Face it: The REALTOR® Code of Ethics isn’t exactly light reading. Weighing in at over 7,000 words, just reading the Code of Ethics is a chore many REALTORS® dread.

VAR’s Code is Good Business campaign makes it easier to understand NAR’s Code of Ethics and demonstrates how adhering to the Code helps REALTORS® earn the trust of their colleagues and clients. Not to mention make more money.

Recently, we’ve added a new feature to TheCodeIsGoodBusiness.com: all 17 articles of the REALTOR® Code of Ethics are now in easy to read layman’s language. We call it StraightTalk. If you need a refresher on the Code, or if you’ve ever felt confused by it, have a look. We’re doing our part to make the REALTOR® Code of Ethics accessible and easily understood.

Other features available at TheCodeIsGoodBusiness.com include:

• Audio clips featuring perspectives of other REALTORS® on the tangible rewards of upholding the highest ethical standards.
• The interactive, addictive, hilarious, but eminently slimy real estate trainer, Ted Truitt.
• Interactive ethics case studies.

Today I had the wonderful opportunity to tell a room full of REALTORS® about blogging. Thank you to the top performing agents at William E. Wood and Associates REALTORS® for your hospitality and attention during my presentation this morning. As promised, here is the link to Susie Scott’s brand new blog. Everyone should give Susie another cheer for diving right in to the blogging revolution! And leave a comment on her blog; you know it will warm her heart!

Giving credit where credit is due, Charlottesville REALTOR® Jim Duncan helped put together the first iteration of this presentation, which can be viewed in the slide show embedded below.

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The videos played during todays presentation are also embedded below:

Blogs in Plain English:

RSS in Plain English:

Social Networking in Plain English:

Please feel free to call or e-mail me if you have any questions. Or better yet, leave a comment!

And brokers, if you’re interested in having a VAR staff member or practicing REALTOR®-blogger come speak to your agents about blogging, please call, e-mail, or leave a comment.

In the January/February edition of Commonwealth magazine, we attempted to explain the micro blogging, text messaging, high-latency instant messaging web service, Twitter. Our attempt to explain it was a good one, but this In Plain English video from Lee LeFever at the Commoncraft Show should demonstrate Twitter’s utility.

If you’re struggling to see how REALTORS might use Twitter to interact with clients, check out Dayton, Ohio REALTOR Terri Lussier’s The Brick Ranch Twitter page. She uses Twitter to push out news and information about Dayton to create a conversation with her farm. Fluvanna County REALTOR Daniel Rothamel covered how he uses Twitter in a post to Agent Genius last year.

Virginia REALTORS are notorious for having a lot of Twitter users. Sign up for Twitter today and help perpetuate our reputation. Here’s another set of three posts from Agent Genius with step-by-step instructions on how to get started.