Thanks Mack;
Ed;
The reason I've been suggesting to Realtors that they use WordPress has a great deal to do with ease of use, ease of templating and ease of customizing.
WordPress has a major feature that is frequently used by small to medium sized sites called "The Loop" which essentially allows you to make your blog function as a mini CMS (Content Management System) while still providing BLOG features we are accustomed to.
I've used Blogger for a long time and have experimented with some XML-RPC features that are also present in WordPress that allow you to admin or publish content from a desktop application such as MS Word.
I feel WordPress is better suited for most cases In my personal experience largely because the footprint is small, the speed is high, and the ease of installation and configuration for those new to BLOGS is a signature characteristic of WordPress.
I often install WordPress for agent blogs on the parent sites simply because placing it in a sub domain with the potential of unique content and back linking holds many benefits for that all important SE Positioning. (i.e.
http://agentname.domainname.com for example) I've noticed that people I install Realtor Blogs for have been ranking better in shorter periods of time than previously. Now I'm not an SEO expert so I can only speculate that the unique content in blogs has a great deal to do with that.
Lastly, WordPress integrates with a few Major CMS systems (commercial and non-commercial) which makes registration in one place an easy thing. You could for example have your main site developed with a CMS system wherein you publish documents for download, have link directories, general site content and such, then have a blog or several blogs as in the case of agent sites for creating fresh and unique content for your SEO objectives.
Many times people just want to build a real estate site, have a listing manager and some content that does not change which is fine, but I believe a blog can push it over the edge of usability and provide a great tool for discussing featured properties, industry news, news about employers in your market, schools and the list goes on.
People seem to be searching more and more lately with employers, schools, and community specific features in mind while searching for homes. I think its a trend that will pick up where agent blogs start to answer those Search Queries.
~ Jared