Happy Halloweenie. (we couldn’t resist T)
Zillow is now pitching its goods and services in the Active Rain community. Zillow’s Spencer Rascoff has joined Active Rain. He says he’s there to blog– but it appears he’s mainly there to advertise for Zillow. Gadzooks, his first few posts are basically Zillow ads. (The one “Catch me on TV” is pure self-promotion, which we think is a fine and beautiful thing baby).
Perhaps his blogger disguise will help him better market to real estate professionals. In some purist circles, this style of blogging could get you egged and booted from the Blogger’s Club (it should at least earn you a roasting). We say go for it.
Or is this a preemptive way to make nice with the AR blogger community before announcing Zillow’s coup d’etat of Active Rain?
Nice costumes guys.
Technorati Tags: zillow, blog, self-promotion, active rain
Many vendors are pitching products on active rain. They do it because it works well. Some are subtle, some are in your face. Active rain promotes it too: http://activerain.com/blogsview/255782/A-warm-welcome-to
If Zillow buys active rain will they give me a zestimate of how much my blog is worth? LOL,
i don’t think zillow is dumb enough to buy them.
Well, that thought ran through my mind when I saw it too. I guess time will tell.
Is this a red herring? Are you guys gonna buy ActiveRain?
I opened it up for discussion on ActiveRain and recycled an old poll from when we discovered Move Inc. had kinda sorta, almost bought ActiveRain. Only 14% of those who voted back then thought Zillow would be the worst possible buyer for ActiveRain. I did not even put Sellsius on the poll…
Lending Tree got the most votes.
Thanks for the laugh. Most on ActiveRain want to argue that all blogging is self promotion and that you are mean boys to have said Spencer’s ActiveRain posts are commercial.
We are not opposed to Spencer selling umbrellas in the rain.
Just posted this on Maureen’s blog she references above.
When I first started blogging on AR, I didn’t want it to be a blog all about Zillow. I love all things real estate, so I would have probably wound up here, even if I didn’t work for the company. So I try to write about all kinds of real estate topics.
However, over the last couple of months I have found that when I do write about Zillow, my pageviews SKYROCKET over anything else I have written. Which says to me the AR community does want more information about the site.
Interesting post, and it does give one pause to stop and think.
Sure all kinds of vendors are welcomed on AR, but very few (if any) get a featured welcome. And part of the Community Guidelines are to stay away from blatant self-promotion and advertising.
Interesting…..
My sentiments exactly. How many times has Active Rain come out to welcome a member? None that I can think of. Very suspicious, I would say. I think we all are a little wiser to this than they think.
I say, you guys ought to buy it!
It is interesting that Spencer was promoted so heavily when he joined? Personally I don’t see anything wrong with his personal promotion. As much as everyone talks about self promotion as a big no no, the fact of the matter is that having a blog is a form of promotion in itself. How many anonomus blogs are out there?
Sara Bonert makes a good point as well that when she talks about Zillow she seems to get more traffic. Geez I wonder?
I don’t think Sarah is wrong as everyone and their brother wants to discuss Zillow!
Very interesting for sure especially with that featured welcome.
I enjoy your writing sarab, even with the doses of zillow. You know how to season. Spencer is a little heavy with the salt. Heck, some people love salt.
Yes, Ann, it is interesting.
Gena– if only.
Metrowest– we too have no problem with self-promotion. In fact, we say blog what you want. Do not follow any rules but your own. It has always been our creed.
http://tinyurl.com/35h348
monika– I am sure if you asked if Z has interest in acquiring AR, someone would tell you
Yesterday I had three searches that ended up on one of my blogs (not ActiveRain) for Zillow mission statement. I wondered if I had EVER blogged about the Zillow Mission Statement. It looks like I blogged about the NCRC Mission Statement. I just barely remember what the NCRC flap was about… I am off to find the Zillow Mission Statement now.
Let us know if you find it.
I was unable to locate a mission statement on Zillow but I don’t have one…
We gave Spencer the featured welcome because we think there are a lot of people in our community that are interested in what Zillow is doing. We wanted them to know that one of the “big dogs” (not that Sara and David G aren’t
) from Zillow was going to be more active in our community and they would have a chance to interact with him directly.
It’s a great chance for agents with questions and concerns about Zillow, and what they have in store, to be able to address them with the CFO and VP of Marketing. Not to mention Spencer has a pretty interesting background.
There is no truth to the rumor (is it a rumor now that you guys posted about it?) that Zillow is or will be buying ActiveRain.
Thanks for the comment Bob.
So is it then safe to say that neither Zillow nor Mr. Rascoff are investors in AR?
Today bloggers have a lot more access to high level people in Real Estate, especially in the newer companies. Pete Flint will respond to you on Trulia Voices. Glen Kelman has done podcasts with people. Rich Barton blogged about his own home sale. Part of Zillow’s “thing” has been promotion of itself through blogging and participation in the blogosphere. We get to thank them for the carnival of real estate and geekestate, in addition to zillow blog.
Having him join ActiveRain was, imnsho, hardly newsworthy. But then, maybe I really just dont understand yet, how important Mr. Raskoff is. And most agents I know would rather read Jeff Turner (realestateshows.com) blogging about life than Spenser blogging about his appearance on TV. I clicked through and read his blog after Bob wrote about it and really wondered what all the fuss about nothing was.
Has Dustin managed to get Allan Dalton blogging? That would be interesting. Though the likelihood of him joining ActiveRain seems, well, low.
Yes, it is safe to say that neither Zillow or Spencer are investors in ActiveRain.
Of course, Rudy knows that if he wants the scoop, all he has to do is take me out on the town in a limo with a few drinks and I’ll spill the beans…………hahahhaa.
I’ll be at the NAR convention in Vegas and Inman in NY so he has two pretty decent chances to get the story
Rudy keep us posted.
Inquiring minds want to know.
hola bob!
we had a good time didn’t we?
i’ll see you at the 2008 inman nyc connect - bring your beans
Just remember Joe and Rudy that you saw first hand the Zestimate house in Naples that was only $22,957,376.00 off the actual sale price.
So does this mean if I put a zillow under my pillow, it’s going to turn into money…or just beans!
I have alway thought that AR would sell. After all thats the American way isn’t it? You have to wonder how many agents will pack up and start their own blogs once a new owner starts charging for the service.