I've been following some of the discussions going on about Localism, what should and should not be posted, and whether or not Localism is going to help generate business for real estate professionals and I have to say that I think Localism is a bit misunderstood.  I'm relatively new to ActiveRain but I think these two posts - What is Localism? And What Constitutes Approved Content for Localism?- sum things up pretty nicely.  But I didn't really "get it" until a few days ago, when a contact of mine who was looking to relocate was looking for information on a particular area.  That's when the light bulb went off on my head that this would be a great opportunity to promote Localism.

I was born and raised in Philadelphia.  I now reside in the suburbs in Delaware County, PA.  I probably could have helped with information on these areas and maybe a few other areas in the immediate Philly region, but this gentleman was looking into the Lehigh Valley Area, particularly the areas of Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Easton, Pennsylvania.  Not my area of expertise.

He was looking for general information on living in the area - pros and cons, information on area schools, commuting to Philadelphia, New York City, and Newark, along with information on short-term housing rentals.  This is information that any real estate agent in the area would be able to provide, except for the fact that the gentleman is not really looking to buy in the near future and agents typically only want to talk to you with a pre-approval in hand. 

Enter Localism. The info my contact was looking for is exactly the kind of info that should be on Localism.  Unfortunately, in most cases it is not.  I understand as Realtors there is some kind of rule against steering and answering questions such as: Which neighborhood is better than the other? Or what area has the best schools?   However, there's nothing that prevents you from writing a post about a particular neighborhood and highlighting its features, schools, and why it is a great place to live or visit.   Believe it or not, highlighting local businesses also helps to give a feel for the area - does the neighborhood have great bistros and b.y.o.b.'s or is it mostly chain restaurants?  Does it offer trendy boutiques or big box retailers?  You get the idea. 

One thing I've noticed that is that before the guidelines were loosened, Localism posts that read like a regurgitated news reports were not included, while those that were wrote from a first-hand perspective were.  I agree with this philosophy.  Localism strives to be a source for what the locals know, not for information that is readily available elsewhere.  One suggestion for improving Localism I would have would be a better way to categorize postings and also adding a Q&A section to make find information a bit easier.

So how does being a neighborhood tour guide help build business?  You sell real estate/finance mortgages/stage houses not review restaurants, right?  The answer is that it doesn't build your business TODAY but may help build your business sometime in the FUTURE.   With Localism, you are not looking for a client to serve an immediate need by demonstrating that you're the most knowledgeable professional with your dazzling market reports and comprehensive rate sheets.  You want to show future clients that you know your neighborhood, know what's going on in the community, and that this is the place to turn when they want to know that too.  And maybe, just maybe, when it comes time to buy that home, or refinance that loan, they'll remember that person who told them about the great new restaurant or fun community event and give you call.