I often joke that as an editor, my job is to simply “play with words.” While for many writers and editors this is the only thing their job entails, for me it is just the start. 

I have a background in art history, writing, editing and film. When I started at CA two years ago, the only related skill I had to my role as senior editor was editing. Luckily, real estate is a topic that affects a huge segment of the population, so I had a bit of a jumpstart.

I was much more informed than one of my friends who used to work at a wastewater magazine. In order for me to really perform to the best of my abilities, I need to be just as informed about real estate as I am about commas. Again, I am lucky that this is a topic that is exciting and fascinating, even if right now the news isn’t always good.

To aim for the status of “Editor 2.0,” I check out a variety of news and real estate-related sites numerous times a day. I attend seminars, network as often as possible, visit tons of open houses and broker opens and ask gobs of annoying questions. In my opinion, the only way for me to bring Realtors the information necessary to do their job well is to be an expert on the topic myself. This same notion is true for anyone that wants to be successful in a job. Sure, there are Realtors that can hide in a cave for most of the day and accidentally land a client or two, but the ones that are raking in the best commissions and surviving the drought are working their tails off. 



While the term “2.0” is often associated with Web capabilities, in this case we’re using the term Agent 2.0 to describe a smarter, super-agent for 2009 and beyond. Realtors need to be well-rounded individuals that are constantly engaging in activities that will ultimately lead to the creation of a new and improved agent, or Agent 2.0. Additionally, we hope that you find these points and tips to actually be fun and useful in ways other than just improving your career. 

Despite what some people may say, we all know that real estate is not an easy industry. It takes a heck of a lot more than a smile and a paint job to get a house sold, especially in times like these. Take a look at our hints and tips and see what you can implement to give yourself the title of Agent 2.0.