This week's contributor profile is John Blom. Check out his work on his Inman profile. I had a little q-and-a session with him, and here is what he had to say: JOHN'S INMAN BIO John is a managing broker for The Hasson Company in Vancouver, WA. He is President-Elect for the Clark County Association of Realtors, has served on multiple Presidential Advisory Groups for Washington Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors Land Use Committee. He also sits on the county Planning Commission and the board of Columbia River Mental Health Services. He was recognized in 2014 by the Vancouver Business Journal as part of their “Accomplished and Under 40” Class. Twitter@johndblom and www.johnblomhomes.com | How long have you been a contributor? I wrote my first piece at the end of May, so not quite six months. What made you want to contribute? I process information and think better when I'm writing -- if I'm putting the time into an article I figured I might as well share it with others and get their feedback. What has been your favorite article to write so far? My favorite was definitely the piece I wrote on why agents need to be using a CRM program. That idea for that article grew out of a total fail by someone trying to get my business. It made me realize how agents come across if they are not keeping in touch and keeping track of their clients. What is your passion? I got into real estate because I knew if I built my business right, it would provide the income and availability to do the things I really enjoy: volunteering with the Realtor association and some local non-profits, running, golfing and traveling with my family. I'm passionate about the industry because of the opportunity it provides agents to create the life they want for themselves and also to make a positive difference in their community. What advice would you give to new contributors? Don't write something just to write something -- I know Dani needs copy, and we all want to see our name in the headline, but the value of Inman (and the reason I wanted to contribute) is in the quality of the pieces that get published. Take the time to think through your ideas. Not every article is going to be some earth-shattering, industry-changing, original thought. Real estate is not that complicated. Figure out a way to present your original take on a subject. |