What I am doing though is starting to work with agents in developing a web presence. It is a win win for all.

But one point is absolutely true, I am still amazed at those writing about the national real estate picture when there business is selling homes. They should be writing like crazy to those who buy and sell homes in there home town, not the nation at large.

I would NEVER also determine success based upon a listing. That would be foolish.

Barry – hopefully your “moles” reviewed more than MLS records. MANY real estate transactions are not recorded in the MLS. New home sales, pre-build sales, many many land transactions, referrals, cash transactions, FSBO sides, purchase (or sale) on non-listed property, etc — none of which you could find reviewing MLS records. In fact, there is a significant portion of real estate business that unless you have moles in the IRS willing to break federal law, you’ll never be aware of.

That being said, there are certainly many real estate practitioners, bloggers and non-bloggers alike, that have struggled of late. Some are trying very hard, some not-so-much.

When it comes to “proving” business success, another fallacy often attempted is to count the number of listings an agent has (I’m not saying you or your moles did this — but many people do). In this market — at least in mine — the number of listings an agent is carrying is not a measure of success. I could go out tomorrow and get 5 or 10 “listings”. All I have to do is find one of tens of hundreds of over-priced expired listings with unreasonable and uneducated sellers and I could “list” their home — at an unreasonable and uneducated price — which will never sell.

I turn down more listings than I carry. I see no point in listing a home that can’t be sold. Some will “buy” listings just to plant a sign in a yard, hoping to hook and reel in some unsuspecting buyer.

I think there are far more efficient ways to get buyer clients. Real buyers with real money ready to buy real property.