Seattle-based brokerage company Redfin Corp. has expanded its Sweet Digs real estate blog network into Southern California.
The blogs offer daily local real estate information to home buyers in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego.
The Southern California edition of Sweet Digs follows the launch of blogs in Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area. Redfin’s Seattle version caught controversy in May when the local multiple listing service, Northwest MLS, said the brokerage company was violating an MLS rule against advertising other brokers listings and fined Redfin $50,000. (See Inman News story.)
Redfin under pressure from the MLS ruling pulled the plug on the Sweet Digs blogs, then re-launched in June with a new format. Under the original format, the blogs included in-person reviews of local properties for sale. The new format does not include individual property reviews, but offers market data, open house information and other insights at the neighborhood level.
The new Southern California Sweet Digs will offer as many as 40 write-ups each week of recent sales, price reductions, open houses and real estate trends in local areas, including Beverly Hills, Irvine, Newport Beach, Ocean Beach and Westwood.
Redfin says it contracted with a dozen writers in Southern California whom the company considers to be experts in their respective local markets to maintain the blogs.
In Los Angeles, writers include: Cindy Allen, who will cover Beverly Hills, Hollywood and Westwood; Christina Chan, covering Playa Del Rey and Westchester; Ron DeGenova, covering the San Fernando Valley and Santa Clarita; Charles Song, covering Glendale and Pasadena; and Josh Toering, covering Long Beach and Palos Verdes.
The Los Angeles blog is at http://losangeles.redfin.com/blog.
In Orange County, writers include: Julie Lance, who will cover Orange, Santa Ana and Tustin; Sheila McDaniel, covering Laguna Hills and Mission Viejo; Brian Murphy, covering Huntington Beach and Newport Beach; Debbie Sklar, who will cover Aliso Viejo, Dana Point and Laguna Niguel; and Sylvia Walker, covering Costa Mesa and Irvine.
The Orange County blog is at http://orangecounty.redfin.com/blog.
In San Diego, writers include Carol Hian, covering Hillcrest, North Park and Ocean Beach; and Tom Swell, covering Lemon Grove and Spring Valley.
The San Diego blog is at http://sandiego.redfin.com/blog.
Redfin said it has plans to launch Sweet Digs blogs in Boston and Washington, D.C., later this year.
