Sellsius’ 4th Annual Top 12 Women Real Estate Bloggers for 2009 were chosen for at least a year of blogging (some have many years), pushing the envelope, using video, and other things of more import, to me– community service, charity, and education– sharing beyond the written word. Many I have met. Others I hope to meet.
About the Sellsius Top 12.
When Rudy and I created the list in 2006, we meant for it to raise awareness of women real estate bloggers (whom we love)– and to inspire others to blog. Although we know of women who are perennial all-stars, we decided not to make repeat selections. We wanted the list to grow with new women every year. If you think a blogger you admire was overlooked, she may be on a prior list… or a future list.
[Certainly, there are great women bloggers I have overlooked. Mea culpa. Hopefully, they will be added in the future. (mention them in the comments).]
UPDATE: Steve Jagger offered each woman a free Ubertor Video Focused Website for one year. Just contact Steve at: sjagger at ubertor.com (thanks Steve, and Ubertor)
The Top 12 Women Real Estate Bloggers for 2009 are:
1. Colleen Kulikowski. BuffaloRealEstateNews. I love Colleen’s blogging style. Her blog reads like a newspaper/magazine. Her posts are easy on the eyes, extremely relevant to her market, and display her sense of humor . She writes appealing headlines and uses catchy images. Colleen is a force on Active Rain. She is very tech savvy. She is using her SEO skills to rule the Buffalo market— her blog is on page 1 of Google for “Buffalo homes for sale”— ahead of Zillow and Realtor.com. Now that’s how Colleen rocks blogging. For those who think blogging has little ROI, talk to Colleen and learn a thing or twenty-two.
2. Mary Pope-Handy. Mary authors 3 blogs: The Valley of Heart’s Delight; Live in Los Gatos; and the quite deadly Haunted Real Estate Blog. Mary was the Winner of the Project Blogger Contest, sponsored by Inman News and Active Rain back in 2007. Her mentor was Frances Flynn Thorsen, a celebrated blogger (with a big heart). Mary is a fantastic writer. She co-authored the book “Get The Best Deal When Selling Your Home In Silicon Valley”. Mary is a Realtor in Silicon Valley and “lives on the cutting edge of real estate technology, high tech gadgets…. and a huge Patriots fan.”
3. Dru Bloomfield. AtHomeInScottsdale. Dru is an excellent writer. She has been blogging about the Scottsdale area since 2007. Her consumer focused posts are easy to read and offer useful stats (via our pals at Altos Research). She chooses great images too. Dru is Communications Director for the Special Education Parents Advisory Council of Scottsdale, on the Scottsdale Area Association of Realtors and the Arizona Regional MLS Committees, and also as Treasurer of the Scottsdale Sandpiper Home Owners’ Association. Dru also does volunteer work in special education and technology in her community.
4. Diane Guercio. a/k/a HeyAmaretto. Diane is intelligent, artistic and wildly witty. It’s her witty (or is it the wild?) side I find entertaining (or maybe it’s her grand laugh). Diane uses blogging and social media to increase business and build her brand . She is also a teacher of the mysterious blogging/SM arts . Diane is one of the founders of the TwitterQueens group (also open to twitter fellas) and is involved in charitable work, MFFO (Mothers Fighting for Others). Stalk Diane here.
5. Amy Chorew. The TechByte; TheDigitalRealtor/ActiveRain. Amy also writes for AgentGenius. A REALTOR® since 1981, Amy is a national speaker, trainer and teacher– over 15 years. She has delivered more than 500 seminars in more than 30 states. Amy blogs to educate real estate agents on tech tools and social media in order to close the gap between what consumers need and what real estate agents provide. Amy is a charismatic speaker, with a wonderful sense of humor. Having spent time on a panel with her, I can attest to Amy’s communications skills– and her entertaining style.
6. Kaye Thomas. ManhattanBeachRealty. Beach City Real Estate. Move2Manhattan Beach. Kaye is a real estate veteran, serving the South Bay communities of Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach and El Segundo since 1979. She specializes in luxury oceanfront homes. Kaye has been blogging for ages– I think about 5 years. And she is well loved, even by the bubble bloggers (so I was told). Kaye also blogs on Active Rain. When I met Kaye in California, I was impressed by her wisdom and charm. An inspiration.
7. Jessica Riffle Edwards. CarolinasFinest/HotPropertyBlog . Jessica is a video blogger in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is the first exclusive video blogger to make the list. I applaud her consistent work in this medium. She’s not a veteran, but an upstart. Watch her videos and you’ll get a sense of her passion for her profession— AND clients. Jessica has been video blogging for a year— from her car! Amazing. She’s recently married— so maybe her hubbie will hold the camera for her.
8. Susie Blackmon. Bucking The Real Estate Trend. Susie is a western North Carolina Broker-Owner and Realtor who loves horse property, photography, marketing, and technology. She blogs and uses other social media to share local information, real estate market reports, plenty of photos and videos. She also has a Horsealicious photoblog. As much as Susie likes being online, she loves being offline too. She loves “horses, Cowboys (with boots), rodeos, and Airstreams.” Susie was recently named one of the 2009 Top 25 Most Connected Real Estate Professionals. I discovered Susie on Twitter. She is very, very tech savvy and a wonderful photographer. She is very good about sharing anything she has learned.
9. Elaine Reese. Central Ohio Real Estate News. Another veteran blogger (since 2006), Elaine uses her 18 years experience in marketing to great effect on her blog. In 2007, she won the 1st Place Web Site Award in the OAR Advertising & Promotion Contest. She has lived 40 years in the Columbus metro. I have always admired Elaine and her Reese’s Pieces contributions to the industry. She is a high caliber expert in her market– heck, even ABC News has to ask Elaine about selling tips. (Plus, I love her Murph.)
10. Genea (Gena) Riede. Sacramento Real Estate Voice. Gena has been blogging since 2006. A Californian for 31 years, she’s the broker of her own firm and Certified Distressed Property Expert in Sacramento, California. I like the look of Gena’s blog and her writing style. And I like Gena as a person. Gena is adventurous and is now doing video blogging ( from her car)– sharing tips and doing neighborhood tours, which I think are great. Each month she answers questions posed by buyers, sellers and homeowners.
11. Kim Wood. West of Philly Burbs. ActiveRain blog. Part of the TechByte team. Kim’s Flickr Cester County Photostream. Kim has been blogging since 2008 and she has really taken off this year. I see her everywhere– online and off. No wonder– as she says, “I eat, live, and breathe Real Estate.” I really enjoy her use of photographs and images to enhance her writing. I’m a fan. Having met her, I was wowed by her energy and passion. Her smile is a knockout.
12. Monika McGillicuddy. New Hampshire Real Estate Blog. Monica also has a delightful photo blog, The New Hampshire View Finder. I am partial to real estate bloggers who use images. Monika has been in the business in New Hampshire since 1984 and has been blogging since 2006. She is another educator. As a member of REEA (Real Estate Educators Association), Monika offers classes approved for CE credit by the NH Real Estate Commission.
My thanks to all these fine women for sharing themselves with others– online and offline. If you want guidance in the blogging arts, reach out to them.
(Thanks to Cooltext for help with logo.)
