Kathy Tyson, a Shak and Jill long time contributor, and
Realtor in middle Tennessee can now add Author
to her list of accomplishments.
Just recently, Kathy published her first book, and the topic is something that
we all hold dear to our hearts. It’s a how-to book on building a blog. Titled
Building a Blog: A WordPress Guide for Real Estate Professionals. This is just
the first of her planned literary accomplishments.
I took a few minutes to interview this very insightful
and talented woman. Here is what she had to say…
• You’ve been writing for Shak
and Jill now since march of this year. How long have you been a Real Estate
agent?
I have been a Realtor™ for just over four years. I
remember wildly looking forward to getting my first year behind me because
after that I’d feel more comfortable answering questions, knowing the area, and
better understanding the concerns of buyers and sellers.
• What made you decide to get into real estate?
Had just moved to Tennessee from another state. I really
enjoyed the hunt for the perfect home and found the entire process
fascinating. I had always had real estate in the back of my mind as a way
to help people, have fun, and make money. I used our move as an
opportunity for a fresh start.
• With the Real Estate career
that you’ve had what made you decide to start blogging?
Since I was 11 or 12 years old, I’ve kept a
journal. Nothing major – just what boy I liked at the time and how he
broke my heart. Ha. But writing was therapeutic for me and
something I really adored.
Before real estate, I was a communication manager and
spent many hours each day writing, albeit about the least exciting things you
could imagine – public finance and tobacco research. Once I became an
agent, writing disappeared for a time from my life until I found “blogs”.
I started writing a xanga site, then moved to blogger and eventually to
Wordpress and typepad. Through blogs, I have the ability to write
both professionally and personally.
• How long have you been
blogging?
Starting blogging about three years ago.
• How many blogs do you have?
Began with personal blog, then graduated to community
blogs for real estate and now write for two local towns. Now have 1
personal, 2 community (one I own, the other I’m a contributing author), 1 real
estate blog, 1 super secret hidden blog in which I vent when life seems unfair,
and Shak & Jill (contributing author). I also lend a hand with other
agents when they need a boost on theirs.
• How much time do you spend
writing posts, doing research and reading comments per day?
I have to be very cognizant with this because I can get
pulled in and before I know it, my whole day is gone. I try to carefully
schedule each day so that I spend no more than two hours on blogs, then two
hours with my sphere, and an hour contacting clients. I do spend quite a
bit of time researching our current market to stay informed about what’s going
on and developing marketing pieces that customers and clients would benefit
from receiving. Then anytime I’m showing homes or listing, those bump
everything else off the schedule.
• What are some of your other favorite blogs to
read?
I love reading Wil Wheaton’s blog – he played Wesley
Crusher in Star Trek. There are a lot of local blogs that are fascinating
– especially Newscoma, Sharon Cobb, and oh my there are too many to mention.
I love the stupidly funny I Can Has Cheezburger (the LOL cats) because I find
goofball stuff and toilet humor to be the best. I’m such a dolt.
• You recently just published your first book
called Building a Blog: A WordPress Guide for Real Estate Professionals. What
inspired you to write it?
I had already designed
about 20 blogs for other agents when I reached the point where putting one
together was like composing a symphony. I decided my next symphony would
be “recorded” so to speak, so I spent Labor Day weekend designing a blog and
preserving the screen shot showing exactly what keys to click and why.
The book came together that weekend with interruptions for a cookout, showing a
house and writing a contract, and spending some time wit h the family.
• What was the most challenging
part to try to communicate on paper?
The most challenging is definitely trying to keep it
simple, yet not preachy. Real estate agents who blog are already forward
thinkers and yet some still struggle with basic computer skills. I don’t
want to insult anyone by keeping it too simple, yet needed to write it so it’s
understandable.
• Obviously, you must not feel
blogging is a fad as some have said. Where do you see the blogosphere 3 years
from now?
I believe blogging will eventually take over as the “5th
estate” of government. Heady stuff, I know. Where the executive,
legislative, judicial branches are the first three of the checks and balance
system we now have, the media (journalists) are considered the 4th
estate. Because so many new organizations have been taken over by
entertainment conglomerates, a 5th estate is developing to oversee what our
government and now what the media are doing. This 5th estate is comprised
of the blogging community. The challenge, of course, is that ANYONE can
blog so we’ll have to be careful about what to believe and what not to
believe. Information is so easily manipulated and people tend to believe
what’s laid before them, so serious bloggers will have to come up with a way to
self-police without inhibiting free speech.
• What is the most important thing that you want
readers to take away from both your blog (s) and book?
I want agents to see that it’s easy to blog. With
just an hour or two each week, they can communicate about what’s going on in
their communities, keep readers informed about the market, and educate
buyers and sellers about the joys and pitfalls of real estate transactions.
• When you’re not writing books, blogging or
selling real estate, what do you like to do with your down time?
Ha. I’m seriously working on a second book – this time
not related at all to real estate. It’s a book about how the human spirit
can overcome even the most difficult obstacles. The love and spirituality
people have in their hearts builds hope, and hope is everything. The next
book is called Wrinkles: True Stories of Everyday People and it will be
published in early December.
I also adore spending time with my family. I’m a
Girl Scout leader so go camping with my daughters. I love listening to my
husband because he makes me laugh. And I stare at my dirty house because
I always have to find something to feel guilty about!
• What is your favorite part of
blogging (i.e. making friends, community building, getting heard etc.)?
My favorite part of blogging is that it helps me be
accountable to myself. It makes me constantly look for new things and new
technologies that teach me how to be a better Realtor, mentor, writer.
I’ve also made incredible friends through blogging. For example, one
friend who I would have never known is now an emergency contact at my
daughter’s school. She and her family are just incredible and I feel very
fortunate to have met them through blogging.
• What would be your advice to
someone contemplating starting a blog?
Show no fear! If you do have some fear, write about
it. People online can be very critical, but they can also be very supportive.
Blogging isn’t just about money, it’s about relationships, so don’t be afraid
to let people get to know you.
Thanks Kathy for spending time with us and sharing a little piece of you. For anyone interested in Kathy’s book you can check out an excerpt and buy it here.
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