenix area, the discussion section is all but dead.
- Dave Balaishis 8:46 am on May 22, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  I’m not sure it makes sense for a real estate portal to acquire something like Outside.in – I think the value of it is highest to those who are already living in an area, not those looking to potentially move there.
  
  For instance, a quick check of my local area on Outside.in shows information about schools and real estate. However, the school section links to an article about how one local high school was evacuated temporarily 2 months ago because of a hazmat scare, and the real estate article links to an article about a large fire at a local condo project under development. How would this be useful to someone looking to move into my neighborhood, who was looking for school information and real estate trends?
  
  Now, I’m not suggesting that Outside.in shouldn’t try to leverage the great local knowledge in the real estate community to improve their site content – there is obviously a lot of potential there.
  
  However, I think that the goals of any local news and discussion site is at odds with that of a real estate search site… one needs to have up-to-the-minute freshness to be effective, whereas the other benefits from showing a “bigger picture” view of the area. I also think there is a risk to the news side of things if the forum starts to get overloaded with “neigborhood marketing” types of content – this is probably a turn-off to people who are just looking for what’s happening around them.
  
  I would say there is utility in neighborhood information sites linking out to places like Outside.in or everyblock.com – these are great resources for folks who want to “dive deep” into the vibe of an area. But realistically, what sites are best for this is also a local matter – and from a RE portal perspective, it probably makes more sense just to link out to the key local players, rather than trying to maintain the network itself. What might be lost from an SEO perspective is probably made up for in a better consumer experience (and maybe some reciprocal goodwill).
  
  (Disclosure: I might be a bit biased towards the specific neighborhoods site Dustin mentioned, since I helped put it together…)
- Jessie B 11:02 am on May 22, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Outside.in is an interesting idea but an established site like Topix seems to be in a better position to make headway.
- Dustin 12:24 pm on May 22, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Jay:
  
  It’s interesting that you get some traffic from Outside.in… I remember when they first launched I used to get traffic to RCG, but they never show up in my referral logs any more.
- Dustin 12:31 pm on May 22, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Dave:
  
  When you say their content may be at odds with the goals of a real estate search site, I’m thinking you may have been at R.com too long. The goals of a real estate search site should be to attract consumers, and at least going forward, that won’t be done by creating a sanitized and sterile environment. Being able to learn about neighborhoods in an authentic way could go a long way to building up consumer credibility around neighborhood information. And in many ways, just creating a welcoming environment for real estate professionals to promote their local information via this platform could be a huge goodwill for a real estate portal.
  
  And while I totally get your point that the information may be too much noise in the local content to be useful to most home searches, you could definitely use the content to attract consumers and introduce them into a local search…
  
  As always, Dave, I appreciate you stopping by!
- Dustin 12:33 pm on May 22, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Jessie: Why topix? I’ve always thought they were missing the local feel although in the big picture I do like that they also focus on topical areas and not geographic communities.
- Jessie B 5:26 pm on May 22, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Traffic already massive to site, currently have some listings via Trulia syndication & their own craigslist type classifieds.
  
  Most importantly the commenting community seems to be alive and kicking… they would just need to tap into local blogs to get more of a local street feel.
- Dave Balaishis 12:42 am on May 23, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Dustin – while I agree that I may have been at R.com too long I do think its important to give users relevant information that they’ll find useful. Trying too hard to “force” a marriage between fairly different types of user needs (i.e. real estate vs. local search) can create an awkward experience, meaning that it’s less likely that folks from both sides will stick around to form a vibrant community.
  
  However, I do think there is tremendous value in showcasing the “authentic” flavor of a neighborhood through local information and discussion (especially leveraging the knowledge of real estate experts) as part of a well-rounded neighborhood information experience. The challenge I can see is trying to do this within a system such as Outside.in without driving away the same “locals” that give this information its credibility…
- Dustin 12:49 am on May 23, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Dave: As always, you make some very good points. I still think there would be a way to make Outside.in useful to real estate searchers without corrupting the service, but I also agree it could be a tricky balance.
Dustin 7:35 pm on March 14, 2008 Permalink | Reply
Tags: blogging (121), Canada, community, competition (3), consulting (3), Events (5), presentation (9), social network (57), speaking (8)
My Speaking Tour Goes International!

Canada counts as international, right?

I really do enjoy speaking to real estate audiences about online marketing and technologies… And my talk last fall at NAR was a wonderful event where I felt like I hit a great groove with the audience.

Thanks to the alignment of a few stars (including the fact that a Director from the Toronto Real Estate Board was in the audience for that presentation) I just received confirmation today that I’ll be the featured technical speaker at the largest real estate conference and tradeshow in Canada: Realtor Quest!

For all my Canadian readers (yeah, Brendan, I’m talking to you), the event is in Toronto on May 12 and 13… and I’ll be speaking on both days. My two topics are:
1. Understanding Your Online Competition and
2. Using Blogs to Build Communities
And as a special bonus, it looks like all attendees will get 2 hours of continuing education credit for each presentation.

Hope to see you in Toronto!

(Coincidentally, I also found out today that people are still listening to my NAR presentation and you can even buy it online!)
Bucking the Real Estate Trend, Norm Fisher, monikamcgillicuddy and 4 others are discussing. Toggle Comments
- Jim Marks 9:16 am on March 15, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Congratulations!!
- Jay Thompson 9:20 am on March 15, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Congrats Dustin! Knock ‘em dead.
- Richard Dale-Mesaros 12:19 pm on March 15, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Good for you Justin…. I’m talking with local realtors here in NH every day (mainly to find REO’s) and I’m still amazed at how few of them are blogging or remotely aware of what their competition is doing online etc. Realtors will be well served to get RSS feeds to your blog and stay current with this fast-changing end of the business.
  
  Hopefully some of you have read Seth Godin’s new book: “Meatball Sundae”, where he goes through the 14 trends which are occurring in the online marketplace. As you’re reading/listening, you’ll say to yourself “Wow, there’s a ton of people out there who have no idea of any of this stuff!” Buy it on CD so you can listen while driving between appointments……
  
  Burn your TV….. go find a deal.
  
  Richard
  
  Chief Deal Weaver
  http://www.BlackWidowNetwork.com
- Dustin 1:03 pm on March 15, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Thanks everyone!
- monikamcgillicuddy 1:44 pm on March 15, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  How very cool Dustin. I’m sure you’ll be totally awesome!
- Norm Fisher 7:25 pm on March 15, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  That is good news. Congratulations!
  
  May just make it to Toronto for this.
- Bucking the Real Estate Trend 4:30 am on March 16, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  
  Wow! That’s impressive. I saw you at NAR too, and am looking forward to 03/27 in ATL.

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