The day before our SMTC presentation for Mainstreet in February, I received a call from Human Resources at the National Association of REALTORs formally offering me the newly created position of Social Media Manager. I first expressed my interest in this position all the way back in October when it was first announced. I knew from the day I read the job description that it was a colossal opportunity and I needed to explore it. At the same time, I continued to forge my own path in being “kind of a big deal” in the real estate blogosphere.
In addition to Lenderama, RE BarCamp and REBlogWorld, I spent much of last winter working with Ginger, Kelley, and Mariana on Social Media Training Camp. REBlogworld was purposely designed for advanced users and RE BarCamp’s open nature is just a little to intimidating for some. I felt like the product that was missing was an introductory, curriculum based social media training class. Something that professionals who know more about selling houses than html could come and learn from professionals who themselves are succeeding in using this platform. People like Ginger, Kelley, and Mariana. Three awesome examples of agents having strong 2008’s in the face of a total industry meltdown. Each of them use Social Media differently, all of them attributing it to helping them succeed. All three of them were looking for ways to spread the knowledge. Each had something to offer. I was flat out lucky to team up with them.
It turns out, we were not alone in our thinking. By the time we launched SMTC at Inman this year, we were already in negotiations with a larger group of thought leaders in real estate social media to build out a full designation class training curriculum. This larger organization is almost ready to launch, and I was personally excited to be a part of it.
Then that offer came from NAR. I have to admit, I was pretty sure they were going to offer me the job, but I assumed it was not going to make sense from a financial perspective. With SMTC up and running, REBlogWorld entering it’s second year and this new organization in the wings, I still think today that the income potential of not turning down the NAR position would have been higher.
But there’s something to be said for a challenge. Lot’s of people thought RE BarCamp would flop. Lots of folks thought Jason and I could not pull off REBlogWorld the way we did. So while I’ve seen plenty of doubters this week that NAR is really ready for this, I can’t help thinking what it would mean to succeed. How many chances in your life have you been given the opportunity to put your mark on something? To be remembered at an organization long after you’re gone? Look, I’m not Martin Luther, and this is not the reformation, but North America’s largest trade organization wants to use social media to move from a soapbox to a round table in the way it communicates with it’s members, and the public at large. I’m the guy tasked with making it happen. I can’t think of a bigger opportunity in social media. I had to go for it.
So back to our Mainstreet presentation. I couldn’t help feeling just a bit that I was letting my partners down by walking away just as things were getting interesting. But as I sat and watched Ginger, Kelley, and Mariana speaking to a crowd of 300, the single most bittersweet part of it all was that I knew right then and there they didn’t need me to succeed. That they were already the Angels, and I wasn’t Charlie, I was Bosley.
A couple folks have asked me what will happen to SMTC after I leave. “Flourish” is the first word that comes to my mind. I’m lucky enough to know what’s coming down the pike and it’s pretty awesome. Stay tuned, I know I will.
March 2nd, 2009 at 11:51 am
Todd, I wish you well at NAR and hope you succeed like you think you can. They need you to make it work.