More on the NAR Social Media Manager Position

Author: Jay T. - The Editor

Posted on October 9, 2008 
Filed Under NAR - General

The more I ponder this new position at the NAR, the more excited about it I become. If the right person is hired, and is given a chance by NAR leadership and the real estate community, then great things could come of it. As I learn more, I’ll post here, and I’m working on a post detailing more of my thoughts as well (maybe that’ll cure this weird writer’s block think I have working right now).

I shamelessly lifted this comment from Daniel Rothamel’s post on the NAR Social Media Manager position. It comes from Pamela Kabati - the NAR VP of Publications and Web Publishing:

Hi Daniel!
Since the new social media manager at NAR will “live” in my department (I’m NAR’s VP of Publications and Web Publishing), I wanted to jump in here and say that I believe this development is, indeed, a very good thing for NAR and its members. OK, so I’m a little bit biased (smile), but here goes:

This new position was approved by NAR’s current elected and staff leadership with great enthusiasm. The goal of the position, to speak to Derek’s comment, is to be proactive in the social media community, though I suspect it will also need to be reactive sometimes, because that’s just the nature of things. (I was proactively checking out what I consider to be the best of the real estate blogs today, and now here I am reacting to something I read on one of them.)

As you can tell from the job posting on monster, this position makes it someone’s actual job at NAR to talk with NAR members when and where they choose to congregate in the digital space, adding value to those conversations in whatever ways this person — and by extension, NAR — can. For example, NAR has a lot of information at its Web sites and in its databases that can really help its members with their day-to-day business if it reaches them in a moment when it’s particularly relevant to them.

Another big part of this person’s job will be to listen (underscore) to the conversations happening out there among NAR members, and help NAR as an organization be more aware of that collective intelligence and the role in can play in helping the organization spot trends and shape its policies and positions.

This person will also evangelize to other NAR staff and leadership the value of engaging in the digital space, and it will help educate other staff and leadership about the rules of the road in that space.

Will NAR and the person in this new job get it all right all the time from day one? Probably not (though the eternal optimist in me thinks the answer could be “yes, of course!”)Still, I think this is a big and important step for NAR and its members. So my hope is that you, Daniel, and other avid real estate bloggers out there will do two things. One, that you’ll help us figure this out as we go and keep us honest along the way; and, two, that you’ll be patient with us and any missteps that may occur as NAR becomes more engaged in the digital conversation.

Finally, but ceratinly not least, if you know of anyone out there who you think would be terrific in this role, please do let us know. I’ve already logged and appreciate the suggestions of Ben Martin and Jay T!

Best,
Pamela Kabati

Comments

6 Responses to “More on the NAR Social Media Manager Position”

  1. Daniel, The Real Estate Zebra on October 9th, 2008 12:16 pm

    Jay,

    I’m glad you shamelessly lifted the comment. :-)

    I think it is important for the industry to hear from folks like Pamela about this new position, and what it means to/for NAR.

    I’ll be posting her comment separately, and adding my thoughts as well.

  2. Kevin Boer on October 9th, 2008 10:36 pm

    Let’s be blunt here: Why would any sane person take this job? If Dustin couldn’t stomach more than 9 months at Move.com, why would a social media director at NAR fare any better?

    This job would be as frustrating and fruitless as being hired by a nudist colony as its “Clothing Director.”

  3. Which Job Would Be More Frustrating: Social Media Manager at NAR, or Clothing Manager at a Nudist Colony? | 3 Oceans Real Estate on October 9th, 2008 10:55 pm

    [...] by several folks, including those at NAR Wisdom, about NAR’s new “Social Media Manager” position, I find myself puzzled.  NAR and its state and local brethren are, at heart, finely tuned [...]

  4. NAR is Good, if you pay me to say so. — The San Diego Home Blog on October 14th, 2008 8:09 pm

    [...] of Realtors(little R). As reported by every real estate blog on the planet this week including NAR Wisdom, you are looking for one of these guys, and I may just be him. The duties as I understand them (and [...]

  5. Randy on October 16th, 2008 7:26 pm

    Who else will bring the cookies and milk to the media in our $250 million REALTOR HQ building in DC? Or is this a dead end job in Chicago?

  6. Mike Pannell ( Fort Worth Realtor) on October 17th, 2008 5:57 am

    love Randys comment

    Who else will bring the cookies and milk to the media in our $250 million REALTOR HQ building in DC? Or is this a dead end job in Chicago?

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