T-Minus... oh, wait! The countdown is over. Today marks the official debut of "Mr. Gotham's World "on Active Rain.
During the past 10 or so days I have started more than 15 different posts searching for the "right" one to inaugurate this site. Some were funny. Some were smart. And, some were both funny and smart.
However, nothing I wrote captured the enormity of the excitement, fear and pride that I am currently experiencing, so I decided to just briefly "shoot from the hip." The excitement and fear reflect my feelings about beginning and continuing this new venture. It's like the first day of school all over again: "Are people going to like me? What if they don't? Aw man, these socks matched at home! Did I brush my teeth? I wonder what's for lunch?" And, I'm proud that I am finally blogging, something I have unsuccessfully tried to do for years.
There are no expectations for this blog to be anything other than it is: a record of my journey to blog daily about my ideas, experiences and growth as a Realtor. And, while hubris was not the driving force behind the title; "Mr. Gotham's World" conveys, more accurately than I first realized, a cohesive vision for my first foray into the blogosphere.
It is a vehicle, enabling me to express my personal views on real estate, technology and an assortment of other local topics (Kansas City, Overland Park and Leawood) and national topics. It is a forum, for those who happen to discover it, to discuss and debate with intensity, intelligence and respect. And, it is an organic medium; growing, evolving and consistently improving.
In its current form, "Mr. Gotham's World" may seem remedial. There are no fancy graphics, no nifty buttons and no advertisements. However, as my knowledge of CSS, html and other tools expands, so will the features and capabilities of this site. Any criticism, insight or other help with this aspect of the blog is greatly appreciated.
Thanks for joining me for the official debut of "Mr. Gotham's World"... albeit without fireworks, fanfare or fuss. Hopefully, at least once during the next 365 days, everyone will take the opportunity to return, read and comment.
As always, feel free to follow me on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com): @GothamRealtyGrp (http://www.twitter.com/GothamRealtyGrp) or @MrGotham (http://www.twitter.com/MrGotham). For access to homes in Kansas City, Overland Park. Leawood and more..., 24 hours a day, visit http://www.GothamRealtyGroup.com.
Breaking news...! I am the latest official victim of the C1B1 Flu, aka 'The Blog Flu.' (See one, be one. See a blogger, be a blogger... get it?) Oh, never mind. that's much to corny for the sophisticated minds at Active Rain. ;)
It had only been a few hours since my last post when I started composing this one, but then I fell asleep. For some reason my mind was still writing even though my fingers had long ago ceased to type. And, if you haven't read my last post, (T-Minus 10 Days and Counting...) you may want to, because unlike episodes of '24' there is no recap of previous events at the beginning of each new post.
Okay, maybe just this once...
On June 1, 2009 I am going to re-invent myself. Ten days from now I'm going to do something that will change my life and career forever... I'm going to officially start blogging. It's my 'mid-year resolution.'
On the surface, that probably doesn't seem like a big deal. Blogging is just typing a few simple words a couple of times a week, right? Unfortunately, when people tell me "you should really start blogging" it evokes the same response as the phrases "you need a root canal," "you're being audited by the IRS" or "Congratulations, you're having sextuplets!" I PANIC! My heart starts to race, my breathing becomes erratic and my palms could be mistaken for Niagara Falls South.
That overly dramatic response makes absolutely no sense to me. When I was majoring in journalism at the University of Kansas... writing was easy. During my newspaper internships at the Kansas City Star... it was a breeze. However, as a real estate agent... writing literally scares me to death. Well, I guess not literally. Maybe it's because there have been a few years since college and I'm afraid my writing is not up to par. Maybe I'm afraid that if I make a mistake, I will appear uninformed and damage my credibility as a Realtor. Whatever the reason, the excuses stop now.
At least 25 times in the past few years I have started to blog and then stopped shortly thereafter. This time I am publicly committing to it and and I know that with the support of my friends and fellow agents I will become a blogging machine. Sounds like a nicotine gum commercial, huh? I have a lot to say about real estate, technology, social networking, photography and so much more.
Not a day goes by that I don't preach the value of using social media to expand ones audience and maximize marketing dollars. Until now, I was a total hypocrite. Blogging is an indispensable tool for many successful real estate agents and if you're not writing one, you need to be reading or watching one. Yes, I said 'watching.' While I'm just dipping my toes into the shallow waters of 'regular' blogging, the tidal wave called video blogging or "vlogging" is barreling toward me. I think I'm gonna need a bigger surfboard... ;)
Finally, for your reading and viewing pleasure, here are my personal top 5 favorite real estate blogs/ vlogs and a very special bonus. In no particular order:
Equipping clients in the Kansas City area (including Overland Park, Leawood, Lenexa, Olathe and Prairie Village) with the tools, education, and attention they need to achieve their real estate goals.
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
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