Local Reporters Discuss Opportunities in Changing Industry – How To Work With Our Real Estate Media #rebcden

Today’s media landscape is vastly different from just a few years ago.  Speed of information into various news channels happens almost instantaneously with varying points-of-view from numerous sources.  So, how do real estate professionals cut through the clutter and get noticed by reporters?

A panel of local reporters will share their insights about the best ways to communicate with the press, how to get relevant information in front of the media and the impact of social media during REBAR Camp Denver from 3 to 4 pm.

Moderated by Melissa Olson, Metrolist Senior Manager, this media panel will include reporters from various news outlets – broadcast, print and online Panelists are Ana Cabrera, Channel 7 News; Paula Moore, Denver Business Journal; and Andrea Altieria, Examiner.com.

Ana Cabrera grew up in Denver and Littleton and joined the 7News team in July 2009 as weekend morning anchor and reporter.

Prior to coming to Denver, Ana was an anchor and reporter at KHQ-TV in Spokane, WA.  In Spokane, Ana’s work was recognized with awards from Community Oriented Policing Services and Veterans of Foreign Wars organizations.

Ana earned her B.A. in communications from Washington State University and the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. She also has a bachelor’s degree in Spanish.  She is an ambassador for the Special Olympics and has served on the board of American Cancer Society.

Paula Moore is a reporter with Denver Business Journal and covers residential and commercial real estate news.

Andrea is the Managing Broker of the Walters Team @ Candlewood Realty, where she employs all of her prior business knowledge to help her clients find the best possible property for them. She is able to build solid, sustainable relationships with broad range of customers, including individuals, federal government and private industry organizations.

She’s been a resident of the Denver Metro area since 2004, after escaping from a 17-year term in Washington, DC where she spent most of her career writing and directing government proposals.  Andrea has a MA in Journalism from the American University in Washington DC and is currently the Denver Real Estate Examiner at Examiner.com

Kristen Veraldi of Kinetic Knowledge Presents Beyond SEO

The professionals will be in attendance at REBARCamp Denver this week.  When the sessions start the hardest part will be how to decide on who to hear first.  Kristen of Kinetic Knowledge is a great resource, both friendly and knowledgeable when it comes to all things Internet.  Be sure to come early and grab a front row seat.  This is a session will be yet another “do not miss!”

I would like to introduce you to the readers of the REBarCamp Blog.  Would you please tell us a little about yourself?

Certainly – most people just know me as ‘Kristen’ at Kinetic Knowledge.  I am one of the company founders and happily a tech geek, but also the face of customer service, education and tech support here at Kinetic.  If something is broken or someone needs help, I’m the “go-to” gal.  I like to think that I can fix any problem online if just given a few minutes with Google   Although I tend to be “behind the scenes” and completely virtual, I’ve been involved in blogging and social networking for real estate and business professionals for about five years.  I’ve lived in the Vail Valley for over 13 years and currently work from my home office here – I love summer in the mountains!  In the earlier stages of our company’s growth some may have seen me as a technology panelist at NAR, FAR, AEI or Real Living.

How long have you been in the real estate industry?  What did you do before?
Although my background is in Physics, I have been involved with real estate marketing for my whole working life.  I moved to Vail immediately after college and never intended to stay – I bet lots of us living here can say that and smile   I started out as a Marketing Director for a boutique real estate firm here in the valley and worked there for many years.  It’s here that I was first introduced to the idea of business blogging and here that my entrepreneurial spirit was born.  This is something most people probably don’t know about me, it’s unique that I truly understand the challenges Realtors face and am familiar with every part of the transaction.

Tell us about your company.  How long have you been working there?  What services does you company offer in the real estate industry?
Kinetic Knowledge actually has an interesting history.  We hit the scenes about four years ago as Real Estate Blogsites – our sole focus was bringing business blogging technology to real estate agents.  As the business landscape changed so did our company.  Kinetic Knowledge was born from a need to bring less expensive technologies to a wider range of businesses.  Today we think of ourselves as not just business blog providers, but as a modern day online marketing services company.  We build, host and manage custom branded business blog solutions, we provide content creation services, we educate about social networking connectivity, and most importantly, we guide our clients to be effective and efficient users of the medium.  These days we talk about a “Return on Time” versus the traditional Return on Investment.

Are you involved in social media?
Sure, you’ll find me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn as well as sporadically on our company blogs at www.kineticknowledge.com and www.realestateblogsites.com.  You can also find Kinetic Knowledge in Facebook company pages.  As many of you know, sometimes it’s hard to practice what you preach because there is always a business to run.  Although I’m not yet as active as I’d like to be, you can bet that you’ll soon see me following a social media marketing plan each week!

How do you use social media to leverage your business?
All of our marketing efforts are done through business blogging content creation and the dissemination of free educational PDFs.  In fact outside the other free social networks, this is the only marketing we do.  Aside from a trade show or an event such as this here and there, we are completely virtual.  It provides us with a three-tiered approach – search engine optimization (SEO), branding, and direct marketing via a growing permission-based email list.  Direct marketing via your business blog is often understated for the headliner, SEO.  However using your blog’s RSS feeds to send out automated emails of new blog posts to your subscribers is an invaluable way to stay connected to your existing sphere of influence and the newbies reading your blog.  If this is a foreign concept, you’ll want to vote to learn more about this subject and come to the session on Beyond SEO.  Twitter is also gaining ground in importance for us, but I could go on and on about that so I’ll leave it to a session educator!

How can your product/service benefit those in the real estate industry?
I have such passion about business blogging because it is the biggest bang for the marketing buck anybody can achieve and it is so attainable.  As there are many free blogging and social networking products out there you may be wondering how Kinetic Knowledge provides value.  Unless you are a bit of a tech geek yourself, you can always expect to get what you pay for with free blogging platforms.  In this tech landscape it’s imperative to retain the control of your brand, your online reputation and your domain.  As a company our main value proposition is service and management.  We are your online marketing success partner – we remove headaches and manage all aspects of the process.  We are constantly educating.  We provide exemplary customer service and most importantly guide our clients to maximize their Return on Time.  You can easily spin your wheels blogging – as good business bloggers know, you need a bit of discipline and some simple yet specialized knowledge to really get the most marketing value out of these tools.  We help to ensure your success.

Are you coming to REBC Denver and would you like to present a topic? Which topic?
Yes!  As I briefly mentioned earlier I’ll be presenting on a topic titled, Beyond SEO: Using Business Blogs for Automated Direct Email Marketing.  The direct marketing value of blogs is incredible yet often takes a lesser seat to search engine optimization.  In the session you’ll learn that blogs can prove their marketing value even if you threw SEO right out the window (Gasp!  No, but seriously it’s not the end all be all – it’s only one tier).  We’ll talk about RSS feeds and setting up services such as FeedBlitz or FeedBurner to create an automated, subscription based push of your blog articles via email.  We’ll discuss the use of unique content categories and simple forms or links to promote subscription.  Permission-based marketing is ideal because people have actually given you license to contact them freely and at will.  They want your knowledge and will listen to your message!   Have no idea what I’m talking about?  Subscribe to our blogs to get educated and see what it’s all about!  It’s so easy; you just enter your email and choose your news 

How can we contact you?
Via email: Kristen@kineticknowledge.com or any of the social networks listed above.  And directly by office phone: 970.372.5255.

REBarCamp is Growing!

The popularity of BarCamp has been overwhelming!  We have been advertising it via word of mouth and have grown to over 300 attendees with a month to go before the event!

After attending the wonderful REBarCamp Phoenix last week, we decided that everyone who wants to attend should have the opportunity to do so, therefore we are moving the venue.  We want to thank both MetroList and Armbrust Real Estate Institute for having enough faith in us to sponsor the very first (and totally unheard of) Real Estate BarCamp in Denver.  We really appreciate their vote of confidence in a yet untried event, if you hadn’t supported us early on, we may never have gone ahead with our plans. Thank you!

In the next week the new venue will be announced.  We are both excited and a little nervous about moving, it means we need to raise more funds (hint, hint) so we can keep this event free, but we believe we can do it.  Over the last month we have garnered the support of some wonderful new sponsors and have a few more who are showing interest.  With some more planning we know this event is going to happen and everyone who attends will enjoy it!

Just a quick mention, the event is scheduled for the first Friday just before the Memorial Day Weekend. This can be either a plus or a minus for some people. If you cannot come, please send your regrets to rebarcamp.denver@gmail.com so we can let someone else have your spot.

Now that the registration is open again, I would like to encourage you to “tell a friend.”  I’m sure you know of someone who would enjoy a great, fun learning experience.

Your Camp Counselor,

Kristal Kraft

Justin Smith Plans to Attend RE BarCamp

Metro Denver is lucky to have so many terrific technical people who are willing to share their knowledge.  Justin Smith of Searching Solutions in Castle Rock is planning to be at RE BarCamp Denver.  As he says in the video, he’s “pumped to be able to talk on Search Engine Optimization.  Anyone who has a website or wants one should make a point to hang around Justin.  Watch this video and I’m sure you will agree…

REBarCamp Denver from Justin Smith on Vimeo.

As a professional SEO expert, Justin has a natural ability to take difficult topics and break them down into bite-sized understandable concepts everyone can understand and implement.

Thank you Justin for contributing on this video and agreeing to be a big part of RE BarCamp Denver on May 22. We look forward to hearing and learning from you!

Justin Smith can be found at Searching Solutions.

Please be sure to RSVP for REBC!

The Colorado Springs Connection Wagners Chat on Social Media

Derek and Mariana Wagner manage to stand out in a crowd. It’s no wonder they decided to ditch the traditional written interview and deliver a video to us instead!  As an outstanding example of how to convert web leads into closings, the Wagner’s continue to perfect their system and better yet, they will share it with us!

Thank you Derek and Mariana for taking the time to entertain us with your video.  We look forward to seeing you at REBC.

The Wagner iTeam can be found selling Colorado Springs Real Estate, stop by and say hello!

And yes, they will be at REBarCamp Denver, will you?

Denver Blogger Gretchen Faber

Gretchen Faber is a well recognized broker in Denver real estate. She is active at the Denver Board of Realtors and manages the Kentwood Cherry Creek office. It is a pleasure to have Gretchen as part of REBarCamp blog “I’ll Be There” Interviews.

How long have you been selling real estate?

I earned my license in 1996, and got the broker’s license right away.  Back then, Colorado had two levels of licensing – agent and broker.  I decided to go for it and sit for the broker exam and I passed.  A few years later everyone had to go back and get their broker license and I was really glad I didn’t have to!

What made you decide to get into the business? What were you doing before real estate?

I was separating from my husband at the time, and had a toddler.  We had worked together in his family’s business so I naturally needed to move on.  I had always loved real estate and different architectural styles.  My parents owned investment properties in California, and they also instilled an appreciation for many types of architecture.  Real estate sales seemed a logical step.  With a master’s degree in marketing plus advertising experience, real estate seemed like the perfect career.  I also wanted some flexibility so that I could spend time with my son; take him on field trips, etc.  HA!  Little did I know how much you work in this business.  But those first few years I was able to carve out a lot of extra time with Joe – he went to many an open house with me.  He still does on occasion.

We had known each other from the Denver Board and the CIPS Committee.  Since then we both have taken up blogging? How long have you been blogging?

I became interested in blogging only recently.  You are much further ahead, and I had read about you and your blogging and found it intriguing.  At first, I just read other people’s blogs.  I was nervous to break some sort of rule of etiquette or say the wrong thing, so I never commented in the beginning.  At the end of 2007 I decided to go for it.  I thought that if I got one solid deal in 2008 from the blog, then it would have been worth it.  I investigated different platforms and coaches and decided to use the Real Estate Tomato to design my blog and teach me the ropes.   That won’t be for everyone, and many people can just do it on their own with a free wordpress blog, but I wanted to really know the ropes right out of the gate.

Social media has become so popular in the real estate industry. Can you tell us what it has done for your business?

At first I was engaging with other real estate bloggers, and these people have become my friends and coaches. We are constantly learning from each other, and no one is ever too busy to be generous with their time and answer a question.  Everyone is also very receptive to making referrals to other markets where they’ve gotten to know Realtors online.

As the blog writing began to flow, and I learned about all of the other social networking sites, I found that I’d get occasional comments from the public interested in Denver real estate.  Two weeks ago, I closed a $1.1 million transaction, cash buyer who found me from my internet presence.  He called and said, “you appear to be the expert where I’m looking.”  He flew into Denver, looked at homes for two days, and he made an offer.  I realize that this is probably not going to happen too often, but it illustrates the power of the internet and becoming the perceived expert.

If you could pick only one aspect of social media, what would that be.  By that I mean you must choose from Active Rain, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and any of the hundreds available, which one would you use and why?

I don’t think you can pick just one and I don’t’ know that I could!  It’s all so vitally integrated, and you meet up with some of the same people and also different people across the spectrum.  I think at a minimum, if you’re going to commit to social networking and blogging you need to be on all of the above.  Active Rain is powerful and gives you great links back to your site.  It’s also full of interesting conversations between brokers. Plus, consumers are going on AR more and more. You learn to ignore the trivial stuff.  LinkedIn is business related and you don’t need to spend too much time there, but should be on it nonetheless.  Facebook is a fabulous way to connect and reconnect with people you know present and past.  It’s more like your sphere.  On Facebook, you remind them that you sell real estate, but also have little reunions with people you don’t get to see too often.  Twitter is like a party. At first you can’t understand how to integrate all of these half conversations, but you get used to it.  Todd Carpenter says it’s like walking up to the water cooler at work and hearing half of the conversation about last night’s Academy Awards, and then wandering away.  You can also use Twitter to post the URL of your most recent blog post.

Are you coming to REBarCamp Denver?  Would you like to present a topic? If so what would that be?

I am coming to REBarCamp and I look forward to it!  Thanks for organizing it. I know you’ve spent a lot of time getting it just right.  I was sorry to miss the REBarCamp in Las Vegas, but couldn’t get away from work that week. It’s exciting that you’ve planned it here in Denver.

I could present any topic that you feel I’d be competent at.  You and your team are all way ahead of me!  One thing I feel passionate about is writing.  I’ve learned to really enjoy the art of writing a blog, and I don’t come from a writing background.  It might be fun to talk about how to write, what to write and work with people on relevant content, headlines, etc.  If you think that would be good or don’t have someone else better for that one.

Finally – shameless plug – my blog is www.LifeStyleDenver.com and my real estate web site is www.GretchensDenver.com !

Mike Price On REBarCamp Beginnings…

We first meet when you contacted me to be one of your “Meet the Bloggers” at NAR in Las Vegas in 2007.  You were very busy getting bloggers to do sessions at the time. What inspired you to produce that event?

Wow that was only a couple of years ago? There were not too many events centered around what has become known as the RE.net at the time. Working with Geekestate Blog and Incredible Agents, we were able to introduce blogging to quite a few Newbies. You were one of the bloggers at the top of my list to help us do that.

Many people aren’t aware, but you have been involved with supporting REBC from the very beginning.  In fact, you are the creator behind the logo we are using and all the other logos  to date for REBarCamp.

I think I’ve done them all with the exception of Houston and Portland. I’ve been involved at a pretty deep level with the REBC movement from the very beginning. When Andy Kaufman first blogged about the idea for San Francisco back in the summer of ’07 I jumped in with both feet. I had just experienced my first Barcamp and thought that putting a real estate focus to it was a tremendous idea. I worked behind the scenes by contacting everyone I could think of that could sponsor. Now that I reflect on it, I don’t think a single person said no, from Zillow to Trulia to Inman News and all of the other great companies and individuals that got behind it. Once we had a hand full sponsors, the rest just sort of fell in line. Working with Andy, Todd Carpenter, Brad Coy and all of the other volunteers turned out to be a lot of fun. We had no idea how many people would show up at the first event. We thought, 30 – maybe 50. The final tally I think exceeded 200. There exists a core group of original organizers that have stuck with the effort and have been doing what they can to keep the original focus of RE Barcamp at the center of the tremendous momentum it is experiencing. I’m having a great time with it.

Are you a designer by trade?

Yes and no. I spent a few years providing creative services as marketing consultant. I’ve managed the creative process at several companies and decided back in early 90′s to learn the process myself. I invested in a computer and started teaching myself how to use applications for desktop publishing and design. More importantly I taught myself as much as I could about the process of branding and corporate identity. One of my interests as far back as young kid was with the power of a logotype. I used to sketch out concepts for fictitious companies. Over the years I’ve done quite a bit of design work for web sites, interactive presentations etc. but what I really love the most is designing logos. It’s very therapeutic and great for the ego to know that a company or organization is using something I created for such an important aspect of their business. My interest in interactive design is what led me to the Internet in 1995.

What is it you do?

My primary gig is as a founder and President of MLBroadcast.com. We provide a way for real estate professionals to use their still photos to create really cool narrated videos. It’s similar to the video process most builders use to create their television commercials from great photos. We’ve built a syndication platform that distributes the videos via podcasting and other technologies. It’s only $29 per video and provides a fast and easy way for agents to take advantage of the latest channels to get global exposure for their listings, communities and more.

I am also the Social Media Manager for Diverse Solutions. DS provides a top notch IDX / Mapping tool and real estate technology solutions. I really enjoy connecting with real estate professionals that are doing some really cutting edge stuff with listings. Diverse Solutions is also a huge supporter of RE Barcamp having sponsored several events, including sponsoring the Name Badges for the Denver event.

Have you found Blogging to be a positive way to grow your business?

My business partner urged me to start communicating with our potential clients via a blog back in June of ’06. From a branding and identity position, it has been a tremendous success. A lot people in the industry have an awareness of MLBroadcast due to the exposure the blog has given us. Through the blog I have garnered quite a few speaking opportunities. I’ve also been selected to write on a number of other industry blogs as well. It’s at the top of our list of effective marketing tools.

Are you coming to REBC Denver?

I’m not sure yet, as you know I travel to several RE.net events during the year but the amount of time I have at hand for them is limited. I wish I could attend all of them. I have to say that you have done an outstanding job with this event and it’s shaping up to quite possibly be the best one yet. Phoenix should stand up and take notice if they don’t want to be outdone by you. Scoring a baseball stadium as their venue was certainly a shot over your bow.

If so what do you expect to learn?  What would you like to contribute?

The beauty of the Barcamp format is that there is something new to learn at each one. I’m not talking about your typical event with tracks of sessions etc. that you get warm and fuzzies from but really don’t end up doing anything with. There is always something that a person can take away from these events that you can put to action the minute you get back to your office. I’ve found the best contribution I can make is to help re professionals get a grip on the huge shift in focus that they must undertake in the coming years to becoming publishers and producers of unique content. It’s going to take a new level of business acumen, professionalism and marketing savvy. RE Barcamps are fantastic venues to help people get access to the resources they will need for the future.

IF not, what suggestions to you have to offer those who are coming for the first time?

Please do not be intimidated by the format or the goofy name RE Barcamp. The idea is to share and learn alike. If you’re not comfortable jumping into the conversations, don’t worry about it. I have yet to hear anyone say they regretted attending one of these events. Most people leave with actionable information and valuable new contacts. The best way to see what people have to say about them is to follow the events in Twitter and some of the live streaming that takes place during the events.

Thank you Mike for your support of REBarCamp and also for taking the time to provide  REBarCamp Denver with a lovely logo.  As far as Phoenix is concerned we aren’t really in a competition with them, but you are right, they are setting the bar pretty high!  It’s going to be fun watching the progression as REBC’s get better and better each time!

Mike Price can be located syndicating real estate video around the globe at MLBroadcast.

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