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Blogger Spotlight; Frances Flynn Thorsen
By Todd Carpenter | September 4, 2007
I first took note of Frances when she coordinated a posse of RE bloggers to cover the 2005 NAR Convention called “The Blog Squad”. An early adopter of blogging, Frances was also one of the first RE professionals to see beyond blogging simply as a practice in marketing. Women’s issues, historic sites, and even a bit of tutoring through Project Blogger are among highlights of a distinguished resume in as a blogger.
Hi Frances, let’s start at the beginning. What inspired you to create The Realty Gram Blogger?
Local REALTOR association leadership in the Lehigh Valley, PA, was not happy with some “constructive criticism” I shared on the association listserv. The association started to publish their own homes magazine and I thought the project had an amateurish appearance and needed some serious attention to layout and design. They removed my name from the listserv thinking that would still my voice, I guess.
I started blogging in January 2005. George W. Bush was being sworn in as President. Throughout the election period people remarked over and over again that they “knew that I was voting for George Bush” because I was a REALTOR … there was an assumption that all REALTORS supported George Bush. NOTHING could be farther from the truth! There was never a nanosecond when I considered voting for George W. Bush.
I had a professional posture for years and followed a dictum not to talk about politics … here was the country faced with a close election and the likes of GWB at the reigns of power. Silence was no longer appropriate. The REALTYgram Blogger was born to give a voice to political concerns and spark thought about the human condition.
As a long time reader, I know you have never been satisfied with just one blog. What are some other venues where your writing can be found?
I have written two e-books that will be out in print by the end of the year: “HUD Homes for Sale – A Complete Buyer’s Guide,” and “HUD Homes for Sale – Sales and Marketing Guide for Real Estate Agents.” I will have another book in print by the end of the year. I am a founding member of The Web Women Giving Circle (http://WebWomenGivingCircle.com) and I expect to direct more of my writing efforts to philanthropy. I am working with CARE as a member of its National Advocacy Network.
More recently, you were named Managing Editor for Realtown.com. Please tell us about what RealTown can offer for an agent looking to start blogging.
RealTown offers a robust blogging platform that is being updated and upgraded as we “speak.” I am totally convinced that RealTown will be the premier site for real estate bloggers by the end of 2008 …
How does RealTown differ from Active Rain?
RealTown is an altogether different venue than ActiveRain. ActiveRain is a relatively young blogging community populated by real estate pros. Most of the discussion there is discussion among agent and other realty pros. RealTown offers a sense of community is a similar sense, as well as a platform that will likely to reach more buyers and sellers. ActiveRain has a “points” system that rewards bloggers with points for things like posting comments on other agents’ blogs. Some of the comments run on and on …. Buyers and sellers are treated to a “water cooler” environment online, I believe, and this will discourage them from visiting ActiveRain blogs as often as they might visit blogs on other platforms. While the “points” add a measure of fun to the task, I believe that at the end of the day it will turn off more consumers than it will attract.
RealTown is home to the oldest online real estate community in the real estate industry. The older listserv communities have a new platform online, there is a growing blogging communit, and a platform for real estate articles.
As a REALTOR, how does blogging fit into your overall marketing plan?
I am wearing several hats right now … Managing Editor of RealTown, licensed REALTOR, and marketing consultant. I just moved from Pennsylvania to Tucson, Arizona. I am working on a business plan and expect to spend more time blogging as September rolls around.
What are some of your favorite blogs?
Some of the older real estate blogs remain favorites … GrowABrain, The Property Grunt, The LoftNinja (and ALL his blogs), and Joeann Fossland’s (Relaxed Real Estate for Magnificent Agents) has lots of good food for thought. Mary Pope-Handy’s LiveInLosGatos.com remains a newer favorite. Of course, SellsiusBlog is terrific … and so is Lenderama 8-)… Rachel Dollar’s Mortgage Fraud Blog is a standout!
What web sites, blogs, tools, or people do you find most helpful in building your blog?
I am not keen on a lot of gadgetry and widgets, although I am starting to play with Vlogit and will commence video blogging soon. I write from experience and research, and government and legal and news sites are my favorite sources.
Do you have any tips or advice for a fellow real estate professional that’s looking to get into blogging?
I would say, “Find a focus and play with it so that each time you sit down to blog you approach the task eagerly, happily, and with anticipation. Be yourself, become transparent, and let it all hang out.”
Topics: Blogger Interviews, national |
September 4th, 2007 at 8:42 am
It is truly an honor to be on your short list, Frances.
Another great interview in the series, Todd.
September 4th, 2007 at 10:16 pm
the ninj loves Frances….she is a blogging inspiration to us all…!
you go ‘head Fran!!!
September 7th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
This interview has stirred up some debate over on Active Rain.