Nightline Called Me Yesterday to Talk About Orange County Short Sales
I was at lunch at a conference yesterday when I received a very unexpected message. It was from ABC News' Nightline. She wanted to know if I would be able to do an interview with one of my short sale clients in just a few hours to talk about Orange County Short Sales. A short sale occurs when the bank accepts less upon the sale of the house than it is owed. It is an alternative to foreclosure.
I called her back for more details, just containing the excitement. They wanted to do an interview with me and one of my clients currently going through a short sale. All of my clients who are currently in the process are out of state. She'd make a few calls and see if that would work or if they would be willing to consider talking with a client who had just completed a short sale on their home.
In the meantime, I was making phone calls to past clients who had recently completed short sales on Orange County homes to see if they could be available on very short notice and thinking I'm really glad I didn't go out of town this week.
I found a client who was happy to help, and the producers agreed that a recent short sale seller would be acceptable. Now, we had to figure out everybody's schedule and work around Southern California traffic.
Now, I was starting to get excited; was I really going to do a piece for Nightline?
The producer wanted to know if I could let her in a little early so she could set up before my client got home. Check. We'll do that.
A quick change, with some help from a few good people - more on that in another post - and I was off to my interview.
It was a lot of fun to see the behind the scenes way this works. The producer and I helped set up the interview area, and then I sat in so she could check lighting and sound.
My client got home, did his interview, and I did mine. Then we shot some B roll. Isn't that a great term?
Afterwards, we sat back to wait for our TV premiere. Then, a call from my sister just after 8:45 pm my time. "What happened? I didn't see you on the short sale part!" They get the show much earlier than we do.
I made a call to the producer. Apparently, there was a technical difficulty uploading the tape to New York. I'm told that we may be on in the next few weeks and need to check in with New York.
Keep your fingers crossed, and I'll let you know when it airs.
So, the big question is how did Nightline find me? I wrote a post about Orange County short sales, that was picked up in the Orange County Register. The producer was scanning the paper, found my article, clicked through to my blog, liked my personality, and called me.
So, do I think that blogging works? Do I think that letting your personality come through is important? You bet I do!
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About the author: Christine Donovan is a California Residential Real Estate Broker with experience in assisting clients buy and sell residential real estate.
Are you upside down in your home? Is it worth less than you owe? Are you concerned about making your mortgage payment? For more information see Options to Foreclosures, understanding short sales or contact me at christine@donovanblatt.com to discuss your options.
If you want to buy a home or to list your property for sale, please click Newport Beach homes, Costa Mesa homes, Huntington Beach homes or Orange County homes. Click the link if you are interested in buying a home at a courthouse auction sale.
Contact me at christine@donovanblatt.com or 714-319-9751 to learn about her system which will make your buying and selling experience easier.
Disclaimer: All information in this blog is deemed reliable but is subject to change at any time and is not guaranteed to be accurate nor are there any warantees either express or implied. This blog is not intended to offer any legal, tax or other advice.
Federal Government Disclaimer (MARS)
- You may stop doing business with us at any time. You may accept or reject the offer of mortgage assistance we obtain from your lender [or servicer]. If you reject or accept the offer, you do not have to pay us.
- Christine Donovan, DonovanBlatt and Donovan Group are not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender; and
- Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan.
Click Orange County homes for sale to view all OC homes for sale.
Wow!!! That's AWESOME. What an interesting chain of events.
Very cool to hear about the call. Sorry your segment got the axe.
How exciting, I'd love to have the same experience someday.
Christine...
It's the power of the Rain! Congratulations on being interviewed by a such an important national news show. I hope that after all of your effort, your piece is aired in the next few weeks!
Hope they will air the segment. Thy mus have contacted you because of the professionalism you exude.
Congrats... Nightline won't call me or my Bank of America short sale clients because it will be more damning then "To Catch a Predator".... LOL!
Congratulations and this is a huge springboard for your business. .
VERY COOL, Christine! My fingers are crossed... keep us posted
How exciting to be contacted by the media!
Christine:
It is exciting to realize that your blogging efforts are being heard and are paying off in many ways. I will keep my fingers crossed that they actually air the segment.
How very cool Christine. You've made it to the big times!! Please update us on when it will air!
Let us know when it airs. I'll help you interview go viral...
No question that the Internet including blogging works to get your word out.
I've been contacted by three news groups now, including Nightline about interviewing one of our clients about their short sale.
I decline because I can't see how that publicity helps a person, buyer or seller. I do refer them to other agents who can make their own decision.
For me, privacy is paramount.
That was a great opportunity for you.
ActiveRain blogging is so great, it gets awesome result not only have the consumers reach out to us, it will also get us good publicity.
congratulations will be keeping a look out for you!
Christine, Wow the power of ActiveRain! Congratulations and I hope your piece airs soon.
This is very cool and it's great that that chose you because you represent our industry, your clients and yourself so well!
Christine,
That is a heck of a testament to the power of hyper-local blogging and the power of Active Rain.
Rich
WOW congrats!! That is so cool!!! Let us know when it airs so all of us over here can see it!!
Congrats Christine. Nightline is one of my favorite shows. I need to stay consistent on hyper-local blogging.
Christine, yes it works. I know that I probably couldn't do it myself, but kudos to you!
Christine...
I am not surprised you go that call. Your the perfect "go to" for the region and the story should have NEWS LEGS......please let us all know and.....good job counsel
Best
Congrats on the interview! We would love to see a clip of it on here if its possible.
Love it! Can't wait to see it.
Fingers are crossed and I hope your segment on short sales will make it over the next couple weeks. Congratulations!
Great story and great goal to set as a blogger in any market place.
Not too bad Christine! Not bad at all!
I did a little bit on a series with Lifetime, but this seems way cooler and will reach a larger audience. Do us proud!
Thats incredible. Let us know whenyou are going to be on.
Wow... Could be a little intimidating for some I guess if they start hyper-local blogging but are not ready for 'prime time'.
Best of luck with your new TV persona :-)
Awesome! Post the video once it is done!
I don't do media because I don't have editing control. They like to do things to make it sound like I said something else.
You go girl! That is awesome!
Congratulations Christine! I hope to see your segment on Nightline soon! Be sure to let us all know when it is supposed to air.
I saw your teaser yesterday and I was hoping that it was you. Very exciting stuff!
Christine,
How cool is that? Good for you for getting the exposure.
Hi Christine - awesome and congrats! Be sure to let us know when it airs. And of course blogging works!
And you looked good doing it! Way to go!
I was interviewed walking into a deli several months ago for GMA. It was on the subject of people just walking away from their homes and mortgages, returning the keys to the bank.
I never saw if I made it because we had several days of snow in Dallas. I guess it wasn't meant to be :)
Post a link when it gets on!
Wow - congratulations! What a testimony for blogging with good content and personality!
Great job, Christine! I did an interview for the CBS evening news with Katie Couric about a month ago regarding Orange County Foreclosures and Short Sales. It still hasn't aired yet!!! But you're right, these articles are getting read. Congrats!
I thought I was going nuts. I taped it after your last post and didn't see anyone I knew. I figured it was going to be you. Let us know when it is going to air. And congratulations.
Nice- you might be star!
That is awesome, did they say how they found you? Keep us posted if you find out when it will be aired.
Christine - How cool is that?! Hey, if they found you on one of your AR blogs that would be a great AR success story : )
Hi Christine. Wow. That's amazing. You look amazing! Congratulations.
Thanks for letting us know -- I'm glad they're talking to someone experienced!!
How exciting Christine, AWESOME!! Post the video on you tube for us once it's out! :-) Congrats!
Good going Christine.
Let us know when it will air. Talk about marketing your self...yeah I think "Nightline" will do.
Wow, that is a great success story! Tell us when you hit the airwaves so we can watch.
I was so excited for you that I TIVOed Nightline! Sorry it didn't happen right away but I'll keep watching for you. Congrats on making it happen in record time...and you look great in the photos!
Great to meet you at the conference.
Best wishes,
Terry
Well congratulations. What a way to get your name out there.
Bruce - It was a lot of fun.
Cameron - It was nice to be called and a good experience.
Michelle - I hope you do.
Richard - Thank you and me too.
Scott - Thanks for the compliment.
Paul - Some of the banks are very frustrating.
Fernando - I'm hoping so.
Kat - I hope your fingers have the magic. I'm told they'll email me ahead of time, so hopefully.
Christine - Nice recognition for all your diligent work and knowledge.
Larry & Sheila and Claudette - It is exciting.
Barb - I'll update when I know anything.
Dave - I appreciate the offer.
Lenn - I don't disagree with that necessarily. I think that the client has the right to make the decision and wouldn't have done it without their permission. I had one client who was concerned about privacy and didn't push them at all.
Keith - It was.
Eileen - It's a great platform.
Allison - I'll try to let everyone know if I find out.
Michael - It's really powerful.
Russell - Thank you.
Richard - Believe me, I'll continue to use both.
Jessica - I'll blog it as soon as I hear.
Scott - Regardless of the rest, hyper-local is good for getting to the consumer.
Andrea - Why not?
Richie - I hope it has legs.
Troy - If they air it, I can at least post a link to it and may be able to get a copy as well.
Billie - Me neither.
Terrie - Thanks.
Cheryl - The real goal is to reach the consumer. This is just major gravy.
Street - It will if it airs. I'll do my best.
Donna - I'll update when I know.
Manuel - I didn't have to agree to it.
Renee - A valid concern. I'm just hoping for the best, and had a good feeling from the people with whom I was speaking.
Lynne - Thanks.
Valerie - I will.
Melissa - It will be more exciting when it airs ; )
Terry - I definitely thought it was pretty cool.
Sharon - You know I will.
Tricia - Thanks, and I will.
Terry - It was nice meeting you too. I felt much better after my little makeover session.
Robert and Norma - Thanks.
Christine, please do keep us posted on the airing of your Nightline segment! Thanks for posting your "sneak preview" shots of the interview! :)
Leilani
Leilani - I'm hoping I'll hear soon and have fingers and toes crossed.
I can't think of a better person to interview!
Hey, I'll be watching for it too! Congrats!
Dear Cristine:
Conratulations!! This is an excitment for you.
Lately we've seen more and more people who blog to be recognized by the news channels or radios.
I hope that this guys will do their job and upload the tape in NY so we all can watch you.
Best of luck:
Monika Phillips
West Palm Beach
Congratulations, that is just terrific. I'm surprised your buyer agreed though. Nicely done =)
Wow, Christine! That is so cool! The clear message here is that blogging about your life as a real estate professional and your business experiences gets you recognized by the right people. Congratulations!
A great testament to the power of blogging and to the activerain platform. Congratulations.
Congratulations! Whether it was aired or not, it's a coup! You're now on their "radar" for future news stories
Very Cool! Congrats! I read a post the other week on ActiveRain about another agent here in Houston that was being interviewed for a story. I guess this blogging stuff works! :)
Very nice Christine, thanks for sharing with us your experience. Blogging is a very interesting way of advertising, it is relatively easy, if you can read, you can write, and nobody knows how far this stuff goes. Your story proves the point.
Antonio
Very exciting. Congratulations and great job.
Congratulations! Sounds like a very exciting and memorable experience!
Congratulations Christine, seems a few people are making national news here in the rain lately...
Chanda Panda
How cool is that?!! A great ego stroker too. The information age can be of great benefit to us all. I am really just learning how to utilize it. Active Rain, I'm finding, is a great tool
That is really exciting and great exposure for your business!
Congrats!!! That is totally awesome and wonderful exposure for you!
And a star is born....I've given interviews for print, but not TV. Wow! Keep us informed on when the show date is.
Cristine--just think.A Media Star in our midst. When is you book being published?
How cool for you Christine!! If you want 500 points you should put this stury up under your active rain success story. It surely is a success.
Wow, congrats! That's awesome! I'll keep an eye on Dateline and hope to see you there!
Very cool. I got a call from the local paper once - But you have gone National. You are now a nationally known expert!
A Star is Born! Congrats Christine.
Way to go. I hope it helps your business grow.
Christine - doing short sales, with their limited time to get everything done once the bank makes its decision, probably made it easier for you to get things together on such short notice. Congratulations to you, and we look forward to hearing about the airing date.
I'll echo what everyone else has said: Congratulations! And... you know we all want a link to the clip when it's available.
Congratulations on your interview. Maybe you'll get your own reality show now: "The Short Sale Lady" :-)
Let us know when it airs
Isn't it exciting? I was supposed to be on Good Morning America a few years back... they were sending the Limo to pick me up at 6am and everything when they were filming in Orlando. 11pm the night before they called to cancel... seems some guy named Obama was in town and it was 2 weeks before elections and they decided to go with that story instead of short sales... Oh well... maybe next time!
Very cool testimonial! I have had some of my blogs about Boise, Idaho real estate picked up by the media but other than the CRS magazine, have yet to be highlighted on the national level. I have on many local levels so I figure it is just a matter of time. Congrats for your accomplishments!
Way to go.....be sure and change your resume, Ms. Celebrity!
Good deal for you bad deal for our industry. Now if someone from the media would only interview one of us about something positive in CA real estate like 64% affordability, plenty of inventory to show, 4.5% home loan interest rates,. etc. Same old same old "If it bleeds, it leads" They continue to pray on those that are loosing their homes to sell ads...how sad.
WOW Christine! That is BEYOND awesome!! CONGRATS!! If people don't believe blogging works after reading a story like THIS, then obviously even a 2 X 4 upside the head will convince them. Carry on my dear....you ROCK! :)
Wonderful! Lets us know when you are on...I don't watch it and if you post it, I will!
Congratulations! ActiveRain working for you!
Deb
Hi Christine - Congratulations on the soon to be TV appearance and coverage your blogs are getting. It sounds like you really enjoyed the experience as well.
I hear what you're saying. You never know who's going to see your blog and like what you've got to say. We had someone from the Korean Broadcasting System find our office blog and called to interview us about the housing market in San Joaquin Valley, CA. It was a 1/2 documentary and I couldn't understand what they were saying on the dvd copy they sent me because there were no subtitles. But it sure was a fun experience to say the least.
Congrats on your adventure and hopefully they add you in their future airings.
That is so exciting, Christine! Way to go! Be sure to let us know when to look for you. AR comes through again.
This is great news!! I'm so happy that Nightline did a special for you. You will now be rewarded with more potential clients as you inform the general public about short sales.
Todd - Thanks.
Robert - I'm waiting.
Monika - Me too.
Justin - He was happy to do it.
Bill - Blogging definitely gives you opportunities.
Simon - It really is.
Jeffrey - I'm hoping...
Brian - It definitely does.
Antonio - And it lasts a lot longer than a newspaper.
Dennis and Lisa - It was exciting.
Chanda Panda - The Rain is definitely giving us exposure to a large audience.
Doug - AR is a great tool.
Holly - That encompasses a good portion of my thoughts.
Terry - Thanks.
Karen - I will.
Elliott - I've always thought I would enjoy writing a book and wouldn't mind an excuse.
Empire - I think I've already done a success story; maybe I'll update it if/when it airs.
Michael - Thanks.
Gene - It makes for great marketing; doesn't it?
Fantastic!! I am sure you did a great job! and so proud for a fellow active rainer to get this opportunity.
Congrats Christine. I hope it airs soon!
Congratulations! First "Nightline", next it'll be "Real Realtors of Orange County"!
Hey Christine - That's great! I keep trying to tell other real estate pros about the power of blogging, but they don't seem to get it. You never know who will be reading our stuff!
What a great story. It's wonderful to receive this kind of acknowledgment for the job you do. Congrats!
Sharon - Thanks.
Alan - Me too!
Anonymous - That may be true.
Marte - I'll post it when I can.
Bill - The Short Sale Lady - I like it.
Andy - Who knew Obama would garner more attention?
Jim - I think getting the media attention you have is great.
Woody - I guess it might need an addition.
Directors - Valid points.
Coleen - I don't know how they could think it doesn't work!
Deb - I'm hoping to get the info out when it does.
Heather - It was a lot of fun, and I did have a great time.
Randy - I imagine it would have been tough without subtitles.
Pasty - It really does.
David - From your mouth . . .
Melanie and Dave - Thank you.
Ken - Real Realtors - I'd sure rather do that than Real Housewives.
Susan - The people who don't believe in the power of blogging just haven't done it enought.
Carrie - It is wonderful.
You have my best wishes.
Good luck and please post your interview for the AR group to see, soon.
How exciting! Remember to add this to your resume and your listing presentation.
Tom - Thank you. I'll post it when I hear.
Liane - I will. Thanks for the reminder.
Wow, congratuatulations! How exciting is that! I believe you - blogging works!
Elyse - Thank you. It really does.
Did you ever get the tape yet?
Did you ever get the tape yet?
Billie - Wouldn't that be nice?
Very cool Christine! Did it ever air on TV? I received a call from Jerry Springer about selling houses for carnival mother's and their midget sons, but I turned it down. LOL.