Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World - A tribute to Ardell...

It has been REALLY busy around the online real estate community lately... seems like the new year has brought a ton of new things to the game. Team Eric is now doing OK in the greatest real estate agent in the world contest(for the moment). That is gratifying, but our team is ALL about respecting the other members of the community. It is important to us to give props where they are due.

So each week, I will be writing a tribute to one of our fellow competitors and acknowledging the strengths that they bring to the game. It takes courage to put your site out there and go for it with the best of the best. Ardell here is yours..

Ardell has written for the Rain City Guide for quite a while. (here's her contest entry for those who have not seen it.) I have read her postings and she brings unique passion to what she does. She is not afraid to mix it up and throw some flames. Her arrival in this contest is still a debate that a few of us have today...was it an accidental entry or on purpose as a result of her posting SPECIFICALLY with the intent of entering? I was talking with Joe Lane this morning and he seemed to think accidental. I, myself could argue either way eloquently. And to a great degree, it does not matter.

She posted here about how she thought that the fact that the prize offered had some flaws in that there was a hosting fee in year 2...which were corrected. Morgan and the folks at REW upped the prize for the competition so that it now would cost the winner NOTHING. EVER.. Now this is where things get interesting...it seems she saw the potential to compete for and win the title "Greatest real estate agent in the world". Whether it was her initial intention or not, now it was GAME ON. I admire that in a woman. SERIOUSLY.

Since that time she has used her reputation to her advantage and used CONTROVERSY as a tool to raise awareness for her efforts. Jerry Springer used it. Rush Limbaugh uses it. Most politicians use it. And regardless the media venue that it is played out in, it is a key component of any PR (that's Public Relations, not Page Rank!) arsenal. And (speaking of that) Ardell has a gas can and matches ready to go.

Here is why I have a love / hate relationship with Ardell's tactics:

I love them because they are the classics. Controversy creates Conversations. Which creates LINKS back to the conversations. Linkbaiting via pushing every button possible.

I love them because she is SO adept at it. It takes a REALLY specific personality type to authentically pull that off!

I hate the tactics because they are the antithesis of my approach (build relationships, avoid conflict, connect with as many people as possible). YET I CAN'T HELP BUT ADMIRE THE PERSON BEHIND THEM. IF HER FIREBRAND APPROACH WORKS, TEAM ERIC WILL BE TOAST. (Not that we plan on it, grin).

All this having been said...how do we counteract this?

1) Be civil. I think sometimes we forget that feelings CAN get hurt out there. Ardell has feelings too. I think sometimes we start lobbing the grenades (deserved or not, part of someone's strategy or not, ...) only to realize that we get fragged in the process. GOOD WINS. Responding to aggressive comments is a tough decision not to be made lightly. (Before anyone misinterprets this, though--PLEASE-- Keep in mind as REALTORS if you put a commission worth X out there as a prize and folks ridiculed it...how would YOU feel...even if you did it to gain publicity for your business).

2) Celebrate our differences and admire them in each other. Ardell has an immense command of the ability to start a controversy. It is something I cannot do effectively. I admire that.

3) REALIZE that you CAN use controversy as an effective SEO tool.

4) REMEMBER that part of being a good member of the REALTOR community is respecting each other.

A personal note to Ardell--Thanks for entering the contest - voluntarily or otherwise. Kudos to you for being a WORTHY competitor and having two entries in the top 10 the last time I checked. Since I have never met you and will TENTATIVELY be in Seattle for SMX West in May, whoever wins (could well be neither of us!) can I buy you lunch and we can laugh about this?

And a note to those who wonder why I linked to Ardell's post from arguably one of the most powerful domains in real estate? SImple. THIS CONTEST IS MORE ABOUT REAL RELATIONSHIPS THAN JUST LINKS IN MY OPINION. Sometimes to you have to be the giver in order to form long lasting friendships that will benefit BOTH parties for a long time into the future.

Sometimes when you are attacked, the not easy but correct thing to do is turn the other cheek.

Sometimes you need to pay it forward to show your sincerity.

That is EXACTLY what I am trying to do. A year from now, I hope to have as good of a relationship with Ardell as I do now with many of my friends on TEAM ERIC.

So Ardell, whaddya say...let's do lunch!

Best;

Eric

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