How Has Blogging Changed Your Real Estate Career? - Roberta Murphy

Here we are with our fourth article in a series of interviews that we've conducted with a handful of our Tomato Blogger Clients.

Our mission throughout these interviews is to learn how the efforts of our blogging clients have made significant, and positive differences in their real estate career.

Today’s interview is with Roberta Murphy of both SanDiegoPreviews.com and LuxuryHomeDigest.com.

Roberta was one of our very first clients and an early graduate of our intense blog training course.  Way back in the Fall of 2006, Roberta contacted us after reading our writings on ActiveRain.  She contracted us to build LuxuryHomeDigest, a blog focusing on a blend of Luxury Living and the world of Luxury Real Estate. 

Shortly there after, she hired us to convert her main website, SanDiegoPreviews.com into a full featured blogsite and intense community resource.

Tomato:

So, you know the theme, how should we jump into this?  Should we cut to the chase?

Roberta:

Might as well.  Shoot.

Tomato:

All right then, what’s the biggest, noticeable difference in your real estate career since your blogging has become the center of your marketing efforts?

Roberta:

Making the move from Website to Blogsite has helped me achieve results in the search engines that I never imagined possible.  I am ecstatic with the dominance I have in Google.

Let me start from the beginning.  I had been online for years with SanDiegoPreviews.com as a static real estate website.  I hate to admit it, but it is the truth, at one point we were spending $5000 a month on Pay-Per-Click advertising.  It was working, which is why we paid, but it was getting so expensive, and it was always rising, with no end in sight.

Basically, I saw the writing on the wall in about October of 2006, and new I had to go for organic results in the Search Engines, and fast.  That’s when I called you.

After several months of regular blogging, what’s proving to be amazing is that we are coming up all over the tops of the search results pages that are hugely competitive.  Terms we used to pay several dollars a click for are now ours, organically.  Back in August I sent you a list of over 50 competitive terms that we are top 10 for, and in most cases top 3.  And that was just for SanDiegoPreviews.  There were another few dozen for LuxuryHomeDigest.  That list has grown tremendously from there.

Tomato:

Well, besides shedding your Pay-Per-Click expense, what else have you found leaving behind once the blog proved to be such an effective lead generator?

Roberta:

No more newspaper ads, no more magazine ads, most of my mailings… but my favorite is when I get calls from vendors looking to sell me advertising, like shopping cart ads and things, and I just tell them that I blog.  Usually there is silence on the other end of the line.  Then I thank them for calling and hang up.

On physical advertising that I continue, like my signs, everything says “As Featured On LuxuryHomeDigest.com”

Tomato:

So, do you have any particularly interesting stories of success that you would like to share?

Roberta:

Oh do I.  This one is great. 

So I did an article, as I usually do, on this listing I had that was referred to me by Brian Brady.  I met Brian on ActiveRain, so it was a blogger to blogger referral.

Anyhow, the listing is priced at 1.5 Million Euros. (approx $2.2 Million), and belongs to this couple, and opera singer and an artist, that are looking to move to Europe, preferably Crete.

So get this email from an expatriate, currently living in Ireland, that wants to move back to the US, preferably California.  He is enamored by the home, and wants to see it immediately.

So he flies here to San Diego, and decides it is perfect.

But here’s the big twist.

He is now selling his 12 acre, 16^th Century country home in Ireland.  You remember how the California sellers are looking to move to Europe.  You got it.  They are now flying to Ireland to go see his old home.  The buyer and the sellers are swapping homes.   It is unbelievable.  All because of that blog article. 

Tomato:

That is amazing.  Crazy, and amazing.

Well, I like to ask the same closing question in my interviews.  I know we didn’t cover a ton of topics, so was there something I should have asked you that I neglected to?

Roberta:

You could have asked me what advice I would give to new bloggers out there trying to forge a name for themselves online.

Tomato:

Go for it.

Roberta:

Take your personal interests and turn them into a second blog.  I know, it sounds like more work, but it actually makes the commitment to writing that much more enjoyable, and then you start to develop an audience that shares similar interests to you… and that’s when the fun starts!

Tomato:

Thanks so much for sharing with us Roberta, it has always been such a pleasure having you on the vine.

We look forward to hearing more stories from you again soon.

Roberta:

My pleasure Jim.

—

We’d love to hear from you about how blogging has changed your real estate career. 

Feel free to post below, or email me to interview you directly for a future post.  I’ve heard some great stories, so stay tuned!

 If you enjoyed reading this article, why not Subscribe to be notified of the next one?

Other Interviews with Tomato Bloggers:
Week 1 - Jackie Colson-Miller
Week 2 – Uncle Jack LeVine
Week 3 – Mary DeLuca

Tags: Roberta+Murphy, SanDiegoPreviews, LuxuryHomeDigest, Real+Estate+Blogging, Blogging+Success

Comments

[Gena Riede]

Great article. Love to hear those success stories and especially from a well seasoned professional like Roberta Murphy.

Blogging obviously is not for everyone and some prefer paying others to get client leads but it sure is nice to have an alternative.

[Roberta Murphy]

What a fun surprise this morning, Jim!

We also failed to mention that one of the key differences between websites and blogs is the interactivity and friendships (as well as some occasional disagreements) made possible by the latter.

Thanks for a fun interview.

[Lance - Houston Real Estate Expert]

I like it! Just the kind of news I want to hear!

I'm just kicking off a new blog and it kind of feels like I'm tunneling right now.... digging deep underground where no-one can see me but in about six months time I'll surface all over the place!!

Organic ranking definitely is the way to go... gosh, can't believe Roberta was paying $5000 per month! That's just unreal... good tips though Roberta - Tks!

Would love to interview when you're ready (Jim)... I'm still a student though! Hope to graduate in a few weeks!

[Brian Brady]

I'll add an important point. We refer because we live in the same world (remember that).

What Roberta didn't explain (or may not have known) is that the listing was won before she went to the appt.

Our clients know I blog (I've advertised their second home, in Mexico, on a blog post). They read my weblog from time to time. When I suggested Roberta, I sent a link to her weblog. By the time she met them, they already knew her.

She won the listing engagement before she set foot in the home. All I had to do was to send a link.

[Royal LePage Toronto]

Nice interview! These "success" stories are always ready to kick-start me! Internet is the most powerful marketing tool today, that's undoubtful. But I believe the word of mouth is still strong. We in Toronto houses use By referral only attitude. I think it is a bit similar to what Roberta speaks about. But we try not to focus on the internet only. If people read your articles and then speak about it online, it's good. But when they start to speak about your services live, on the streets and in their offices, when meeting friends or family, that's the best!

[Jackie Colson-Miller]

Great job Roberta...It was nice to finally meet you in Las Vegas!

[Cindy Jones]

Another great story of how the power of blogging brings everyone together no matter where they are located. Two calls today for me from potential future clients. You just have to love it :-)

[Steve Rosenbaum]

Roberta and Jim: Great interview and fabulous stories. It's great to see your success with organic searches and I "Loved" your story about the homeowners in California and Europe.

Regards,
Steve Rosenbaum
BigBadHomeSale.com

[Cyndee Haydon]

Roberta is a great example of the kind of person that blogs are a natural for - she does all the right things and like Brian said - the blog lets other people see how she works and serves her clients and then it's easy to choose her.