So far, blogs have emerged as the social media tool of choice in the real estate industry. But even if an agent chooses to start a blog, there are many social networking aspects of blogging that the agent will soon become familiar with in order to make it stick.

Many of the individuals interviewed for this series said they think sites like ActiveRain are great for networking, but they’re not sure how people are leveraging them for actual lead-generating business. That’s where blogs come in.

The biggest factor deterring renters from making the plunge into home ownership is not the fear of falling property values, but that they simply can’t afford to buy, according to a Bankrate Inc. poll released Monday.

In a nationwide poll of 1,004 adults taken this month, less than 2 percent of renters said fear of falling prices was keeping them out of the market.

The National Association of Realtors has maintained that consumer psychology contributed to the housing slowdown that began in 2006. NAR launched a nationwide advertising campaign in November aimed at boosting buyer confidence, proclaiming, “It’s a great time to buy or sell a home.”